Matthieu Zellweger vs. transgender people

Matthieu Zellweger is a Swiss photographer and anti-transgender activist. Zellweger produced a 2026 series of images for the anti-trans Canadian publication National Post promoting the ex-transgender movement.

Background

Matthieu Zellweger was born in 1971 and grew up in French-speaking Switzerland. Zellweger earned a bachelor’s degree from University of Fribourg in 1992, then attended Berklee College of Music in 1994. In 2000, Zellweger earned a doctorate from EPFL (École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne), followed by a master’s degree from The London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) in 2001. Zellweger had additional traiing at INSEAD in 2009.

From 2001 to 2004, Zellweger worked at World Economic Forum then worked as a scientific analyst at Shook, Hardy & Bacon from 2004 to 2006. From 2007 to 2011, Zellweger was a project manager at Vestergaard Frandsen.

Starting in 2012, Zellweger began pursuing photography professionally while continuing to do freelance project management work. Much of Zellweger’s photography exploits vulnerable people struggling with disease and impairment.

Anti-trans activism

In May 2026, Zellweger published profiles of eight ex-trans activists in the National Post. Because ex-trans activists are so rare, Zellweger could only find three in Switzerland and had to supplement the essay by traveling all over the world to find five more.

Faith, 26, Ontario, Canada
Krysta Elora, 38, Brooklyn, N.Y., United States
Aisling, 28, Wicklow, Ireland
Lyo Kessler (born Hélène Lya Kessler), 36, Vétroz, Switzerland
Camille Kiefel, Oregon, U.S.
Chris Broenimann, 57, Lachen, Switzerland
Janick Christen, 46, Switzerland
Ritchie Herron, 39, Newcastle, U.K.

In introducing the propaganda piece, Zellweger said:

Destransitioners are a quiet, hidden group of people, ostracized by society, silenced by their former friends from the trans movement, and often by their families.

As a photographer, I endeavour to shine light on shadows of the societal landscape. I seek and focus on invisible groups. My goal is to question commonly accepted truths and take viewers on a journey where they can see images they perhaps had not considered, where they might question their certainties. Ultimately, the goal is to shift societal faultlines and push back the boundaries of taboos.

The detransitioners I met shared immense suffering. They spoke about their loneliness, regrets and, sometimes, their rage. All spoke about how, in retrospect, they wished they had been handled with more care. They wished they had not been pushed, sometimes rushed, on the path of transition, which was made to appear full of answers and simple solutions. All of them confess transitioning was not a solution, but a cosmetic fix for deeper wounds.

I had a difficult time finding people who would talk to me and let me take their photographs. I contacted associations and interest groups. They kindly relayed my messages. I met people in five countries, sometimes far from my home in Switzerland. All had stories to share. They explained their suffering, the inner pain they still feel to this day.

Each were asked the same thing: “Please take me where you find peace, where you feel connected to yourself.” Most took me out in nature as if, metaphorically, their journey back toward their natural self was best served in contact with the natural environment.

Their pain is legitimate, their reality is worth seeing. These are their stories, in their own words. Some of them chose to use their full names and other identifying details. Some did not.