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Zachary A. Elliott vs. transgender people

Zachary A. Elliott is an American architect, author, and anti-transgender activist. Elliott has published numerous books and videos promoting a sex binary. Elliott is founder of the website Paradox Institute. Elliott has written for anti-trans group blogs, including Quillette, Wrong Speak Publishing, and Reality’s Last Stand. Elliott appeared on The Distance Podcast by LGB United and Calmversations by Benjamin Boyce and has testified in support of anti-trans legislation.

Background

Zachary Austin “Zach” Elliott was born in February 1998. Elliott earned a bachelor’s degree from Oklahoma State University in 2021. Elliott worked as an architect at Schemmer from 2021 to 2022, at Walter Robbs from 2022 to 2023, and at ZBeta since 2023.

Paradox Institute

Paradox institute began as a YouTube channel in 2020.

According to their website, “we want to restore reality to science education, establish a generational shield against toxic ideologies, and help ground others in science and objective truth.”

  • Zachary Elliott
  • Cynthia Breheny
  • Talia Nava
  • Sammy Stagg

The Paradox Institute has released several books promoting a sex binary:

  • The Sex Development Handbook (2025)
  • Binary: Debunking the Sex Spectrum Myth (2023)
  • The Gender Paradox: Discrimination and Disparities in the Postmodern Era (2020)

They have also produced to children’s books by Cynthia Breheny:

  • It All Begins With Two: The Egg, the Sperm, and the Start of You (2025)
  • Please Don’t Feed the Fears (2025)

Podcast and video

In addition to “explainer” videos supporting a sex binary, The Paradox Institute Podcast features interviews with other anti-trans activists, including Greg Brown, Joseph Burgo, Pamela Garfield-Jaeger, Eithan Haim, Heather Heying. Helen Joyce, Jennifer Lahl, James Linehan, Alvin Lui, Patrick Lappert, Alaric NaudĂ©, Sammy Stagg, and Quentin Van Meter.

References

de la Vega, Rikki (July 20, 2023). “Scientific” Transphobia: The Third Branch of the Gender Critical Movement. Medium https://medium.com/@rikkidelavega/scientific-transphobia-the-third-branch-of-the-gender-critical-movement-8b6f124695b1

Anti-trans coverage

Nuccio, Daniel (December 11, 2023). Evolutionary biology-themed institute works to debunk gender spectrum ‘nonsense.’ The College Fix https://www.thecollegefix.com/evolutionary-biology-themed-institute-works-to-debunk-gender-spectrum-nonsense/

White, Sasha (February 12, 2021). Separating Fact From Fiction in Gender and Sex: Zach Elliott. Plebity https://www.plebity.org/article/separating-fact-from-fiction-in-gender-and-sex-zach-elliott/

Selected writing by Elliott

Elliott, Zachary (December 12, 2025). Defining vs Determining Sex. Paradox Institute https://read.theparadoxinstitute.org/p/defining-vs-determining-sex

Elliott, Zachary (December 12, 2025). A Response to SciAm’s ‘Stop Using Phony Science.’ Paradox Institute https://read.theparadoxinstitute.org/p/a-response-to-sciams-stop-using-phony

Elliott, Zachary (December 11, 2025). Debunking “We All Begin Female” | Paradox Proofs. Paradox Institute https://read.theparadoxinstitute.org/p/debunking-we-all-begin-female-paradox

Elliott, Zachary A. (2025). Testimony of Zachary Elliott, Founder and Editor-In-Chief, Paradox Institute, against SB1380. https://www.cga.ct.gov/2025/juddata/TMY/2025SB-01380-R000307-Elliott,%20Zachary,%20Founder-Paradox%20Institute-Opposes-TMY.PDF

Elliott, Zachary; Breheny, Cynthia (August 16, 2024). Disorders Of Sex Development In Sport: What We Learned From The Olympics Controversy. Wrong Speak Publishing https://www.wrongspeakpublishing.com/p/disorders-of-sex-development-in-sport

Elliott, Zachary A. (September 25, 2023). Male or Female: There’s Nothing In Between. Quillette https://quillette.com/2023/09/25/male-female-end-of-list/

Elliott, Zachary (June 9, 2023). Sex Isn’t All About Chromosomes. Reality’s Last Stand https://www.realityslaststand.com/p/sex-isnt-all-about-chromosomes

Elliott, Zachary (November 15, 2022). What Are Sexes? Reality’s Last Stand https://www.realityslaststand.com/p/what-are-sexes

Elliott, Zachary (November 14, 2022). The Origins of Two Sexes. Reality’s Last Stand https://www.realityslaststand.com/p/the-origins-of-two-sexes

Books

Elliott, Zachary A. (2025). The Sex Development Handbook: A Guide to Human Sex Differentiation and Disorders of Sex Development. Paradox Press, ISBN 979-8988707851

Elliott, Zachary A. (2023). Binary: Debunking the Sex Spectrum Myth. Paradox Press, ISBN 979-8988707813

Elliott, Zachary A. (2020). The Gender Paradox: Discrimination and Disparities in the Postmodern Era. Lulu.com, ISBN 978-1794868700

Elliott, Zachary A. (2020). Sex Differences: A Land of Confusion. Lulu.com, ISBN: 978-1387380916

Media

Sasha White with Zachary Elliott (February 18, 2024). Zachary Elliott Takes on the Sex Spectrum Myth. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MoWWll9A7T0

“Outspoken Samantha” with Zachary Elliott (August 21, 2024). Breaking Down Sex, Gender, and the DSD Imane Khelif Controversy with Zachary Elliott. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OBxHMJoxE7U

Calmversations with Benjamin Boyce, Zach Elliot, and Cynthia Breheny (March 26, 2023). Dysphoria, Pregnancy, Identity, & Family | w Zach Elliot & Cynthia Breheny. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GJgDn9oOs8U

Calmversations with Benjamin Boyce and Zach Elliot (May 3, 2022). Science : Faith :: Sex : Gender | with Zach Elliott. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=awOVA43-h4o

“Scott Veritas” with Zachary Elliott (May 17, 2021). The Transgender Movement & Biological Sex Denialism | Zach Elliott | The Veritas Podcast #2. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q4__E0S05pg

Plebity with Sasha White and Zach Elliott (February 7, 2021). Zach Elliott Dissects the ACLU’s Claims About Trans Athletes. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h9n4IvjrMxU

The Sciencecentric Podcast with Eric R Olson and Zach Elliot (October 15, 2020). Talking Sexes with Video Creator Zach Elliott | Episode #21. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v5U5MwSKaFc

Resources

Paradox Institute (theparadoxinstitute.org)

X/Twitter (x.com)

YouTube (youtube.com)

Quillette (quillette.com)

LinkedIn (linkedin.com)

Substack (substack.com)