Jonni Skinner is an American ex-transgender activist. Skinner began a gender transition that included hormones as a teenager, then made additional gender changes as an adult. Skinner is associated with anti-trans hate group Genspect and spoke at their 2025 conference.
Background
Jonathon Hunter Skinner was born on November 9, 2002 to entrepreneur Melissa Lei Mojica-Skinner and grew up in Michigan. They attended a fundamentalist Christian church.
Skinner was diagnosed with autism around age 4 and was homeschooled on and off during childhood after having troubles in the public school system. Around fifth grade, Skinner left school for a few years and was a ward of the state. Being isolated led Skinner to seeking friends online on Kik and Omegele, which led to problematic interactions with older men. Skinner began to feel uncomfortable with pubertal body changes, which intensified body and facial image issues.
In around 2016, Skinner contacted University of Michigan’s gender program to inquire about services. Skinner made a social transition and began using feminine pronouns at 13 and using the name Scarlet at 14. Skinner came out to Melissa, started therapy, and started growing out hair. Following an uncomfortable intake assessment with a therapist at the gender clinic, Skinner was referred to the prescribing clinician and was placed on estrogen and spironolactone. Skinner was often unhappy with the answers from clinicians. Skinner later got a puberty blocker implant. At around age 16, after around 2.5 years, Skinner had the implant removed due to unwanted side effects, including depression and urinary issues. Skinner was then noncompliant with spironolactone dosage, taking lower doses intermittently.
In the dating world, Skinner had a hard time finding romantic partners of the same age.
Around 2023, Skinner started reducing hormone use, eventually stopping in late 2023. Skinner later found another doctor who Skinner felt was more upfront about side effects. Skinner was never interested in surgical options.
In May 2025, Skinner earned a GED from Bangor public schools, listed as Jonnie Skinner on the certificate.
Ex-trans activism
At age 18, Skinner did a livestream, and viewers questioned inconsistencies in the transition timeline Skinner presented. In 2024, Skinner appeared on anti-trans podcast Gender: A Wider Lens.
According to the promotional materials for the 2025 Genspect conference:
Jonni is a 22–year-old detransitioner who shares his personal experience and works to raise awareness about the complex intersections between childhood gender transition and conversion therapy. He began taking estrogen and testosterone blockers at the age of 13 and lived as a transgender girl until the age of 21. Since detransitioning, Jonni has become a vocal advocate against the medical transitioning of minors, dedicating his time to public education and advocacy.
In 2025, Skinner appeared on the Beyond Gender anti-trans podcast.
Media
Beyond Gender with Stella O’Malley, Bret Alderman, and Jonni Skinner (September 18, 2025). I Was Thirteen When They Put Me on Estrogen – Jonni Skinner (#39). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6EFckKmYcgU
Gender: A Wider Lens with Stella O’Malley, Sasha Ayad, and Scarlet Skinner (March 12, 2024). “My Entire Childhood Was Medicalized” with Scarlet | Episode 154. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s96WlMza2f0
Resources
X/Twitter (x.com)
Quora (quora.com)