Dan Riley vs. transgender people

Dan Riley is an American author, podcaster, and anti-transgender activist. Riley has platformed and promoted many prominent anti-trans activists on the podcast Keep Talking, including David Buss, Nicholas Christakis, Danielle Crittenden, Noam Dworman, Sarah Haider, Rob Henderson, Carole Hooven, Helen Joyce, Pano Kanelos, Konstantin Kisin, Glenn Loury, Greg Lukianoff, Lisa Marchiano, Maud Maron, John McWhorter, Robert Plomin, Wilfred Reilly, and Jesse Singal.

Background

Daniel “Dan” Riley is from Austin, Texas. Riley earned a bachelor’s degree from Duke University in 2006.

From 2008 to 2011, Riley was a campus organizer in the outreach department at non-profit think tank Center for Inquiry. Riley has also worked for Voxer, StatusPage.io, and Atlassian. Riley is founder of WolfStar, Inc. and ZEROPAY.

Riley authored the 2012 book Generation Atheist and has hosted several podcasts, including The Exchange, The ATX Podcast, Artists of New York, and Keep Talking.

Anti-trans activism

In October 2021, Riley released an episode of Keep Talking featuring anti-trans extremist Jesse Singal, folllowed immediately by episodes with like-minded extremists Carole Hooven and Helen Joyce. Riley has also released many clips from these conversations.

Other anti-trans guests have included David Buss, Nicholas Christakis, Danielle Crittenden, Noam Dworman, Sarah Haider, Rob Henderson, Pano Kanelos, Konstantin Kisin, Glenn Loury, Greg Lukianoff, Lisa Marchiano, Maud Maron, John McWhorter, Robert Plomin, and Wilfred Reilly.

Reilly also hosted an episode with conservative trans guest Deirdre McCloskey.

Keep Talking podcast episodes

2026

Episode 153: Kathryn Mannix – Lessons From The Dying (Feb 6, 2026)

2025

Episode 152: Jonathan Zimmerman – The Assassination of Charlie Kirk (Oct 31, 2025)
Episode 151: Judith Thurman – Writing at “The New Yorker”
Episode 150: Liesbeth van der Horst – How To Resist Fascism
Episode 149: Lisa Marchiano – Why Jung Matters (Aug 1, 2025)
Episode 148: Walter Robinson – How Journalists Exposed the Catholic Sexual Abuse Story
Episode 147: Mark Clifford – Why Is China Afraid of Hong Kong’s Jimmy Lai?
Episode 146: James Hollis – How To Be Who You Are
Episode 145: Daniel Lieberman – Direct Dopamine To Friends, Not Phones
Episode 144: Orna Donath: The Last Taboo – Women Who Regret Motherhood
Episode 143: Robert Plomin – The Power of Genes in Human Nature (Feb 21, 2025)
Episode 142: Derek Sivers: How To Keep Growing
Episode 141: Anna Lembke – Dopamine Nation: Overcoming Modern Addictions
Episode 140: Russell Foster – Sleep: The Most Important Thing You Do
Episode 139: Nick Pollard – The Problem With People-Pleasing
Episode 138: Pico Iyer – What We Can Learn From Silence
Episode 137: Orville Schell – Will The Chinese People Ever Be Free?
Episode 136: Joseph Goldstein – How Meditation Can Improve Your Life

2024

Episode 135: James Hollis – How to Live a Meaningful Life
Episode 134: Elizabeth Economy: Communist China’s History in 60 Minutes
Episode 133: James Holland – D-Day, WWII, and What We Owe Our Veterans
Episode 132: Noam Dworman – Comedy, Free Speech, and Creating The Comedy Cellar (Dec 5, 2024)
Episode 131: Sir Richard Evans – How the Nazis Rose to Power

Episode 130: Glenn Loury – My American Dream Story (Nov 22, 2024)
Episode 129: Greg Lukianoff – Cancel culture, censorship, and free speech (Nov 15, 2024)
Episode 128: Robert Greene – America’s Inability To Talk Honestly About Power
Episode 127: Merle Bombardieri – Kids: How to Make Life’s Most Important Choice
Episode 126: Vejas Liulevicius – Western Civilization in 60 Minutes
Episode 125: Mark Galeotti – Russian History in 60 Minutes

Episode 124: Konstantin Kisin – Why Western Values Matter (Oct 11, 2024)
Episode 123: Randy Nesse – The Frontier of Evolutionary Psychiatry
Episode 122: Richard Wrangham – How Humans Self-Domesticated Through Homicide
Episode 121: Robert Plomin – How Genes Shape Who You Are
Episode 120: Brian Hare – Friendliness: The Human Superpower
Episode 119: Stephen Kinzer – The Secret Truths of MK-Ultra
Episode 118: Helen Fisher – Understanding Why We Love
Episode 117: Richard Reeves – Understanding the Suffering of Modern Men
Episode 116: Kevin Kelly – Ideas To Live A Wise Life

