“Chloe Cole” is the stage name of Chloe Brockman, an American ex-transgender activist. Similar to the ex-gay movement, ex-trans activists get money and attention by making it harder for others to get trans healthcare. Many claim to have been cured of being trans via “desistance” or “detransition.”
Background
Chloe Elise Brockman was born July 27, 2004.
Brockman’s mother is Jocelyn V. (Torrecampo) Brockman (born 1968), a perioperative nurse who has worked for Kaiser Permanente. Jocelyn Brockman married Jeffrey Allen “Jeff” Brockman (born 1971), an IT entrepreneur who was raised in a Mormon household.
Chloe Brockman has four adult siblings: Jacob, Chelsea, Maddie, and Calvin. At this time, it’s unclear if they are a blended family. It is possible some of the children were fostered or adopted. It appears that Jocelyn also has a family connection to Donald Lee Tre Davis (born 1970).
Chloe Brockman grew up in Manteca, California. As a child, Brockman had two cleft palate repair surgeries.
Brockman had an “emotionally troubled” childhood that included several assessments and diagnoses:
- September 12, 2012 (age 8): “disruptive behavior disorder”
- November 26, 2013 (age 9): “encounter for school problem”
- October 9, 2015 (age 11): “attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder” (ADHD)
According to self-reports, Brockman came out as trans after exhibiting gender-diverse behavior starting about age 9, around the time puberty started. Brockman created an Instagram account at 11. In May 2017, at age 12, Brockman wrote a letter to both parents, asking to be referred to as a boy and by the names Ky or Chi.
On November 30, 2017, Brockman had a consultation with an endocrinologist who advised against beginning hormone therapy. The family sought a second opinion on Brockman’s insistence and gave legal consent for medical transition.
In early 2018, at age 13, Brockman began a medical transition under the care of endocrinologist Lisa Taylor, with puberty blockers followed by testosterone injections starting a month later.
At age 14, Brockman’s chest was groped at school by a bully. This traumatic event led to daily use of a chest binder. Brockman asked Taylor for a referral to plastic surgeon Hop Le. Brockman then had a psychological evaluation with Susanne Watson, who recommended honoring Brockman’s request for top surgery.
Amid the pressure of trying to help their troubled child, Brockman’s parents filed for divorce in 2019.
Brockman began using the given name Leo and was encouraged to attend classes with a family peer group of other transmasculine minors. Brockman’s surgery occurred following parental consent. On June 3, 2020, Brockman underwent top surgery a month before turning 16. During COVID quarantine in the summer of 2020, Brockman started to have “regrets” before discontinuing hormones in May 2021. According to the 2023 lawsuit, Brockman “became intensely suicidal for the first time and prone to emotional outbursts.” Elsewhere in the lawsuit, they claim Brockman was exhibiting “passive suicidal ideation” around the time Jeff and Jocelyn filed for divorce (which it appears they never finalized).
Brockman failed out of high school as a senior and had to get a California High School Proficiency Exam Certificate instead. As failure, isolation, and rejection took their toll, Brockman was radicalized by conservative edgelord online culture. Anti-transgender activism soon followed. This brought Brockman to the attention of Harmeet Dhillon and other conservative or fascist activists, who began showering Brockman with money and attention.
2022
February: Creates Twitter account ChoooCole
April: Creates Twitter account puddingpandan
April 19: Profiled by Suzy Weiss (sister of Bari Weiss)
April 19: Do No Harm Foundation’s Stanley Goldfarb announces launch; later funds some of Brockman’s activism
May: Testifies against gender-affirming care in Ohio
June 28: Testifies against gender-affirming care in California (SB107)
July: Turns 18
July: Testifies against Medicaid coverage for trans healthcare in Florida
July 13: Registers imperfectlyme.org
July 15: Creates GoFundMe
July 24: Conservative IT entrepreneur Steven Corpus “Steve” Beddoe registers the corporation Trenderz LLC in California as part of the domain and GoFundMe marketing campaign. “Trender” is a slur in toxic online communities to describe people who allegedly make a gender transition because it’s trendy.
