The American College of Pediatricians (ACPeds) is a socially conservative organization of activist pediatricians. They are designated as an anti-LGBTQ hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center.
Members have consistently taken a stand against gender affirming models of care for trans and gender diverse youth. With only about 700 members, ACPeds are a conservative fringe group within pediatrics, only about 1% of the size of mainstream organization American Academy of Pediatrics. With about 67,000 members, the American Academy of Pediatrics remains supportive of gender affirming care for youth.
ACPeds is listed as a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center:
The American College of Pediatricians (ACPeds) is a fringe anti-LGBTQ hate group that masquerades as the premier U.S. association of pediatricians to push anti-LGBTQ junk science, primarily via far-right conservative media and filing amicus briefs in cases related to gay adoption and marriage equality.
SPLC (2023)
LGBTQ+ media advocacy organization GLAAD notes that the group:
- opposes same-sex marriage
- opposes same-sex adoption
- opposes abortion
- opposes gender-affirming care for youth
- opposes LGBTQ youth access to sports
- opposes drag queen story hours
- supports non-affirming models of care for gender diverse youth, including conversion therapy
- claims “transgenderism is a belief system that increasingly looks like a cultish religion”
- claims LGBTQ activists “have pedophilia intrinsically woven into their agenda”
In 2023 ACPeds launched an anti-trans website called Biological Integrity. The site has misleading information about trans healthcare.
Key people
Board
- Michael Artigues
- Jane Anderson
- Tom Benton
- Christina Chan
- Scott S. Field
- Salwa Gendi
- Russell Gombosi
- Mark Grubb
- Patricia Lee June
- J. Wells Logan
- Renata Moon
- David Olson
- L. David Perry
- Robin Pierucci
- Richard Sandler
- Jill Simons
- Ron Smith .
- William Stigall
- Den A. Trumbull
- Kimberly A. Vacca
- Leah Willson
- Nick Yates
2018 letter to Trump Administration
In 2018, a consortium of anti-transgender activists associated with ACPeds petitioned the Trump Administration with the goal of “upholding the scientific definition of sex in law and policy,” adding “an individual who identifies as transgender remains either a biological male or female.”
Signatories
- Michelle Cretella, M.D. Executive Director, American College of Pediatricians
- Donna Harrison, M.D. Executive Director, American Association of Pro-life Obstetricians and Gynecologists
- David Stevens, M.D. CEO, Christian Medical and Dental Associations
- Peter Morrow, M.D. President, Catholic Medical Association
- Stephen M. Krason, Ph.D. President, Society of Catholic Social Scientists
- Paul McHugh, M.D. University Distinguished Service Professor of Psychiatry at Johns Hopkins Medical School and the former psychiatrist in chief at Johns Hopkins Hospital
- Michael K. Laidlaw, M.D. Endocrinologist and member of gdworkinggroup.org
- Craig Stump M.D., Ph.D., FACE Endocrinologist, University of Arizona College of Medicine
- Paul W. Hruz M.D., Ph.D. Pediatric Endocrinologist, Physician-Scientist, Associate Professor of Pediatrics, Associate Professor of Cellular Biology & Physiology
- Angela Lanfranchi M.D. FACS Clinical Assistant Professor of Surgery Rutgers-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School
- Susan J. Bradley, M.D., FRCP(C) Professor Emerita, University of Toronto
- J. Michael Bailey, Ph.D. Professor of Psychology Northwestern University
- Marie T. Hilliard, MS, MA, JCL, Ph.D., RN The National Catholic Bioethics Center Mary Lou Singleton, MSN, FPC-BC
- Christopher Doyle, LPC Co-Founder National Task Force for Therapy Equality
- David Pickup, LMFT Co-Founder National Task Force for Therapy Equality
- Laura Haynes, Ph.D., California Licensed Psychologist USA Representative, International Federation for Therapeutic and Counseling Choice (IFTCC.org)
- Michael Farris, J.D. President, CEO, & General Counsel Alliance Defending Freedom
- Matthew D. Staver, Esq. Founder and President, Liberty Council
- Charles LiMandri, J.D. Founder and President, Freedom of Conscience Defense Fund
