Diana Lutfi vs. transgender people

Diana Lutfi is an American researcher, consultant, and anti-transgender activist. Lutfi is associated with the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) movement and has authored documents opposing transgender rights.

Background

Diana Khair Lutfi was born in November 1997 and grew up in California. Lutfi is also listed as Diana Kurniadi in some records and appears to be the child of Indonesian national Dina Kurniadi. Lutfi appears to have two siblings.

Lutfi attended three high schools:

Glen A. Wilson High School in Hacienda Heights, California
John A. Rowland High School in Rowland Heights, California
Chaffey High School in Ontario, California

Lutfi was involved in organizing several TEDx events in Southern California.

Lutfi attended Scripps College, a sex-segregated college in Claremont, California, before transferring to University of California, Berkeley and earning a bachelor’s degree in 2017. Lutfi then attended University of Denver, earning a master’s degree in 2021 and a law degree in 2024.

Lutfi has published under the name Diana Fowler Lutfi. Lutfi was reportedly legally adopted by lawyer Terry Lee Fowler during law school in Colorado. In 2024, Lutfi described Fowler as a “former academic mentor.”

In May 2025, Lutfi launched Healing Science Policy Institute, an organization “deriving from 6000+ physicians, scientists, academics, practitioners rebuttal letter” in support of Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.

2024 amicus curiae brief

In 2024, Lutfi was credited as primary author of an amicus curiae brief submitted to the US Supreme Court by Terry Lee Fowler (who reportedly adopted Lutfi while Lutfi was in law school). The brief, titled “Brief for Larger Detransitioners Community,” supported Tennessee’s state ban on transgender healthcare for young people.

Diana F. Lutfi: primary author
Maia Abbruzzese (as “Maia Poet”): section co-author
Laura Collector (as Laura Wiley Haynes): section co-author
Johnathan Edwards: section co-author
Raheem Williams: co-author

The Southern Poverty Law Center’s Hatewatch project contacted Lutfi about the brief:

Lutfi characterized herself in an emailed comment to Hatewatch as a “Berkeley-trained bioethics researcher and independent projects/litigation consultant.”

Lutfi added: “I am what would be considered an ‘unlicensed attorney,’ or a legal fellow who was directly supervised by a licensed attorney.” The supervising attorney is Terry Fowler.

It is not uncommon for unlicensed attorneys to author briefs that licensed attorneys then file. Fowler, the attorney of record for the brief, is a lawyer in Colorado. But the amicus brief he filed lists the attorney’s address at a UPS Store in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Fowler has not been admitted to the New Mexico Bar, according to the state bar association’s website.

After Hatewatch contacted the email address listed on the brief, Lutfi responded that she answers requests for comment regarding the brief, including those directed to Fowler.

Lutfi told Hatewatch that Fowler has “consulted with the Colorado Bar regarding his practice of law which is currently strictly limited to this amicus,” and that they were “not concerned that he was in violation of any ABA rules.”

On June 18, 2025, Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas cited Lutfi’s brief in a concurring opinion:

“The voices of “detransitioners”—individuals who have undergone sex-transition treatments but no longer view themselves as transgender—provide States with an additional reason to question whether children are providing informed consent to the medical interventions described above. See, e.g., Brief for Larger Detransitioners Community as Amici Curiae 24–28; Brief for Partners for Ethical Care et al. as Amici Curiae 17–38.”

Two days later, Lutfi posted on Facebook:

“Two days ago was the highlight of my career. Reading the U.S. v Skrmetti decision brought more than tears of joy to my eyes. I could not stop crying because this decision became the legal precedent of this country, made legal history, and echoed so much of the Larger Detransitioners Community Amicus from the highest court of the land. This is the binding authority for generations to come. Most significantly, Justice Clarence Thomas cited the amicus that I primarily authored, organized, and involved the detransitioners community directly in. This recognition gave them space, voice, and vision, reflecting the fact that their stories and voices cannot and will not be taken away from them by any organization or institution.

Just for context, it is exceedingly rare for any amicus to be included in U.S. Supreme Court opinions, and this case has 88 amicus briefs filed. The vast majority of attorneys and organizations submitting amici could only hope for a Justice to read their brief and make mention of their perspective. This was even more significant because our brief (which was organized/authored in two weeks) was included in the historical textual decision of the holding, and the opinion and conclusions of this holding mirrored it. I cannot think of a better honor and better proof that Justice is prevailing. Our group furthermore voluntarily came out to D.C. and camped out to watch this case. I cannot begin to express what an honor it is to know all of these individuals, making U.S. history with them, and continuing to make U.S. history with so many others to this day.

[…] Because there is a chosen generation with clean hands and pure hearts who will not trust in what is false, who will ascend the hill of the Lord.”

2025 ex-transgender endorsement of Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.

In January 2025, Lutfi was point person on an open letter submitted by a group of ex-transgender activists and their promoters requesting that the United States Senate confirm Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as Secretary of Health and Human Services.

References

Kozlov, Max / Nature magazine (November 24, 2025). Psychedelics and Immortality Take Center Stage at MAHA Summit. Scientific American https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/maha-summit-features-talk-of-psychedelics-and-immortality/

Cravens, R.G.; Newton, Creede (October 30, 2024). Anti-LGBTQ+ hate groups support Supreme Court case to ban gender-affirming care. Southern Poverty Law Center https://www.splcenter.org/resources/hatewatch/anti-lgbtq-hate-groups-support-supreme-court-case-ban-gender-affirming-care/

Piper, Greg (October 30, 2024). Detransitioners press SCOTUS to uphold state ban on youth trans medicine: ‘infertile’ for no reason. Just the News https://justthenews.com/government/courts-law/detransitioners-press-scotus-uphold-state-ban-youth-trans-medicine-infertile

Anti-trans coverage

Edwards, Johnathan (June 26, 2025). Talking with Detransitioner Chloe Cole. Johnathan Edwards MD Substack https://johnathanedwardsmd.substack.com/p/talking-with-detransitioner-chloe

Selected writing by Lutfi

Lutfi, Diana (September 7, 2025). Hidden research and suppressed treatments reveal the dark side of public health policy. Washington Times https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2025/sep/7/hidden-research-suppressed-treatments-reveal-dark-side-public-health/

Lutfi, Diana (December 5, 2024). Here’s why I participated in the Supreme Court transgender case. Dallas Morning News https://www.dallasnews.com/opinion/commentary/2024/12/05/heres-why-i-participated-in-the-supreme-court-transgender-case/

Lutfi, Diana and signatories (October 15, 2024). BRIEF OF AMICI CURIAE THE LARGER DETRANSITIONERS COMMUNITY INCLUDING PUBLIC OFFICIALS, HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS, AND RESEARCHERS IN SUPPORT OF RESPONDENTS. US v. Skrmetti , No. 23-477 https://www.supremecourt.gov/DocketPDF/23/23-477/328719/20241018182632065_241012a%20v2%20AC%20Brief%20for%20efiling.pdf