September: Supports “Protect Children’s Innocence Act” by Marjorie Taylor Greene
September: Testifies against California becoming a sanctuary state for children seeking gender-affirming care
September 28: Interview with David Freiheit of Viva Frei
October 9: Appears on a Twitch stream with other conservative trans media figures Blaire White, Buck Angel, “Shape Shifter,” Fabian Liberty, “TullipR,” and “Taftaj”
October 21: Creates Instagram account chooocole
October: Speaks at “Rally to End Child Mutilation” in Tennessee
October 27: Preaches at Godspeak Cavalry Chapel
November 9: Announces notice of intent to sue
November 11: Interview with Tucker Carlson
November 17: Interview with Tulsi Gabbard
December 12: Interview with Rita Panahi of Sky News Australia
December 22: Interview with Marissa Streit of PragerU
December 22: Interview with Glenn Beck
2023
January 2: Interview with Jordan Peterson
January 6: Interview with Drea Humphrey of Rebel News
January 12: Profile on The Daily Signal
January 12: Interview with Kevin Roberts for The Heritage Foundation
January 24: Testifies in support of Utah ban on gender-affirming care for minors (House Bill 132)
January: Speaks at “Teens Against Gender Mutilation Rally” in Tennessee
January: Speaks at Parents on Patrol panel “Stolen Innocence: A Panel on the Insidious Ideology Infecting Your Children’s Education”
January 31: Testified in support of Tennessee House Bill and Senate Bill 1 banning gender affirming care for minors
February 6: Interview with Megyn Kelly
February 6: Profile on Independent Women’s Forum
February: Supports Idaho ban on gender-affirming care for minors (House Bill 71,); her appearance was financed by conservative Idaho Freedom Foundation
February: Testifies in favor of Kansas ban on gender-affirming care for minors (Senate Bill 233)
February 17: Testifies in favor of South Dakota HB 1080 banning gender-affirming care for minors
February 21: addressed the Florida House Health & Human Services Committee
March 3: Appears on a panel at Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC)
March 12: Appears with six ex-trans activists in Sacramento for “Detransition Awareness Day”
March 28: Interview with Charlie Kirk and Jack Posobiec
April 17: Appears at Dartmouth Republicans event in New Hampshire
April 20: Testifies in favor of New Hampshire Parental Rights Bill
May 2: Testifies in favor of Louisiana ban on gender-affirming care for minors (House Bill 463)
April 19: Testifies in favor of New Hampshire Bill SB272 banning gender-affirming care for minors
May 26: Testifies in favor of House Bill 454 banning gender-affirming care for minors
2023 lawsuit
On February 22, 2023 conservative lawyers filed suit in California, alleging Brockman was a victim of medical negligence.
Plaintiff
- Chloe E. Brockman a/k/a Chloe Cole
Defendants
- Kaiser Foundation Hospitals, Inc.
- Permanente Medical Group, Inc.
- Lisa Kristine Taylor, MD, a pediatric endocrinologist
- Hop Nguyen Le, MD, a plastic surgeon
- Susanne E. Watson, PhD, a clinical psychologist
- Does 1 through 50
Brockman’s lawyers
- Charles S. LiMandri
- Paul M. Jonna
- Robert E. Weisenburger
- Harmeet K. Dhillon
- John-Paul S. Deol
- Jesse D. Franklin-Murdock
- Mark E. Trammell
The lawyers claim Brockman has had these conditions:
- pornography addiction
- disruptive behavior disorder (diagnosed September 12, 2012)
- encounter for school problem (diagnosed November 26, 2013)
- ADHD (diagnosed October 9, 2015)
- general anxiety
- social anxiety
- speech difficulties
- depression
- pubertal struggles associated with significantly increased negative emotions
- body dysmorphia and serious self-image concerns
- symptoms of an eating disorder
- learning disabilities
- autism spectrum symptoms
- a cleft palate for which surgery had been performed
- concerns about being sexually abused or raped, that eventually materialized into a sexual assault
- exposure to only negative aspects about being female, without any discussion of the positive aspects of being female, including menstrual cycles, pregnancy, childbirth, male domination, and similar distorting ideas
- difficulty at school
- trouble with social interaction and learning
- social troubles
- severe distress
- ongoing confusion regarding her gender
- suicidal ideation
They put forth the “social contagion” model that claims Brockman was misled by LGBT activist groups and transgender social media influencers.
They also make the common ex-trans claim: “The fact that Plaintiff detransitioned after the so-called treatment establishes res ipsa loquitor that Plaintiff was not transgender.”
