The Archives of Sexual Behavior is an academic sexology publication that is a key historical source of transphobic beliefs and practices. It was founded in 1971 with a major goal: “the prevention of transsexualism.”
Background
Archives of Sexual Behavior (ASB) was founded by Richard Green in 1971. Green is author of The “Sissy Boy Syndrome” and controlled access to health services at the Gender Identity Clinic at Charing Cross Hospital.
ASB is the publication of International Academy of Sex Research (IASR), an academic trade group.
Green chose Kenneth J. Zucker to take over the journal in 2001. Zucker uses it as a bully pulpit to promote harmful theories and practices that emanated from former employer CAMH. Zucker was fired from CAMH in 2015 and their children’s gender clinic was closed.
ASB’s editorial board is packed with Zucker cronies, and sexologists critical of Zucker and friends often do so anonymously out of fear of retribution that could damage their careers.
Zucker runs ASB the way transphobic colleague J. Michael Bailey runs the SEXNET discussion group for sexologists: as a way to shore up support for one point of view and as a way to eliminate critical viewpoints.
2023 investigation and protests
In 2023, the Archives of Sexual Behavior published the latest in its 50 years of academic attacks on trans and gender diverse youth. “Suzanna Diaz” is a leader of “ROGD Kids,” a parent group that opposes gender affirming care for minors. Transphobic psychologist J. Michael Bailey teamed up with “Diaz” to present a paper about disputed disease “rapid onset gender dysphoria.”
On May 5, hundreds of professionals, including academics and researchers who had published in Archives of Sexual Behavior, signed an open letter saying “we will no longer submit to the journal, act as peer reviewers, or serve in an editorial capacity until Dr Zucker is replaced with an editor who has a demonstrated record of integrity on LGBTQ+ matters and, especially, trans matters.”
Meredith Chivers, head of IASR, announced an investigation into how this article was published.
In response, transphobic organization Foundation Against Intolerance & Racism (FAIR) published its own open letter supporting Zucker, “Diaz,” and Bailey. It was signed by many leading lights of the modern anti-transgender movement.
References
Green R (1971). Diagnosis and treatment of gender identity disorders during childhood. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 1(2), 167–173. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01541061
300+ signatories (May 5, 2023) Open Letter re: Archives of Sexual Behavior. https://asbopenletter.com/
FAIR in Medicine (2023). Open Letter in Support of Dr. Kenneth Zucker and the Need to Promote Robust Scientific Debate https://www.fairforall.org/open-letters/archives-of-sexual-behavior/
Resources
Springer (springer.com)
Wikipedia (en.wikipedia.org)
Editor:
Kenneth J. Zucker: CAMH
Managing Editor:
Allison Owen-Anderson: CAMH
Former Managing Editor:
Laurel L. Johnson: CAMH
Editorial Board:
- Gerianne M. Alexander, Texas A & M University
- J. Michael Bailey, Northwestern University
- Michael J. Baum, Boston University
- Peter M. Bentler, University of California at Los Angeles
- Yitzchak M. Binik, McGill University
- Ray Blanchard, CAMH Clarke Institute
- Anthony F. Bogaert, Brock University
- Lori A. Brotto, University of Washington School of Medicine
- E. Sandra Byers, University of New Brunswick
- James M. Cantor, CAMH Clarke Institute
- Michael P. Carey, Syracuse University
- Meredith L. Chivers, CAMH Clarke Institute
- Peggy T. Cohen-Kettenis, Free University Hospital, Amsterdam
- Aaron H. Devor, University of Victoria
- Lisa M. Diamond, University of Utah, Salt Lake City
- Alan F. Dixson, Zoological Society of San Diego
- Jennifer I. Downey, Columbia University College of Physicians & Surgeons
- Michael Dunne, Queensland University of Technology
- Richard C. Friedman, Cornell University Medical College
- Alain J. Giami, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale
- Brian A. Gladue, University of Cincinnati
- Cynthia A.M. Graham, Indiana University, Bloomington
- Julia R. Heiman, University of Washington, Seattle
- Melissa Hines, City University, London
- Elaine M. Hull, The University at Buffalo
- Erick Janssen, Indiana University, Bloomington
- Ellen Laan, University of Amsterdam
- Martin L. Lalumière, CAMH Clarke Institute
- Stephen B. Levine, Center for Marital and Sexual Health
- Richard A. Lippa, California State University, Fullerton
- Marta Meana, University of Nevada, Las Vegas
- Cindy M. Meston, University of Texas at Austin
- Heino F.L. Meyer-Bahlburg, New York State Psychiatric Institute
- Lin S. Myers, California State University – Stanislaus
- Lucia F. O’Sullivan, New York State Psychiatric Institute
- Richard G. Parker, Columbia University
- Friedemann Pfäfflin, University of Ulm, Germany
- Raymond C. Rosen, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School
- David L. Rowland, Valparaiso University
- Paula C. Rodriguez Rust, Hamilton College
- Geoff Sanders, London Metropolitan University
- Theo G.M. Sandfort, New York State Psychiatric Institute
- Ritch C. Savin-Williams, Cornell University
- Michael C. Seto, CAMH Clarke Institute
- Donald S. Strassberg, University of Utah, Salt Lake City
- Aleksandar Stulhofer, University of Zagreb
- Leonore Tiefer, New York University School of Medicine
- John M. Townsend, Syracuse University
- Ine Vanwesenbeeck, Rutgers Nisso Groep, Utrecht
- Kim Wallen, Emory University
- Martin S. Weinberg, Indiana University, Bloomington