- Robert J. Muise, Esq. Co-Founder, American Freedom Law Center
- Gerard V. Bradley, J.D. Professor of Law University of Notre Dame
- Steven D. Smith, J.D. Warren Distinguished Professor of Law University of San Diego
- Maimon Schwarzschild, J.D. Professor of Law University of San Diego
- Larry Alexander, LL.B. Warren Distinguished Professor of Law University of San Diego
- Tony Perkins President Family Research Council
- Frank Cannon President American Principles Project
- Matthew J. Franck, Ph.D. Senior Fellow, Witherspoon Institute
- Sharon Slater President, Family Watch International Austin Ruse President, Center for Family and Human Rights
- Allan C. Carlson, Ph.D., Editor, The Natural Family: An International Journal of Research and Policy
- Patrick Lee, Ph.D. McAleer Professor of Bioethics Center for Bioethics, Franciscan University of Steubenville
- Christopher Wolfe, Ph.D. Distinguished Affiliate Professor, University of Dallas President, American Public Philosophy Institute
- Rev. D. Paul Sullins, Ph.D. Research Professor of Sociology and Director, Leo Institute for Catholic Social Research, The Catholic University of America
- Robert G Kennedy, Ph.D. Department of Catholic Studies University of St. Thomas
- Jennifer Roback Morse, Ph.D. Founder and President, The Ruth Institute
Cited works by
2023 data leak
ACPeds inadvertently shared links to an unsecured Google Drive that contained 10,000 files, including membership information, financial data, and strategy. As of spring 2022, the College counted slightly more than 700 active members. An internal database listed 1,200 past and current members. Via WIRED:
Many of the College’s most radical views target transgender people, and in particular, transgender youth. The leak, which had been indexed by Google, includes volumes of literature crafted specifically to influence relationships between practicing pediatricians, parents, and their children. It includes reams of marketing material the College aims to distribute widely among public school officials.
Doctors Protecting Children
In 2024, ACPeds published an anti-trans petition under the name Doctors Protecting Children.
- Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine (AHM)
- American Academy of Medical Ethics
- American Association of Christian Counselors (AACC)
- American College of Family Medicine (ACFM)
- American College of Pediatricians (ACPeds)
- Association of American Physicians and Surgeons (AAPS)
- Catholic Health Care Leadership Alliance (CHCLA)
- Catholic Medical Association (CMA)
- Christian Medical & Dental Associations (CMDA)
- Coalition of Jewish Values
- Colorado Principled Physicians
- Genspect
- Honey Lake Clinic
- International Foundation for Therapeutic and Counselling Choice (IFTCC)
- National Association of Catholic Nurses, USA
- National Catholic Bioethics Center (NCBC)
- North Carolina Physicians for Freedom (NCPFF)
- South Carolina Physicians for Freedom (SCPFF)
References
Cameron, Dell; Mehrotra, Dhruv (May 2, 2023). An Anti-Trans Doctor Group Leaked 10,000 Confidential Files. WIRED https://www.wired.com/story/american-college-pediatricians-google-drive-leak/
Stahl, Aviva (April 16, 2021). Meet The “Fringe Extremists” Pushing Flawed Science To Target Trans Kids Buzzfeed News https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/avivastahl/transgender-trans-kids-healthcare-science
Cretella M et al. (December 4, 2018). [Letter to Matthew Whitaker, Alex Azar, and Betsy DeVos.] https://acpeds.org/assets/imported/12.4.18-Final_Revised_-12.4.18-Joint-letter-to-HHS-DOJ-DOE-Uphold-Definition-of-Sex.pdf
Cretella, Michelle (2018). Gender Dysphoria in Children. ACPeds https://acpeds.org/position-statements/gender-dysphoria-in-children
Resources
Trans Data Library (transdatalibrary.org)
SPLC (splcenter.org)
GLAAD (glaad.org)
Wikipedia (en.wikipedia.org)
American College of Pediatricians (acpeds.org)
Doctors Protecting Children (doctorsprotectingchildren.org)
Biological Integrity Initiative (biologicalintegrity.org)
Twitter (twitter.com)
YouTube (youtube.com)
Pediatrics is a medical specialty focusing on healthcare for infants, children, adolescents, and in some cases, young adults.
