Donovan Cleckley vs. transgender people

Donovan Cleckley is an American writer and anti-transgender activist. Cleckley is part of the LGB separatist movement of anti-trans lesbian, gay, and bisexual people. Cleckley is a contributor to The Distance, an anti-trans group blog by LGB United.

Background

Donovan K. Cleckley was born in September of 1996. Cleckley earned a bachelor’s degree from University of Montevallo in 2019 and a master’s degree from Tulane University in 2020.

Anti-trans activism

In 2020, Cleckley participated in the anti-trans “Can I Get a Witness” event produced by Joey Brite.

In 2021, Cleckley and others founded a “homophile” website called The New Gay Liberation Front.

In 2023, Cleckley signed the WHO Decides petition criticizing the World Health Organization for convening a trans-supportive panel of experts to develop healthcare protocols.

References

Saff report (September 13, 2021). ‘Homophile’ organization New Gay Liberation Front launches. Windy City Times https://windycitytimes.com/2021/09/13/homophile-organization-new-gay-liberation-front-launches/

Staff report (June 12, 2015). ACCESS-ing The Path To Higher Learning. Alabama News Center https://alabamanewscenter.com/2015/06/12/access-ing-the-path-to-higher-learning/

Selected anti-trans writing by Cleckley

Cleckley, Donovan (Nov 30, 2023). How Transgender Historians Gave Magnus Hirschfeld the Marsha P. Johnson Treatment. The Distance https://www.thedistancemag.com/p/how-transgender-historians-give-magnus

Cleckley, Donovan (December 27, 2023). Humanity on the Line: A review of ‘From the ‘Neutral’ Body to the Posthuman Cyborg.’ The Distance https://www.thedistancemag.com/p/humanity-on-the-line

Osborne, Matt; Cleckley, Donovan (February 10, 2025). REPORT: James ‘Elisa Rae’ Shupe Has Joined The Transgender Jonestown. The Distance https://www.thedistancemag.com/p/report-jamie-elisa-rae-shupe-has

Cleckley, Donovan (December 15, 2023). “Gender-Affirming Care” Is the New Conversion Therapy. Fairer Disputations https://fairerdisputations.org/gender-affirming-care-is-the-new-conversion-therapy/

106. Donovan Cleckley, Researcher (Oct 25th, 2022) An American Conversation

Cleckley, Donovan (July 5, 2022). On the Value of Resistance: When our institutions fail us, we must invent. The Distance https://www.thedistancemag.com/p/on-the-value-of-resistance

Cleckley, Donovan (July 16, 2022). Speaking Out, Standing Up: Courage seems crazy—and, indeed, not too convenient.The Distance https://www.thedistancemag.com/p/speaking-out-standing-up

Media

Sasha White with Donovan Cleckley (Jan 8, 2024). Lobotomies and Transgender Surgeries | Donovan Cleckley. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ROOhnnYJ7XY

Calmversations with Benjamin Boyce, Donovan Cleckley, and Ritchie Herron (Nov 13, 2022). How Do Effeminate Men Fit In? | with Donovan Cleckley & Ritchie. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QuEaNdPurv8

“Genevieve Gluck” with Donovan Cleckley (May 12, 2022). Transgenderism & Objectification – A Conversation with Donovan Cleckley. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lTTILCxxWng

The Center for Bioethics and Culture Network with Kallie Fell and Donovan Cleckley (October 19, 2021). Venus Rising with Donovan Cleckley: Sexual Politics and Women’s Rights. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k4q5khpuhE0

Lesbian and Gay Liberation Front with “Jangles” and Donovan Cleckley (Oct 10, 2021). Donovan Cleckley serves Jangles some cold, factual logic. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SMEZh02m_ks

Calmversations with Benjamin Boyce and Donovan Cleckley (Oct 10, 2020). Gender, Conversion, & Conformity | with Donovan Cleckley. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=duLkI-cVO6M