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The ex-transgender movement: litigation

One strategy used by anti-transgender activists is to solicit plaintiffs and subsidize litigation against providers of trans healthcare. They often do this by grooming ex-trans activists with regret about making a gender transition.

Although gender transition regret rates are much lower than most medical treatments, this kind of litigation generates publicity for anti-trans activists and their lawyers, and it creates a chilling effect on care for our community. Litigation has been an effective strategy used by opponents of contraception, abortion, and other kinds of care related to sex and gender.

United States cases

Soren Aldaco

Richard Ikechukwu Anumene

  • Ikechukwu Anumene v Permanente Medical Group et al
  • Case: CGC-22-598800 (filed March 22, 2022)
  • Jurisdiction: San Francisco County, California
  • Plaintiff attorney: Daniel Watkins, Watkins & Letofsky
  • reportedly “resolved” according to an anti-trans site

Ramiel Anzu

Isabelle M. Ayala (fka Giovanni Ayala)

  • Ayala v AAP, Rafferty, Forcier
  • PC-2023-05428
  • Jurisdiction: Providence / Bristol County, RI
  • Filed October 20, 2023
  • Plaintiff attorney: Jordan Campbell, Campbell Miller Payne

Clementine Breen

  • Breen v. Oson-Kennedy et al Los Angeles County, CA
  • attorney attorney: Charles LiMandri; Campbell Miller Payne

Chloe Brockman / “Chloe Cole”

  • Chloe E. Brockmana aka Chloe Cole v Kaiser Foundation Hospitals
  • STK-CV-UMM-2023-0001612
  • San Joaquin County, California
  • Filed: February 22, 2023
  • Plaintiff attorney: LiMandri, Dhillon, Trammell / Center for American Liberty

July Carlan / “Shape Shifter”

  • Carlan v. Fenway Community Health Center, Inc.
  • 1:2023cv12361
  • October 12, 2023
  • US District Court for the District of Massachusetts
  • Plaintiff attorney: Mitra Forouhar, MNF law

Katie Coblentz / Katie Anderson

  • Katie Coblentz (fka Katie Anderson) v United States of America, ex rel. Fenway Community Health Center, et al
  • Defendants: Fenway Community Health Center, Inc., Molly McHenry, Renee Randazzo, Ralph Vetters, Samantha Hodgins, Karla HoxhaBrown, Samantha Gendron, Amy Teasdale, Cindy Castor, Rachel Kahn, Adrianna Graziano, Scott Corbett, Lissette Garcia, Doreen Clark, Jojo Amanfu
  • Case No. 1:25-cv-10435-NMG
  • https://ia600807.us.archive.org/11/items/gov.uscourts.mad.281092/gov.uscourts.mad.281092.1.0.pdf

Paul Garcia-Ryan

  • Garcia-Ryan v. Community Health Project, Inc. 1:24-cv-07117

Morgan Hale

  • Morgan Hale v. Equitas Health, Inc, Mary Beth Rivard, and Ashley Laughlin Wilder
  • Case No. 24CV-2533
  • Jurisdiction: Franklin County, Ohio
  • Judge Bill Speranza
  • Dismissed with prejudice July 9, 2025

Sean Michael Heeney

  • wrongful death case
  • John Heeney, as personal representative of decedent Sean Michael Heeney and special administrator of the estate v Kaiser Foundation Health Plan, Inc.

Luka Hein / “onedonebun”

  • Hein v. UNMC, et al
  • Case. No. D01CI230007381
  • link NB-Douglas Co
  • Defendants: UNMC Physicians, The Nebraska Medical Center, Nebraska Medicine, Nahia J. Amoura, M.D., Perry Johnson, M.D., Stephan Barrientos, M.D., and Megan Smith-Sallans
  • Filed: September 13, 2023
  • Plaintiff attorneys: Mark Trammal, Charles S. LiMandri, Paul Jonna, Robert E. Weisenburger, Harmeet Dhillon, John-Paul Deol, Jesse D. Franklin-Murdock, Martin Cannon (Thomas More Society) Center for American Liberty, LIMANDRI & JONNA LLP and Dhillon Law Group