Episode 115: Traver Boehm – How To Become A Better Man
Episode 114: Orna Donath – Regretting Motherhood, Part 2
Episode 113: Roy Baumeister – Taboo Truths About Men and Women
Episode 112: Ian Marcus Corbin – Our Loneliness Epidemic
Episode 111: Joe Henrich – Understanding Human Nature
Episode 110: David Blankenhorn – Saving America Through Conversation
Episode 109: Robert Glover – Dating Advice for Men

Episode 108: Shawn T. Smith – How Can Men Improve Their Mental Health?
Episode 107: James Fadiman – How Microdosing Can Change Your Life
Episode 106: William Davis – Getting Healthy in Modern Times
Episode 105: Bill Wasik – The History of the Animal Rights Movement
Episode 104: Oliver Burkeman – Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals
Episode 103: Derek Sivers – Philosophy for Life
Episode 102: Hemant Mehta – Atheism Today

Episode 101: D.J. Taylor – Why Orwell Matters
Episode 100: Camilla Kring – Sleep and Society
Episode 99: Sarah Everts – The Science of Sweat
Episode 98: Sherry Ning – Creating Your Own Path
Episode 97: Stuart Whatley – The Case Against Work
Episode 96: Matthew Johnson – The Psychedelic Renaissance

Episode 95: Rob Henderson – Troubled: A Memoir of Foster Care, Family, and Social Class (Feb 20, 2024)
Episode 94: Jon Dean – The Science of DMT
Episode 93: Robin Dunbar – Why Do Humans Have Friends?
Episode 92: James Hollis – A Life of Meaning
Episode 91: Paul Conti – Understanding Trauma

2023

Episode 90: Eric Jorgenson – The Anthology of Balaji
Episode 89: Peter Levine – Healing Trauma
Episode 88: Barry Schwartz – The Paradox of Choice
Episode 87: Jon Kostas – Curing My Alcoholism with Psilocybin Therapy
Episode 86: Leidy Klotz – Subtract: The Untapped Science of Less
Episode 85: Shawn T. Smith – How to Vet Women for Relationships
Episode 84: Brent W. Roberts – The Big Five personality traits
Episode 83: Warren Farrell – The Boy Crisis

Episode 82: Ed Hagen – The Evolutionary Basis of Mental Illness
Episode 81: William Irvine – Lessons from the Stoics
Episode 80: Marc Schulz – How To Have A Flourishing Life
Episode 79: Roy Baumeister – How Women Shaped Men
Episode 78: Orna Donath – Regretting Motherhood
Episode 77: Joyce Benenson – The Differences Between Men and Women

Episode 76: Tania Reynolds – How Women Compete for Men
Episode 75: Kevin Kelly – Excellent Advice for Living
Episode 74: Pico Iyer – Understanding Japan
Episode 73: Jeremi Suri – The American Civil War
Episode 72: Christopher Ryan – The Hunter-Gatherer Within
Episode 71: Thomas Moore – Spirituality and Soul in the Modern World

2022

Episode 70: Nicholas Christakis – Lessons From The Dying (Dec 2, 2022)
Episode 69: Chip Conley – Elevating Our Elders
Episode 68: Greg Lukianoff – Free Speech in America (Nov 11, 2022)
Episode 67: Richard Reeves – The Quiet Despair Of Modern Men
Episode 66: Pano Kanelos – The University of Austin (Oct 28, 2022)
Episode 65: Jeff Rediger – Spontaneous Remissions
Episode 64: Stephen Kinzer – MK-Ultra and Sidney Gottlieb
Episode 63: Josh Chin – China’s Surveillance State
Episode 62: Joe Henrich – The WEIRDest People in the World
Episode 61: Huw Price – Existential Risk

Episode 60: William Davis – Your Gut and Your Health
Episode 59: Jim Fadiman – The Science of Microdosing
Episode 58: Deirdre McCloskey – Being Trans (Aug 22, 2022)
Episode 57: Barbara Demick – Inside North Korea
Episode 56: Merit Cudkowicz – Fighting ALS
Episode 55: Jack Barsky – A Spy Among Us
Episode 54: Robert Greene – The 48 Laws of Power
Episode 53: Konstantin Kisin – An Immigrant’s Love Letter to the West (Jun 27, 2022)
Episode 52: Jeffrey Guss – How to Change Your Mind
Episode 51: Jon Birger – Modern Dating

Episode 50: Jonathan Rauch – A Defense of Truth
Episode 49: Richard Rhodes – The Threat of Nuclear Weapons
Episode 48: Joseph Goldstein – Understanding Your Mind
Episode 47: Helen Fisher – The Science of Love
Episode 46: Daniel Schacter: Human Memory
Episode 45: Sarah Haider – Leaving Islam (May 2, 2022)
Episode 44: Ian O’Connor – Coach K: The Rise and Reign of Mike Krzyzewski
Episode 43: Ilya Ponomarev – Fighting For Ukraine
Episode 42: Walter “Robby” Robinson: Breaking The Catholic Church Sexual Abuse Story
Episode 41: Ilya Shapiro – American Liberty, American Civility

