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“A spiritual war in a way”: How Detrans Radical Feminists Influenced WPATH

Editor note: This report is paired with a catalog of email communications between julie graham, a gender therapist with the San Francisco Health Department, and a small network of anti-trans detransitioned radical feminists that developed around 2013. Using the liberal, more moderate presentation of another detransitioned woman, the network built a strategy on how to covertly influence discussion on trans health care and informed consent while hiding their true motivations. The communications resulted in a laundered presentation of their anti-trans politics into the first USPATH conference, unknown to many of the practitioners there. Over the past decade this strategy has been used to extend the network’s reach, including into liberal mass media.
Full emails: (PDF, raw text transcript)
Powerpoint presentation: Link

From 2013 to at least 2017, detransitioned radical feminists worked with a gender therapist in WPATH named julie graham. Both parties were attempting to use the other to reshape trans healthcare. graham was concerned about the numbers of young transmasculine people transitioning, believed it was too high and wanted to use detransitioned people to advocate for more caution and develop assessments that would supposedly help distinguish between those who would benefit from medical transition and those who would regret it and/or detransition. She wanted to use detransition as many medical professionals in favor of gatekeeping have used it over the decades. Detrans radical feminists oppose medical transition and ultimately want to replace it with “alternative treatments” for gender dysphoria. We were willing to work with graham in order to increase restrictions on who could access transition and influence how medical professionals understand and treat gender dysphoria, hoping to normalize “psychological treatments”, i.e. conversion practices, with the hopes that those would one day replace medical transition as the standard treatment for gender dysphoria. We were deceptive and manipulative towards graham but some who spoke with her directly made their opposition to transition and transphobic views clear. graham was not totally ignorant our of overall political agenda, though she might not have been aware of how extreme our views were or our ultimate aims in working with her.

More recently, some of the same detransitioned radical feminists formed Are You Asking Why? which testified against a pediatric transition ban in Ohio, HB 68, in December 2023. Carey Callahan, a more liberal detrans woman who previously worked with detrans radical feminists and julie graham also testified against the ban. Callahan likely encouraged Are You Asking Why? to testify in Ohio since she’d already been working with some members of the group for close to a decade. This doesn’t mark a change in detrans radical feminists’ opposition to transition as much as it expresses their hostility to conservative politicians and organizations and rejection of legal bans as a strategy. Much of their testimony still expressed negativity towards transition and a desire for alternatives or praised extensive assessments and other forms of gatekeeping already in place in Ohio. More background knowledge of members of Are You Asking Why? and Carey’s prior actions cast doubt on whether their true intentions and goals ultimately align with those of trans people, especially those who seek maximum bodily autonomy and control over our healthcare.

The following is an account of my old detrans radical feminist group’s interactions with julie graham, from when she first contacted me in 2013 to when she helped organize a detransition panel at the 2017 USPATH conference, where a member of our group Carey Callahan presented and showed short videos made by three other members of our group, two of whom had undergone religious conversion practices. I also include information about my old group’s involvement with lesbian feminist and feminist neopagan communities and how this led to our views becoming more extreme and anti-trans over time. Noting this influence is in no way meant to imply that we weren’t responsible for our actions. If anything engaging in reactionary neopagan feminism made us feel more entitled to act in selfish ways that harmed others. It also gives a sense of what kind of “alternative treatments” we wanted to replace transition with.

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SEGM Exposed Reloaded: The Shadow Money Behind a Leading Anti-Trans Think Tank

By: Lee Leveille and Quinnehtukqut McLamore

The Society for Evidence-Based Gender Medicine (SEGM), a fringe organization known for intentionally misrepresenting the state of evidence for gender-affirmative care and for collaborating with anti-trans and anti-queer hate groups, has been a key source for anti-trans legislation and policies worldwide. Their members and affiliates are not only cited by conservative governments, but have been paid large sums by these same governments as “experts.” Governor Ron DeSantis of Florida went so far as to appoint a member of SEGM—Patrick Hunter—to the Florida Board of Medicine, where he has worked to ban care for trans youth in the state. Such striking influence in an organization so young has made activists, researchers, and lawyers alike interested in SEGM’s infrastructure and finances—particularly because despite the organization being required to submit tax documentation as a 501(c)(3) non-profit, SEGM’s are opaque. Past reporting by researchers at Trans Safety Network (TSN) has noted that large chunks of SEGM’s early financing came from three large, anonymous donations on a GoFundMe, and that collaborations with known anti-queer hate organizations like American College of Pediatricians (ACPeds) and conversion therapy networks like International Federation for Therapeutic and Counselling Choice (IFTCC) helped launch the group’s influence.