In 2018, the American Academy of Pediatrics released a policy statement called Ensuring Comprehensive Care and Support for Transgender and Gender-Diverse Children and Adolescents (PDF). This document recommends the affirmative model of care.
Transgender pediatricians
Rachel Levine is a transgender pediatrician who became Assistant Secretary of Health and Human Services for Planning and Evaluation in 2021. Levine is the first transgender American to hold an office that requires Senate confirmation.
Gender-affirming
Organizations and individuals who support affirming models of care include:
Non-affirming
Organizations and individuals who promote non-affirming models of care include:
Patrick K. Hunter is an American pediatrician and anti-transgender activist.
Hunter is affiliated with anti-trans hate group Society for Evidence-based Gender Medicine (SEGM).
Background
Patrick Kyran Hunter was born in May 1966. Hunter served in the US Army. Hunter earned a bachelor’s degree from Miami University, a master’s degree from the University of Mary, and a medical degree from University of Louisville School of Medicine.
Hunter has served as a general pediatrician with Pensacola Pediatrics and a Clinical Professor at Florida State University’s College of Medicine.
Anti-transgender activism
2022 HHS meeting
On April 25, 2022 Society for Evidence-Based Gender Medicine arranged a meeting with US government officials on healthcare for trans and gender diverse youth. Hunter was listed as an attendee.
AAP Resolution 27 (2022)
In 2022, Hunter was a signatory on American Academy of Pediatrics Resolution 27, that year’s attempt to protest consensus on care for gender diverse youth. Hunter and four other pediatricians drafted Resolution 27 critical of AAP’s consensus on best practices for gender diverse youth. The authors are:
- Julia W. Mason (Gresham, Oregon)
- Sarah B. Palmer (Carmel, Indiana)
- Paula Brinkley (Berkeley, California – Stanford Children’s)
- Debra Hendrickson (Reno, Nevada – Northern Nevada Pediatrics)
- Patrick K. Hunter (Milton, Florida – Pensacola Pediatrics)
In 2022, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis appointed Hunter, Amy Derick, David Diamond, and Nicole Justice to the Florida Board of Medicine.
Hunter’s anti-trans writings have appeared on the Our Duty website, among others.
References
Staff report (June 17, 2022). Governor Ron DeSantis Appoints Four to the Board of Medicine. https://www.flgov.com/2022/06/17/governor-ron-desantis-appoints-four-to-the-board-of-medicine/
Hunter PK (2022). Political Issues Surrounding Gender-Affirming Care for Transgender Youth. JAMA Pediatr. 2022 Mar 1;176(3):322-323. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamapediatrics.2021.5348
Jones, Zinnia (Jul 21, 2022). IDENTIFIED: The 5 redacted-signature pediatricians who signed the Genspect-promoted Resolution #27 to the American Academy of Pediatrics Julia W. Mason (SEGM) Sarah B. Palmer Paula Brinkley (Stanford Children’s Health) Debra Hendrickson Patrick Hunter (Florida Board of Medicine) https://x.com/ZJemptv/status/1550042000246067201
US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office for Civil Rights (OCR) (April 25, 2022). EO 12866 Meeting 0945-AA17. Nondiscrimination in Health Programs and Activities https://mobile.reginfo.gov/public/do/viewEO12866Meeting?viewRule=true&rin=0945-AA17&meetingId=131923&acronym=0945-HHS/OCR
Media
Our Duty (November 10, 2022). Patrick K Hunter on treatments for gender dysphoria in minors. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AS5GNP9ocHo
Resources
NPI DB (npidb.org)
- Patrick K. Hunter NPI #1952384810
- https://npidb.org/doctors/allopathic_osteopathic_physicians/pediatrics_208000000x/1952384810.aspx
Julia W. Mason is an American pediatrician active in the anti-transgender “gender critical” movement. Mason is affiliated with anti-trans hate group Society for Evidence-Based Gender Medicine
If you are the parent or guardian of a gender diverse young person, do not take your family member to Mason for care. If you are a minor being forced to see Mason by unsupportive adults, do what you can to end treatment with Mason and seek out supportive local resources instead.
Background
Julia Robin Winter was born on March 19, 1966. Mason married Eliot C. Mason (born 1967).
