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Jack Appleby vs. transgender people

Jack Appleby is an British web designer and anti-transgender activist. Appleby does web design for anti-trans activists, including Sex Matters The Countess, and Genspect.

Anti-trans activism

Appleby was active online early in the “gender critical” movement. Appleby’s Twitter bio said “T*RF tech support […] Working with @sexmattersorg, @genspect and others trying to fix the gender mess.”

Appleby made a comment on a crowdfunder created by Allison Bailey.

In October 2018, Appleby signed a letter to the editor of The Guardian

In September 2019, anti-trans extremist Graham Linehan quoted a tweet by Appleby: “What’s more likely: That a load of life-long left-leaning LGBT-supporting women have inexplicably and uncharacteristically all suddenly become bigots or that one might be missing something here?”

In February 2023, Appleby signed an open letter by Clinical Advisory Network on Sex and Gender on “the importance of the word “woman” in communication about women’s health.”

In 2024, anti-trans extremist group Sex Matters credited Appleby with their web design.

In May 2025, Stella O’Malley, founder of anti-trans hate group Genspect, listed Appleby as someone attacked by the “gender critical woke.”

In July 2025, Appleby made a test post on anti-trans blog The Countess.

References

O’Malley, Stella (May 28, 2025). When You’re Gender-Critical – and You’re Woke. Substack https://stellaomalley.substack.com/p/when-youre-gender-critical-and-youre

Sex Matters (December 15, 2024). Sex Matters in 2024. https://sex-matters.org/posts/updates/sex-matters-in-2024/

Sex Matters (2022). Mission vision and goals. https://sex-matters.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/SexMattersMissionVisionGoals2022.pdf

Linehan, Graham (September 23, 2019). What happens when women try to meet to discuss their rights in 2019. https://glinner.co.uk/what-happens-when-women-try-to-meet-in-2019/ [archive]

Selected writing by Appleby

Appleby, Jack and signatories (February 23, 2023). Open Letter to NHS chiefs: The importance of the word “woman” in communication about women’s health. Clinical Advisory Network on Sex and Gender https://can-sg.org/2023/02/23/open-letter-to-nhs-chiefs-the-importance-of-the-word-woman/

Appleby, Jack and signatories (October 14, 2018). Letters: Let a woman speak. The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/oct/14/observer-letters-theresa-may-siren-words-fool-no-one

Resources

X/Twitter (x.com)

The Countess (thecountess.ie)

Substack (substack.com)