Now, Health Liberation Now has been able to identify another source of funding for SEGM—as well as the overall assets and income reported to the IRS by SEGM in December 2020 and December 2021. During the first year of SEGM’s official tenure as a non-profit (occurring some time between July 1, 2020-June 30th, 2021), the EDWARD CHARLES FOUNDATION (website here) made a “charitable gift” to SEGM in the amount of $100,000, as per public tax records available on ProPublica (Form 990, Schedule I) obtained searching for any reference to SEGM’s tax identification number (84-4520593). This donation potentially represented more than half SEGM’s reported income for 2020 as per the Master File maintained by the IRS, which was previously unknown. This report aims to contextualize this large influx of cash with respect to SEGM’s background, activities as an organization, and policy influence. We not only detail what is known regarding SEGM’s history and activities, but provide a detailed timeline of all known fundraising efforts and key figures.

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Leaked audio confirms Genspect director as anti-trans conversion therapist targeting youth

Content notes: discussion of conversion practices targeting trans youth, pedophilia, transfemicide, sexual assault/rape, mass infanticide, and forced adoption/human trafficking of children. Included are also specific audio clips with targeted hate speech, comparisons with “autogynephilia” and pedophilia, and confessions of practicing conversion therapy with teenage clients. This is a particularly intense one, so please take all measures to care for yourself and proceed with caution.

If you need supports related to conversion practices, you can find information at Born Perfect (1-800-528-6257 (US)) and Galop (0800 130 3335 (UK)). Additional supports for trans and gender diverse people who are distressed or in crisis can be found at the Trevor Project (youth and young adults up to age 24, (866) 488-7386 (US)), BeLonG To (youth and young adults 14-23, 01 623 5606 (Dublin IE)), Switchboard (0300 330 0630 (UK)), Mindline Trans (by and for trans people, Mon/Wed/Fri 8PM-12AM, 0300 330 5468 (UK)) or Trans LifeLine (adults, available in English and español, (877) 565-8860 (US) or (877) 330-6366 (CA)).

Recorded audio of a Twitter Space from 2021 was released on YouTube last week as part of an ongoing feud between Genspect affiliates and self-proclaimed “gender industry abolitionists” who aim to eliminate all forms of gender affirming care. Within the Space Stella O’Malley, a prominent psychotherapist in Ireland facing allegations of conversion therapy and the director of Genspect (among other groups), reveals that she has made it her life mission to prevent trans youth from accessing any form of gender affirming care. In doing so, she inadvertently confesses to seeking to suppress or change trans youth’s gender identity, the very definition of gender identity change efforts (GICE, i.e. conversion therapy/practices),[1] despite her past denials. The audio proves the legitimacy of the allegations put towards O’Malley by trans people and concerned health professionals and, consequently, the allegations towards Genspect and other organizations or projects she leads or is affiliated with.

Read More »Leaked audio confirms Genspect director as anti-trans conversion therapist targeting youth
A pair of hands reaching out for each other. On the right, a light-skinned person is reaching out to hand a cutout black paper heart to another outstretched light-skinned hand on the left.

What It’s Like To Attend an Anti-Trans Conference As a Trans Researcher

Originally posted on Medium.

Content notes: discussion of conversion therapy/practices, murder/transphobic hate crimes, suicide, parental transphobia, and insensitivity regarding detransition. Some links include misgendering of trans youth or references to incest and childhood sexual abuse.

Being a trans researcher of anti-trans mobilization is a trippy experience. It’s one thing to get glimpses of a person’s or group’s views through random tweets, but going to their events for a deep dive is a whole other level. You’re immersed in a sea of disdain for people like you, or your future generations, only for you get slammed with premonitions as they drop hints about (or even outright announce) their plans for our social eradication. It’s even worse when you know what’s going to come next, even if they’re not quite forthcoming about it, only to be proven right just days later. It’s emotionally and physically draining work, with a degree of impact that I feel like all of us trying to understand anti-trans organizing should approach with both respect and gentleness.

Let me give you an example using my experience at Genspect’s ROGD conference last November. Unlike my other work this won’t be a thorough analysis of the event itself or what threats it poses. I’m building up to that, learning from the aforementioned lesson of being gentle with myself. But right now, I need to work through the emotional impact it has, and hopefully this will help others work through their own to appreciate that it’s okay to care for ourselves too. And, crucially, as TGNC people doing or consuming this kind of work, we must normalize collective care to keep all of us going in this horror show. Because by G-d, some of us need to be in this for the long haul, so we’d better get ready together because shit ain’t gonna stop anytime soon.

Read More »What It’s Like To Attend an Anti-Trans Conference As a Trans Researcher

When Ex-Trans Worlds Collide

Content notes: discussion of conversion practices (both secular and faith-based), suicidal ideation, child kidnapping, pedophilia, and child abuse.