Mason attended University of Illinois, earning a master’s degree and a medical degree in 1994. Mason did residency training in Pediatrics at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles from 1994 to 1997. Mason is licensed in Oregon, California, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. Mason is a board-certified pediatrician, a Fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics, and currently practices at Calcagno Pediatrics in Gresham, Oregon.
Anti-transgender activism
Mason is involved with anti-trans organization Society for Evidence-Based Gender Medicine (SEGM). According to Mason, most gender diverse youth seen at Mason’s practice have “neurodevelopmental challenges or psychiatric comorbidities.”
AAP Resolution 33 (2021)
Introduced at the AAP Annual Leadership Forum 2021, this resolution “registered concern about the low quality of evidence underpinning treatment of minors with hormones and surgeries.”
AAP booth cancellation (2021)
SEGM tried to register a booth at the AAP conference in 2021, but it was rejected. Mason wrote the letter protesting the decision.
AAP Resolution 27 (2022)
Mason and four other pediatricians drafted Resolution 27 critical of AAP’s consensus on best practices for gender diverse youth. The authors are:
- Julia W. Mason (Gresham, Oregon)
- Sarah B. Palmer (Carmel, Indiana)
- Paula Brinkley (Berkeley, California – Stanford Children’s)
- Debra Hendrickson (Reno, Nevada – Northern Nevada Pediatrics)
- Patrick K. Hunter (Milton, Florida – Pensacola Pediatrics)
AAP Resolution 37 (2023)
Mason again attempted to draft a resolution in 2023, which Mason claims is sponsored by 23 FAAP coauthors.
Wall Street Journal opinion and AAP response
Mason joined fellow anti-trans activist Leor Sapir in attacking mainstream pediatric organization American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) for supporting gender affirming care for youth. In response, AAP President Moira Szilagyi stated:
Gender-affirming care can be lifesaving. It doesn’t push medical treatments or surgery; for the vast majority of children, it recommends the opposite.
This isn’t the story that is being told by anti-transgender activists. No European country has categorically banned gender-affirming care when medically appropriate. Contrary to what Dr. Mason and Mr. Sapir claim, the U.K. isn’t moving away from gender-affirming care. It is moving toward a more regional, multidisciplinary approach, similar to what is practiced in the U.S.
Mason frequently appears with other conservative and anti-trans activists, including:
References
Szilagyi, Moira (Aug. 21, 2022 ). Academy of Pediatrics Responds on Trans Treatment for Kids. Wall Street Journal https://www.wsj.com/articles/trans-gender-pediatric-aap-kids-children-care-surgery-affirm-treatment-11660942086
D’Ambrosio, Amanda (August 23, 2022). AAP Stands by Policy on Gender-Affirming Care for Trans Youth — Small group of pediatricians who called for evidence review charge they’re being sidelined. Medpage Today https://www.medpagetoday.com/special-reports/features/100352
O’Malley, Stella (August 23, 2022). At the American Academy of Pediatrics, ‘Affirmation’-Based Gender Dogma Is Finally Being Challenged. Quillette https://quillette.com/2022/08/23/challenge-to-affirmation-based-gender-dogma-at-american-academy-pediatrics/
Reinl, James (August 11, 2022). Leaked files expose how U.S. pediatricians accuse their own professional body of pushing a ‘harmful’ drugs-first approach on trans teens — and of deliberately BLOCKING moves to change the rules. Daily Mail https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11099561/Leaked-internal-files-pediatricians-angry-professional-bodys-transgender-policy.html
“Buttons, Christina” (July 9, 2023). The American Academy of Pediatrics sidelines formal proposal to revise Pediatric Medical Transition policy for the 4th consecutive year. buttonslives https://www.buttonslives.news/p/the-american-academy-of-pediatrics
Publications by Mason
Mason, JW (October 7, 2019). A physician is worried about gender transition in pediatrics. KevinMD https://www.kevinmd.com/2019/10/a-physician-is-worried-about-gender-transition-in-pediatrics.html
Pine, Elyse D.; Mason. Julia W. (April 28, 2021). Ban Hormones for Transgender Kids? Point-Counterpoint. Medscape https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/950019