Cristina Hineman

  • Cristina Hineman v. Planned Parenthood Federation of America, Inc, et al

Camille Kiefel

  • Kiefel v Ruff et al
    • Case No. 22CV29327
    • Jurisdiction: Multnomah County, Oregon
    • Defendants: Brave Space LLC, Mara Burmeister, Project Quest, Amy Ruff, Does 1-10
    • Judge: Katharine von Ter Stegge
    • Filed: August 29, 2022
  • Kiefel v. Oregon Cosmetic and Reconstructive Clinic et al
    • Case No. 24CV10314
    • Jurisdiction: Clackamas County, Oregon
    • Defendants: Oregon Cosmetic and Reconstructive Clinic, Tina Jenq, Providence Milwaukie Hospital
    • Filed February 28, 2024
  • Plaintiff attorneys: Candice Jackson; Benjamin Boyd, Zachary Hostetter of Jackson Bone; Hostetter Law Group

Emma Koe

  • Koe v. Noggle et al
  • Civil Action No. 1:23-cv-02904-SEG
  • Jurisdiction: US District Court for the Northern District of Georgia, Atlanta Division

Kayla Lovdahl / “Layla Jane”

  • Layla Jane v. Kaiser Hospital Foundation
  • San Joachin County, California
  • Filed: June 14, 2023
  • Harmeet Dhillon Center for American Liberty

Christopher Miller

  • Christopher Miller v Identity Hormones, LLC, et al
  • Case No. CV2024008632
  • Defendants: Identity Hormones, LLC, Michael Jaorasdr
  • Jurisdiction: Maricopa County, AZ
  • Judge: Susanna Pineda
  • Case status: dismissed

Prisha Mosley / “detransaqua”

  • Mosley v Emerson, et al
  • Case No. 23-CVS-2375
  • Jurisdiction: Gaston County, North Carolina
  • Filed July 17, 2023
  • Josh Payne, Campbell Miller Payne

Abigail Suzanne Pierce

  • wrongful death
  • Lisa Pierce, as Parent and Natural Guardian of Abigail Suzanne Pierce, Plaintiff, v. Amy L. Beard, Commissioner of the Indiana Department of Insurance
  • Case No. 49D06-2409-CT-040990 (IN)

Amanda Stewart

Ciara Summers

  • Ciara Summers v Dr. Margaret Baum, et al
  • Case No. 2024-LA-000288 (IL)
  • Judge: Sarah Smith
  • status: dismissed August 26, 2024

Corey Towe

Hannah Ulery / Layton Ulery

  • Ulery v Rafferty, Forcier, Thundermist Health
  • PC-2023-05366
  • Jurisdiction: Bristol County, Rhode Island
  • Filed: October 20, 2023
  • Plaintiff attorney: Ron Miller, Campbell Miller Payne
  • Moved to federal court in 2024: 1:24-CV-00024

“Jane Doe” / currently anonymous ex-trans activist in Illinois

Canada cases

Lois Cardinal

  • Alberta case
  • details
  • denied medical assistance in dying (MAID)

Michelle Zacchinga

United Kingdom cases

Keira Bell

  • Bell v. Tavistock and Portman NHS Trust

Ritchie Herron

  • announced plans in 2022 to sue Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne & Wear NHS Foundation Trust

Australia cases

Jay Langadinos

Spain cases

Susana Domínguez

References

Hamm, Amy (March 10, 2025). Amy Hamm: Indigenous transwoman’s lawsuit exposes harms of gender-reassignment surgery. [Lois Cardinal case] National Post https://nationalpost.com/opinion/indigenous-transwomans-lawsuit-exposes-harms-of-gender-reassignment-surgery

[Singal, Jesse] (December 6, 2024). America’s best-known practitioner of youth gender medicine is being sued. The Economist https://www.economist.com/united-states/2024/12/06/americas-best-known-practitioner-of-youth-gender-medicine-is-being-sued

Schwanemann, Kaitlyn (December 12, 2024). UCLA student sues California doctors, says she was ‘fast-tracked’ into transgender surgery. NBC News https://www.nbcnews.com/nbc-out/out-news/ucla-student-sues-california-doctors-says-was-fast-tracked-transgender-rcna183815

Arnold, Tyler (December 11, 2024). Woman alleges doctors ‘fast-tracked’ her into gender transition as preteen, files lawsuit. [Clementine Breen case] Catholic News Agency https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/260981/woman-alleges-doctors-fast-tracked-her-into-gender-transition-as-preteen-files-lawsuit

Riedel, Samantha (August 9, 2024). A “Detransitioner” Is Suing Planned Parenthood for Providing Gender-Affirming Care. [Cristina Hineman case] them https://www.them.us/story/planned-parenthood-lawsuit-gender-affirming-care

Block, Jennifer (August 7, 2024). How Did Planned Parenthood Become One of the Country’s Largest Suppliers of Testosterone? [Cristina Hineman case] The Free Press https://www.thefp.com/p/how-did-planned-parenthood-become