References
Astor, Maggie (May 16, 2023) How a Few Stories of Regret Fuel the Push to Restrict Gender Transition Care. New York Times https://www.nytimes.com/2023/05/16/us/politics/transgender-care-detransitioners.html
Abou-Diwan, Antoine (February 28, 2023). Stockton woman one of few to sue over transgender surgery. California Lawyer https://www.dailyjournal.com/articles/371380-stockton-woman-one-of-few-to-sue-over-transgender-surgery
Suratos, Pete (February 23, 2023). Kaiser Permanente sued over hormone therapy. NBC Bay Area https://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/local/kaiser-permanente-sued-over-hormone-therapy/3164935/
Allday, Erin (February 23, 2023). Conservative group sues Kaiser Permanente over transgender care. San Francisco Chronicle. https://www.sfchronicle.com/health/article/anti-trans-lawsuit-17801484.php
San Joaquin County Superior Courts (May 14, 2019). Jocelyn Brockman v. Jeffrey Brockman Stockton Family Law Courthouse, Judge Robin Appel presiding. https://unicourt.com/case/ca-sj-jocelyn-brockman-vs-jeffrey-brockman-565410
Ennis, Dawn (September 11, 2022). California ex-trans teen is national right-wing media’s darling. Los Angeles Blade. https://www.losangelesblade.com/2022/09/11/california-ex-trans-teen-is-national-right-wing-medias-darling/
Ashley, Asia Ashley (September 28, 2022). Rep. Taylor Greene promotes bill to nationally ban services that alter children’s gender. The Cullman Times. https://www.cullmantimes.com/news/rep-taylor-greene-promotes-bill-to-nationally-ban-services-that-alter-childrens-gender/article_8e523a90-3de1-11ed-bf3b-c7a04869120b.html
Masters, Hamilton Matthew (January 30, 2022). Proud Boys and LGBTQ rights supporters face off in Murfreesboro. Nashville Scene. https://www.nashvillescene.com/news/pithinthewind/proud-boys-and-lgbtq-rights-supporters-face-off-in-murfreesboro/article_4434885c-a0c7-11ed-9435-df49b232d251.html
Clark, Quinn (January 27, 2023). Panel of right-wing activists claim schools are ‘sexually grooming’ children by teaching gender identity, event at Pewaukee hotel draws protests. Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. https://www.jsonline.com/story/communities/lake-country/2023/01/27/parents-on-patrol-event-at-ingleside-hotel-in-pewaukee-draws-protest/69845712007/
Kam, Dara (July 9, 2022). Florida’s transgender treatment rule draws raucous response. WUWF https://www.nbcnews.com/nbc-out/out-news/florida-medical-board-votes-ban-gender-affirming-care-transgender-mino-rcna54632
Yurcaba, Jo (October 29, 2022). Florida medical board votes to ban gender-affirming care for transgender minors. NBC News.
McKellar, Katie (January 24, 2023). Utah lawmakers reject hardline ban on transgender treatments for kids. Deseret News. https://www.deseret.com/utah/2023/1/24/23568290/transgender-surgeries-hormone-therapy-utah-legislature-lgbtq-law
Mipro, Rachel (January 13, 2023). New bill would ban gender-affirming medication and surgery for Kansans under the age of 21. Kansas Reflector. https://www.newschannel5.com/news/bill-restricting-gender-affirming-care-among-minors-nudged-forward-in-tennessee-legislature
Davis, Chris; West, Emily (January 31, 2023). Bill restricting gender-affirming care among minors nudged forward in Tennessee legislature. News Channel 5.
Holmes, Brian; Baertlein, Andrew (February 2, 2023). Idaho bill to ban gender affirming care for minors is met with opposing perspectives. KTVB7. https://www.ktvb.com/article/news/politics/local-idaho-bill-to-ban-gender-affirming-care-for-minors-is-met-with-opposing-perspectives/277-217363de-44ba-4e9e-9fec-69c5c66a9936
Villarreal, Daniel (October 28, 2022). GOP senator speaks at transphobic rally where people threatened to kill doctors. LGBTQ Nation. https://www.lgbtqnation.com/2022/10/gop-senator-speaks-transphobic-rally-people-threatened-kill-doctors/
Gingerich, Mia (October 27, 2022). Death threats, Proud Boys, and homophobic bigots: Matt Walsh’s anti-trans rally drew a crowd of extremists. Media Matters for America. https://www.mediamatters.org/matt-walsh/death-threats-proud-boys-and-homophobic-bigots-matt-walshs-anti-trans-rally-drew-crowd
Herner, Hannah (October 21, 2022). Anti-Trans rally led by Matt Walsh brings right-wing media stars to Nashville. Nashville Scene. https://www.nashvillescene.com/news/pithinthewind/anti-trans-rally-led-by-matt-walsh-brings-right-wing-media-stars-to-nashville/article_62c08340-5160-11ed-81bb-53478d4387aa.html
Schemmel, Alec (February 7, 2023). ‘Hateful, dangerous’: Event warning about consequences of gender transitions dropped. KATV. https://katv.com/news/nation-world/hateful-dangerous-event-warning-about-consequences-of-gender-transitions-dropped-eventbrite-trans-transgender-gender-identity-transgenderism-parents-on-patrol
Weiss, Suzy (April 19, 2022). The testosterone hangover. Common Sense / The Free Press https://www.thefp.com/p/the-testosterone-hangover
Resources
Twitter (twitter.com)
- ChoooCole begun February 2022
- puddingpandan begun prior to April 2022. All tweets erased
GoFundMe (https://www.gofundme.com/)
- https://www.gofundme.com/f/fh8sr-imperfectlymeorg-chloe-cole-and-her-story
- created July 15, 2022
Instagram (instagram.com)
Wikipedia (en.wikipedia.org)
YouTube (youtube.com)