Episode 40: Wade Davis – Knowledge From Exploration
Episode 39: Glenn Loury – Living The American Dream (Mar 14, 2022)
Episode 38: Maud Maron – Modern McCarthyism (Mar 7, 2022)
Episode 37: Wilfred Reilly – American Taboos (Feb 28, 2022)
Episode 36: David Daley – Gerrymandering’s Threat To U.S. Democracy
Episode 35: Anna Lembke – Modern Addictions
Episode 34: Peter Verstrate – The Cultured Meat Revolution
Episode 33: Ronan Levy – Psychedelics Going Mainstream
Episode 32: Paul Fletcher – Psychosis in Society
Episode 31: John McWhorter – Woke Racism (Jan 17, 2022)
Episode 30: Robert Glover – No More Mr. Nice Guy
Episode 29: Danielle Crittenden – Feminism Today (Jan 3, 2022)

2021

Episode 28: James Hollis – Living an Examined Life
Episode 27: Donald G. McNeil, Jr. – COVID-19
Episode 26: Audrey Brumback – Understanding Autism
Episode 25: Omer Kanat – The Uyghur Genocide
Episode 24: Scott Shepherd – Leaving the Ku Klux Klan
Episode 23: Steve Harrigan – Honoring the Artist Within
Episode 22: Cesare Fracassi – Cryptocurrency

Episode 21: Helen Joyce – Trans: When Ideology Meets Reality (Nov 1, 2021)
- (Mar 21, 2024). [Helen Joyce clip] The Truth of “Transphobia” in LGBTQ+ Education. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s3YsyjmXyoU
- (Mar 20, 2024). [Helen Joyce clip] An Insane Example of Trans Ideology Gone Crazy. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zQj72jKuj0Y
- (Mar 19, 2024). [Helen Joyce clip] The Truth about Transgender Surgeries. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fB2ewjodEc4
- (Mar 17, 2024). [Helen Joyce clip] Who Helen Joyce trusts for journalism and information. [recommends Jesse Singal and Katie Herzog] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IR_OTYXGHmw
- (Mar 16, 2024). [Helen Joyce clip] What is at stake for women in the trans debate. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ubKohcplsxg
- (Mar 16, 2024). [Helen Joyce clip] Why Sex-Separate Changing Rooms and Bathrooms Matter to Women. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bL70B8CTFM8
- (Mar 16, 2024). [Helen Joyce clip] The Importance of Having Private Public Spaces for Women. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lEcgTYHsaq8
- (Mar 14, 2024). [Helen Joyce clip] How Helen Joyce came to write about the trans movement. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Stiw5AMkyT8
- (Mar 13, 2024). [Helen Joyce clip] Is the trans movement mostly a men’s rights movement? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bSgRO0L2VFY
- (Mar 12, 2024). [Helen Joyce clip] Honesty in the trans debate is largely to safeguard children. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_lWuaf3wLaQ
- (Mar 9, 2024). [Helen Joyce clip] Why Recognizing Sex Differences Matters in Sports. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nImB2U_FAp8
- (Mar 8, 2024). [Helen Joyce clip] Journalist Helen Joyce getting pushback from asking questions about gender. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L1TmG0QcXnw
- (Mar 7, 2024). [Helen Joyce clip] Trans rumination and the modern environment for children. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U-N9ZuBvCrY
- (Feb 27, 2024). [Helen Joyce clip] The Orwellian Nature of The Trans Ideology Movement. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fv7ySqlpCDk
- (Feb 27, 2024). [Helen Joyce clip] Half Of All Children Who Say They’re Trans are Autistic. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fg8C2F5kTJs
- (Feb 26, 2024). [Helen Joyce clip] The Injustice of Transgender Athletes on Women’s Sports. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aeyL8AHgBuQ
- (Nov 15, 2021). [Helen Joyce clip] The false analogy between racial and trans bathroom separation. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WzVury6pZtE
- (Nov 10, 2021). [Helen Joyce clip] Why your employer is your point of weakness as a journalist or an academic. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6VpShRFymvs
- (Nov 10, 2021). [Helen Joyce clip] What happens when children are given puberty blockers? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=neXeg2QV-e8
- (Nov 10, 2021). [Helen Joyce clip] The consequences of putting young children on puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1K-fEshSn50
- (Nov 10, 2021). [Helen Joyce clip] What percentage of the human population are trans? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=44xI2OspFAE

Episode 20: Carole Hooven – T: The Story of Testosterone (Oct 25, 2021)
- (Oct 30, 2021). [Carole Hooven clip] What is testosterone? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pongj3w-zfQ
- (Oct 30, 2021). [Carole Hooven clip] How can we reduce self-censorship? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FQBq2JrIkks

Episode 19: Jesse Singal – Woke Culture (Oct 18, 2021)
Episode 18: Eric Jorgenson: The Almanack of Naval Ravikant
Episode 17: Jerry Rosenbaum – Psychedelics & The Brain
Episode 16: David Blankenhorn – Braver Angels
Episode 15: Ben Westhoff – Fentanyl in America
Episode 14: Peter Neufeld – The Innocence Project
Episode 13: Avi Loeb – ‘Oumuamua, UFOs, and Extraterrestrial Life
Episode 12: Bruce Poulter – MDMA for PTSD