Mason, JW (August 3, 2021). [Letter to AAP protesting cancellation of SEGM booth]. SEGM https://segm.org/sites/default/files/AAP%20NCE%202021.pdf
Mason JW + 4 anonymous authors (March 31, 2022). Resolution 27 (2022): In Support of a Rigorous Systematic Review of Evidence and Policy 3 Update for Management of Pediatric Gender Dysphoria. https://transgender.agency/files/r27.pdf
Mason, Julia; Sapir, Leor (August 17, 2022). Opinion: The American Academy of Pediatrics’ Dubious Transgender Science. Wall Street Journal https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-american-academy-of-pediatrics-dubious-transgender-science-jack-turban-research-social-contagion-gender-dysphoria-puberty-blockers-uk-11660732791
Abbruzzese E, Levine SB, Mason JW (2023). The Myth of “Reliable Research” in Pediatric Gender Medicine: A critical evaluation of the Dutch Studies-and research that has followed. J Sex Marital Ther. 2023 Jan 2:1-27. https://doi.org/10.1080/0092623X.2022.2150346
Levine SB, Abbruzzese E, Mason JW (2023). What Are We Doing to These Children? Response to Drescher, Clayton, and Balon Commentaries on Levine et al., 2022. J Sex Marital Ther. 2023;49(1):115-125. https://doi.org/10.1080/0092623X.2022.2136117
Levine SB, Abbruzzese E, Mason JW (2022). Reconsidering Informed Consent for Trans-Identified Children, Adolescents, and Young Adults. J Sex Marital Ther. 2022;48(7):706-727. https://doi.org/10.1080/0092623X.2022.2046221
Malone WJ, Hruz PW, Mason JW, Beck S (2021). Letter to the Editor from William J. Malone et al: “Proper Care of Transgender and Gender-diverse Persons in the Setting of Proposed Discrimination: A Policy Perspective.” The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism Volume 106, Issue 8, August 2021, Pages e3287–e3288 https://doi.org/10.1210/clinem/dgab205
Media
Dumont, Joey (December 19, 2022). “Should we medicalize children?” with Dr. Julia Mason. True Thirty https://truethirty.substack.com/p/should-we-medicalize-children-with#details
Boyce, Benjamin (October 3, 2022). Saving Child Medicine from Gender Ideology | with Julia Mason. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3iAd6tSzSYE
Kelly, Megyn (Aug 4, 2022). The Truth About Puberty Blockers for Young Children, with Dr. Julia Mason and Dr. Erica Anderson. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KUjqO-u7X6c
Resources
Calcagno Pediatrics (calcagnopediatrics.com)
X/Twitter (x.com)
Note: this profile originally misstated Mason’s birthday.
GLMA: Health Professionals Advancing LGBTQ Equality is an organization founded in 1981. It is the world’s largest and oldest association LGBTQ healthcare professionals.
Cardiologist Becky Allison served as GLMA president for many years.
Former names:
- American Association of Physicians for Human Rights
- Gay & Lesbian Medical Association
Resources
GLMA (glma.org)
Lisa Littman is an American public health researcher and anti-transgender activist.
Littman is involved in efforts to restrict gender affirming care for children and youth. Littman created the disputed diagnosis “rapid onset gender dysphoria” (ROGD) and is a key figure in the ex-transgender movement.
Anti-transgender activism
Littman created the anti-trans front group Institute for Comprehensive Gender Dysphoria Research (ICGDR) with Stella O’Malley in 2021.
Under the auspices of ICGDR, Littman published a paper on “detransition” in anti-trans academic journal Archives of Sexual Behavior.
Littman contributed a chapter titled “Psychosocial factors and gender dysphoria: emerging theories” to the 2023 ant-trans book Sex and Gender: A Contemporary Reader.
References
Sullivan, Alice; Todd, Selina [Eds.] (2023). Sex and Gender: A Contemporary Reader. Taylor & Francis, ISBN 9781032261195
Littman, Lisa (August 16, 2018). Parent reports of adolescents and young adults perceived to show signs of a rapid onset of gender dysphoria. PLOS ONE (March 19, 2019 corrected ed.). 13 (8): e0202330. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0202330.
Littman, Lisa (March 19, 2019). Correction: Parent reports of adolescents and young adults perceived to show signs of a rapid onset of gender dysphoria. PLOS ONE. 14 (3): e0214157 doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0214157.