Disclaimer: This piece is published by advocates in the name of public interest. It should not be construed as legal advice. If you’re from the US and need legal or other supports related to conversion practices, you can find information at Born Perfect.

Ideologically motivated detransitioned activists joined forces over the summer with leaders of ex-LGBT ministries to target class action suits demanding equitable health coverage for trans people in Arizona. Filing an amicus brief on July 7th,[1] notable figures such as Keira Bell, Sinéad Watson, and Carol Freitas collaborated with Kathy Grace Duncan of Portland Fellowship, a group that has been under fire for practicing faith-based conversion therapy on gay and trans people.[2] The brief was filed alongside one from Society for Evidence Based Medicine (SEGM), whose membership is closely linked with conversion therapy groups and practitioners.[3] The collective effort signals an organized attempt to undermine access to gender affirming care in ways that leave both trans and detrans people with limited medical or psychological support, all while conversion efforts towards trans people are on the rise.

Click below to read online or via PDF.

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The Mechanisms of TAnon: Where it Came From

This is part two of a five-part series describing the TAnon phenomenon as it spreads in the United States. Parts include “What is ‘TAnon’?,” “Where it Came From,” “How the Hell We Got Here,” “Key Players and What to Watch For,” and “Strategies Moving Forward.” Each section has been separated due to length and will be accumulated into a full document for distribution at a later point.

It goes without saying that this series will be extremely upsetting to targeted marginalized groups (particularly trans + youth, women, Jews, and people of color), as well as survivors of childhood sexual abuse, sex trafficking, police brutality, and/or fascist/white nationalist violence. This piece in particular includes material referencing the assault and murder of Brandon Teena, in which he is deadnamed as well as having his identity and the nature of the transphobic hate crime against him erased in favor of psychological pathologization. There is also reference to the appearance of identified fascists at protests outside clinics providing care to trans youth, as well as brief coverage of the fascist-led, police-enforced Wi Spa protest on July 3rd. Hate material is cited extensively. Please read with care and take breaks as needed.

Author note 9.11.2021: The 7.3.2021 listing for Wi Spa has been updated to reflect new information about charges filed by the Los Angeles Police Department.

To understand TAnon, it’s necessary to trace the history of a number of key concepts and their origins, as well as the social context that they developed within. This section does so by creating a timeline that connects the threads between transphobic theories surrounding “body dissociation”, “follow[ing] the money” (which inevitably leads to Jewish funders), and detransition and how it connects to gender affirming care for youth and women’s rights. In doing so, the progression from theory-crafting to on-the-ground anti-trans actions becomes evident on a national and international level. The evolution of these theories and actions influence legislation, media coverage, and psychological and/or medical care.

For trans and trans-supportive readers who are still learning about detransition as a concept, it’s important to remember that anti-trans detransition narratives and talking points are a small, albeit highly influential, minority that does not represent everyone who could be or has been labeled as detransitioned. Prior to the formation of the anti-trans detransitioned women’s community in 2013, the term (particularly as a counter-argument against trans people’s right to self-identify) was practically unheard of. Many trans people and people exploring their identity have a history of detransition and view it as part of their overall path to understand themselves. The references that are included are meant to illustrate where certain talking points originated from and how the social conversation surrounding detransition has changed. This was primarily accomplished through the influence of key figures within the anti-trans detransitioned women’s community and the anti-trans feminist and parent groups they subsequently networked with. Readers should also be mindful that many such narratives include personal trauma that can have real, lasting impact for the individual. We can simultaneously hold empathy for the impact of that trauma and firm boundaries on how it is used in individual and collaborative political pursuits at the expense of trans people.

In addition, the concept of “rapid-onset gender dysphoria” (ROGD) and social contagion is periodically referenced because of its profound influence in all three of the aforementioned spheres, though it is by no means comprehensive. For timelines and in-depth breakdowns of this particular concept, see the writings from Zinnia Jones, Julia Serano, and Florence Ashley in the Additional Resources section. There is also occasional reference to “institutional capture” and “trans lobby,” though these weren’t expanded on in detail due to length.

Through the course of this research, it became evident that there are three phases characterizing the proliferation of TAnon: formation, solidification, and escalation. In the formation phase, spanning from 2010 through 2015, the aforementioned concepts begin to emerge and are slowly coalesced into theory. In the solidification phase from 2016 through 2019, theories become more concrete, key publications are released, talking points become more steadily implanted into the media and political climate, and foundational organizing efforts begin. The escalation phase, from 2020 onwards, involves the rapid expansion of increasingly extreme conspiracies in social media and the press, progressive fascist creep connecting with the fusion with QAnon, and “grassroots” actions targeting legislation, trans-supportive businesses, and medical infrastructure.