Kornick, Lindsay (May 16, 2024). Judge grants detransitioner’s lawsuit against doctors to proceed in court: ‘Sufficient’ allegations. [Prisha Mosley case] Fox News https://www.foxnews.com/media/judge-grants-detransitioners-lawsuit-against-doctors-continue-court

Urquhart, Evan (May 1, 2024). Detransitioner Soren Aldaco Must Pay $40,000 for Frivolous Lawsuit. Assigned Media https://www.assignedmedia.org/breaking-news/soren-aldaco-lawsuit-dismissed-with-prejudice

Goldstein, Julie Rei (April 23, 2024). What’s Up With Chloe Cole’s Lawsuit? Assigned Media https://www.assignedmedia.org/breaking-news/chloe-cole-brockman-kaiser-lawsuit-arbitration

Grossman, Lewis A. (March 19, 2024). Criminalizing Transgender Care. Iowa Law Review https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=4765290

Hiltzik, Michael (March 2, 2023). A transgender patient’s lawsuit against Kaiser is a front for the conservative war on LGBTQ rights. [Chloe Brockman case] https://www.latimes.com/business/story/2023-03-02/transgender-patients-chloe-cole-lawsuit-against-kaiser-lgbtq-rights

Poonia, Gitanjali (September 15, 2023). Woman sues doctors who she says rushed her into gender surgery at 16. [Luka Hein case] Deseret News https://www.deseret.com/2023/9/15/23874181/gender-surgery-minors-detransition-lawsuit/

Davidoff, Judith (January 5, 2024). Firm suing UW doctors over transgender care seeks clients for similar lawsuits: Eckland & Blando created the Detransition Network to provide legal help to ‘detransitioners.’ Isthmus https://isthmus.com/news/news/firm-suing-uw-doctors-over-transgender-care-seek-clients-for/

Reilly, Wilfred (March 14, 2024). The ‘Detransition’ Time Bomb. National Review https://www.nationalreview.com/2024/03/the-detransition-time-bomb/

Schlott, Rikki (December 13, 2023). Detransitioner suing American Academy of Pediatrics: ‘I don’t want this to happen to other young girls.’ [Isabelle Ayala case] New York Post https://nypost.com/2023/12/13/news/detransitioner-suing-american-academy-of-pediatrics/

Davis, Lisa Selin / “an anonymous contributer” (December 7, 2023). Eleven Lawsuits by Detransitioners in the US. https://www.broadview.news/p/eleven-lawsuits-by-detransitioners

Hart, Dan (December 07, 2023). ‘Only the Beginning’: Lawsuits From Detransitioners Are on Rise. Daily Signal https://www.dailysignal.com/2023/12/07/only-beginning-lawsuits-detransitioners-rise/

Richardson, Valerie (December 5, 2023). Surge of detransition lawsuits pose threat to booming gender-transition business. [Kayla Lovdahl, Chloe Brockman, Prisha Mosley cases] Washington Times https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2023/dec/5/surge-of-detransition-lawsuits-pose-threat-to-boom

Wahlberg, David (November 3, 2023) Woman says UW doctors performed gender-altering surgeries without proper consent. Wisconsin State Journal https://madison.com/news/local/business/health-care/woman-says-uw-doctors-performed-gender-altering-surgeries-without-proper-consent/article_ff7bd30a-79ab-11ee-82bc-8fefeb60d060.html

Matthew, Merrill (October 31, 2023). Matthews: Here come the gender-detransitioner lawsuits. The Hill https://thehill.com/opinion/4284777-matthews-here-come-the-gender-detransitioner-lawsuits/

[Singal, Jesse] (March 7, 2023). Legal action may change transgender care in America. The Economist https://www.economist.com/united-states/2023/03/07/legal-action-may-change-transgender-care-in-america

Trans-supportive resources

Julie Rei Goldstein

Anti-trans resources

Transition Justice (transitionjustice.org)

Detrans Help (detranshelp.org)

  • includes list of cases by nation

Themis Resource Fund (themisresourcefund.org)

Gender Medicine Malpractice [law firm Eckland & Blando] (gendermedicalmalpractice.com)

Dhillon Law Group (dhillonlaw.com)

Law and Mediation Offices of Kelly Chang (purposedrivenlawyers.com)

Jordan Law (jordanlaw.com)

Campbell Miller Payne (cmppllc.com)

Alliance Defending Freedom (adfinternational.org)

Hostetter Law Group, LLP (hostetterlawgroup.com)

Mitra N. Forouhar (mnf-law.com)