Wadman, Meredith (September 7, 2018). ‘Rapid onset’ of transgender identity ignites storm. Science. 361 (6406): 958–959. doi:10.1126/science.361.6406.958
WPATH Global Board of Directors (September 4, 2018). WPATH Position on “Rapid-Onset Gender Dysphoria (ROGD)” (PDF). World Professional Association for Transgender Health
ROGD Statement. Coalition for the Advancement & Application of Psychological Science.
Ashley, Florence (July 2020). A critical commentary on ‘rapid-onset gender dysphoria.’ The Sociological Review. 68 (4): 779–799. doi:10.1177/0038026120934693
(August 29, 2018. ). Reader outcry prompts Brown to retract press release on trans teens. Retraction Watch
(October 22, 2018.). Rapid-onset gender dysphoria’ is a poisonous lie used to discredit trans people. The Guardian
Why ‘rapid-onset gender dysphoria’ is bad science. The Conversation.
Kay, Jonathan (March 19, 2019). An Interview With Lisa Littman, Who Coined the Term ‘Rapid Onset Gender Dysphoria.’ Quillette https://quillette.com/2019/03/19/an-interview-with-lisa-littman-who-coined-the-term-rapid-onset-gender-dysphoria/
Littman, Lisa (September 27, 2021). The website for the Institute for Comprehensive Gender Dysphoria Research (ICGDR) is now live. Littman Research https://littmanresearch.com/news-2/
Littman, Lisa (2021). Individuals Treated for Gender Dysphoria with Medical and/or Surgical Transition Who Subsequently Detransitioned: A Survey of 100 Detransitioners. Archives of Sexual Behavior 50, pages3353–3369 (2021) https://doi.org/10.1007/s10508-021-02163-w
RI Business Portal (January 15, 2o01). Fictitious name: ICGDR https://business.sos.ri.gov/CorpWeb/CorpSearch/CorpSummary.aspx?FEIN=001717167
Resources
Littman Research (littmanresearch.com)
Institute for Comprehensive Gender Dysphoria Research (icgdr.org)
Wikipedia (en.wikipedia.org)
Note: In 2025, this site phased out AI illustrations after artist feedback. The previous illustration is here.
Rebecca Allison, aka “Dr. Becky,” was an American cardiologist who created one of the earliest and most important online resources for transgender medical information.
Allison was deeply involved in transgender activism and served in leadership roles at GLMA and AMA.
Background
Rebecca Anne “Becky” Allison was born in Greenwood, Mississippi on December 21, 1946. Allison’s parents were Errol Ward Atkinson and Mabel Blackwell Atkinson.
Allison earned a medical degree from the University of Mississippi Medical Center in 1971. After working as a general practitioner, Allison completed a specialty in cardiology in 1987, but lost that practice within a year of making a gender transition.
Allison served as chief of cardiology at CIGNA based in Arizona starting in 1998. Allison was named one of Phoenix Magazine’s Top Doctors in Phoenix for 2006, 2007, and 2008. In 2012 Allison went into private practice before retiring in 2018.
Allison died on August 11, 2024 following a long illness.
Activism
Allison was a frequent contributor to the Grace and Lace Letter, an evangelical publication for trans and gender diverse people founded and edited by Lee Frances Heller in 1990.
In 1998, Allison created drbecky.com, a resource site focusing on the medical, legal, and spiritual aspects of gender transition. Among Allison’s innovations were a state-by-state listing on how to update a birth certificate, criticism of “autogynephilia,” criticism of The Man Who Would Be Queen by J. Michael Bailey, a digital version of a brochure on facial feminization surgery by Douglas Ousterhout, and a section on spirituality that collected Allison’s writings for the Grace and Lace Letter.
Allison and partner Margaux Schaffer performed in our 2004 all-transgender performance of The Vagina Monologues and appear in the accompanying documentary Beautiful Daughters.
Allison was instrumental in the passage of the 2008 American Medical Association policy “Removing Financial Barriers to Care for Transgender Patients” H-185.950.
In 2009, Allison joined our protest at the American Psychiatric Association protest for including Kenneth Zucker and Ray Blanchard on the revision committee for the DSM-V. After speaking at the protest, Allison gave a speech at the meeting:
Inside the conference, Rebecca Allison, MD, a transsexual and cardiologist from Phoenix, who also chairs the American Medical Association’s committee on LGBT issues, said that the ideal solution would be to remove GID from the DSM, but retain it in the International Classification of Diseases as a “gender variance.”