Read More »The Mechanisms of TAnon: Where it Came From

Tell Amazon to Stop Selling PEC’s Anti-Trans Conversion Therapy Book

Originally posted on Reclaiming Trans

On April 7, an anti-trans organization called Partners for Ethical Care released a book called Desist, Detrans, & Detox: Getting Your Child Out of the Gender Cult by Maria Keffler, one of the organization’s co-founders. This book is currently being sold by Amazon, among other online retailers. The book accuses the trans community of being a cult indoctrinating vulnerable young people and promotes conspiracy theories about a “billion-dollar gender industry” preying on children. It claims to “[provide] a roadmap to help families navigate the treacherous terrain of gender indoctrination, and bring their children back to reality and safety.” In other words, it’s a conversion therapy manual for transphobic parents, claiming to provide them with psychological techniques for coercing their trans children into “desisting”.

Upon learning of the book’s release and listing on Amazon, I attempted to raise awareness among trans people and our allies, urging them to contact Amazon and express their disapproval of Amazon’s willingness to profit from a transphobic book that promotes not only baseless conspiracy theories but conversion therapy for trans young people. Amazon briefly unlisted the book before reinstating it, claiming it had been taken down by mistake. In between the book’s unlisting and reinstatement, PEC went to the right-wing media and rallied their supporters to contact Amazon and urge them to resume selling the book.

Read More »Tell Amazon to Stop Selling PEC’s Anti-Trans Conversion Therapy Book

The Mechanisms of TAnon: What is “TAnon”?

This is part one of a five-part series describing the TAnon phenomenon as it spreads in the United States. Parts include “What is ‘TAnon’?,” “Where it Came From,” “How the Hell We Got Here,” “Key Players and What to Watch For,” and “Strategies Moving Forward.” Each section has been separated due to length and will be accumulated into a full document for distribution at a later point.

It goes without saying that this series will be extremely upsetting to targeted marginalized groups (particularly trans + youth, women, Jews, and people of color), as well as survivors of childhood sexual abuse, sex trafficking, or fascist/white nationalist violence. In addition, one famous #Save campaign regarding the care of a trans minor is referenced in this piece. As there are multiple #Save campaigns, it is referenced once by name and then censored out of respect for the trans youth. Hate material is cited extensively. Please read with care.

On January 29th, I came across something peculiar: a public, crowd-sourced Google map tracking over 700 clinics providing gender affirming care worldwide, many for minors. Called the “Gender Offenders” map, it aimed to “[n]ame and shame the gender clinic offender.” A Twitter account appeared just two weeks later, combining screenshots of the map with graphic descriptions, aggressive rhetoric, and even identifying specific clinics.

This was alarming but not exactly surprising. After all, we had just had an armed insurrection in DC after several years of increasing extremism, hate rallies, mass shootings and church or community center arsons targeting primarily Black and Jewish communities, and, well, Trump. The past year alone saw a dramatic increase in disinformation as COVID-19 spread, sometimes paired with harassment towards clinicians, Asians, and Jews (sigh – again). And then there was the weird “save our children from the international pedo ring that doesn’t exist” thing targeting Comet Ping Pong, which subsequently got stormed by Edgar Maddison Welch armed with his trusty AR-15 on a mission to save the kids.[1]

Yet the more we researched, the more disturbing it became. This wasn’t something on the fringes, it was part of a larger network of activity and overall pattern that could easily turn violent. The overlap with the aforementioned patterns had already begun and it was bound to get worse.

Let me introduce you to TAnon. Brace yourself; it is a shitshow of a ride.
Read More »The Mechanisms of TAnon: What is “TAnon”?

Early Correspondence Between A Detrans Radical Feminist and the Founder of FourthWaveNow

Originally published on Reclaiming Trans

Denise C, the founder of FourthWaveNow, corresponded with detransitioned radical feminists before she started her Tumblr and WordPress blogs. This correspondence took place between December 26th-27th 2014. Denise started her blogs in March of 2015.

Below are emails between Denise and Devorah Zahav, the detrans woman who blogs as Redress Alert. Zahav is a very important figure in the radical feminist detrans women’s community. In addition to writing a popular and influential blog, she engaged in much detrans organizing and activism, including helping to create the first online spaces for detrans and re-identified women and organizing the first in-person gatherings. She played a very influential role in creating the detrans radical feminist community and spreading a transphobic feminist interpretation of detransitioning and detrans womanhood.Read More »Early Correspondence Between A Detrans Radical Feminist and the Founder of FourthWaveNow