The reason? So that insurance companies continue to pay for expensive medical procedures, such as hormones and surgeries. “In a perfect world,” Allison said, “psychiatrists would treat patients with gender variance, but not for gender variance.”
Allison was also active in Soulforce and organized Phoenix Transgender Day of Remembrance with spouse Margaux Schaffer for many years.
References
American Medical Association (2024). 2024 LGBTQ+ Interim Meeting – Rebecca Allison Memorial. https://www.ama-assn.org/system/files/i24-lgbtg-rebecca-allison-memorial.pdf
Jackson NC, Berlew GK (2024). “There is Not One Shred of Evidence That [Being Trans] is Not a Divine Gift”: Grace and Lace Letter and the Rhetorical Construction of an Evangelical Transfeminine Identity. Rhetoric Review, 43(3), 187–200. https://doi.org/10.1080/07350198.2024.2349840
American Heart Association (June 2022). Pride With Heart Ambassadors. https://www.heart.org/en/about-us/diversity-inclusion/pride-with-heart
Petros, George (November 2018). Dr. Becky Allison, Cardiologist. https://www.georgepetros.com/writings/tnt/Dr-Becky-Allison.htm
American College of Cardiology (July 1, 2016). Clinical Innovators: Advocating for Equal Treatment | An Interview with Rebecca Allison, MD. https://www.acc.org/latest-in-cardiology/articles/2016/07/19/10/14/clinical-innovators
Avicolli-Mecca, Tommi (May 21, 2009). Being Transgender is Not a Mental Disorder. BeyondChron https://beyondchron.org/being-transgender-is-not-a-mental-disorder/
Selected publications
Deutsch MB, Green J, Keatley J, Mayer G, Hastings J, Hall AM, Allison R, Blumer O, Brown S, Cody MK, Fennie K, Moscoe G, St Claire R, Stone MR, Wilson A, Wolf-Gould C (2013). Electronic medical records and the transgender patient: recommendations from the World Professional Association for Transgender Health EMR Working Group. Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association, Volume 20, Issue 4, July 2013, Pages 700–703, https://doi.org/10.1136/amiajnl-2012-001472
Allison RA (2012). Ten things transgender persons should discuss with their health care provider. Gay and Lesbian Medical Association https://glma.org/10_things_transgender_people_s.php
Allison RA (2010). Aligning Bodies with Minds: The Case for Medical and Surgical Treatment of Gender Dysphoria. Journal of Gay & Lesbian Mental Health, 14(2), 139–144. https://doi.org/10.1080/19359701003609872
Allison RA (2007). Transsexualism. In Fink G (ed.) Encyclopedia of Stress (2nd Edition). Elsevier, ISBN 978-0-12-088503-9
Allison RA (2007). Transsexualism. In Pfaff D, Arnold A, Etgen A, Fahrbach S, Rubin R (eds.) Hormones, Brain, and Behavior (2nd Edition). Elsevier, ISBN 978-0-12-532104-4
Allison RA (April 13, 2003). The National Academy Meets The National Enquirer. Dr. Becky http://www.drbecky.com/blog05.html [archive]
Allison RA (1999, Summer). Autogynephilia: Reply to Dr. Anne Lawrence. Transgender Tapestry, 1(86), 50-52. https://archive.org/details/transgendertapes9220unse
Allison RA (December 16, 1998). Janice Raymond and Autogynephilia. Dr. Becky http://www.drbecky.com/raymond.html [archive] Also published in Transgender Tapestry #94, Spring 2001 https://archive.org/details/transgendertapes9320unse
Media
HRC Arizona (March 28, 2012). Dr Becky Allison Individual Equality Awardee. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7dsujnNDhDY
Shadow Rock UCC (December 8, 2024). Celebration of Life – Dr. Rebecca Allison. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YTSQLZtIR7c
Resources
Dr. Becky (drbecky.com) [archive]
Wikipedia (en.wikipedia.org)
Like Her (likeher.org)
LGBTQ Religious Archives Network (lgbtqreligiousarchives.org)
LinkedIn (linkedin.com)
Prabook (prabook.com)
X/Twitter (x.com)
Facebook (facebook.com)
Paul Garcia-Ryan is a conservative American social worker and ex-transgender activist. Garcia-Ryan believes people under age 26 should not get trans healthcare under an informed consent model.
Do not go to Garcia-Ryan for therapy. If you are a minor forced to see Garcia-Ryan, do everything in your power to end the sessions and find a supportive local therapist.
Background
Paul A. Garcia-Ryan was born on June 17, 1991. At age 15, Garcia-Ryan reportedly met with a therapist about gender identity and expression.
As an adult, Garcia-Ryan began using the name Charlotte Garcia-Ryan and took medical transition steps.
Garcia-Ryan earned a bachelor’s degree from Alfred University in 2014 and a master’s degree from Hunter College in 2018.
In 2021, at age 30, Garcia-Ryan made additional gender changes following reportedly poor surgical results.
Practice
Garcia-Ryan is president of Therapy First, a directory of therapists who believe they should be paid to determine if trans and gender diverse people should be allowed to undertake medical transition steps.
Garcia-Ryan has been affiliated with the Open Therapy Institute and was listed with these therapists:
- Camilo Ortiz
- Katherine Cullen
- Neil Kressel
- Paul Garcia-Ryan
That site stated: “Paul Garcia-Ryan is a New York City based psychotherapist providing care to a wide variety of patients, including gay and lesbian adults who don’t feel they have a place in LGBT culture and individuals/families facing gender related challenges.”
Garcia-Ryan feels that young adults should not be allowed to make a gender transition unless they pay for “gender exploratory therapy” from Garcia-Ryan or other conservative colleagues.
Garcia-Ryan is listed on the Gender Exploratory Therapy Association site. “Gender exploratory therapy” is a non-affirming model of care. The American Academy of Pediatrics calls this practice “delayed transition” and advises against it.
Garcia-Ryan’s promotional site includes quotes from anti-trans activists Lisa Marchiano, Leonore Tiefer, and Lisa Selin Davis.
Ex-transgender activism
Garcia-Ryan was an invited participant at a 2023 anti-trans conference organized by the SLPC-designated hate group Society for Evidence-Based Gender Medicine.
In 2024, Garcia-Ryan was featured in a New York Times article by anti-trans activist Pamela Paul. Garcia-Ryan stated:
“When a professional affirms a gender identity for a younger person, what they are doing is implementing a psychological intervention that narrows a person’s sense of self and closes off their options for considering what’s possible for them.”
Paul (2024)
References
OTI (November 7, 2024). Coming soon: OTI shines light on overlooked clinical populations with Dr. Phil. Open Therapy Institute https://opentherapyinstitute.substack.com/p/whats-new-at-the-open-therapy-institute-3fb
Ryan, Benjamin (October 19, 2024). Pain, confusion and compassion: How the US has reached a trans ‘tipping point.’ New York Post https://nypost.com/2024/10/19/us-news/pain-confusion-compassion-how-the-us-has-reached-a-trans-tipping-point/
Kirkey, Sharon (July 17, 2024). Kids identifying as transgender need ‘talk therapy,’ not drugs, therapists say. National Post https://nationalpost.com/news/canada/transgender-gender-dysphoria-treatment
Ryan, Benjamin (February 24, 2024). A landmark Finnish study is changing how we approach transgender kids. New York Post https://nypost.com/2024/02/24/opinion/a-finnish-study-is-changing-how-we-approach-trans-kids/
Staff report (February 14, 2024). Young adults tell of irreparable damage caused in teens by trans-affirming medics. Christian Institute https://www.christian.org.uk/news/young-adults-tell-of-irreparable-damage-caused-in-teens-by-trans-affirming-medics/
McGhee White, Kaylee (February 8, 2024). For these detransitioners, there’s no reversing the cost of gender ideology’s lies. Washington Examiner https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/2843144/for-these-detransitioners-theres-no-reversing-the-cost-of-gender-ideologys-lies/
Foley, Ryan (February 7, 2024). Founder of first pediatric gender clinic in the US fears providers are rushing gender transitions. Christian Post https://www.christianpost.com/news/doctors-are-rushing-gender-transition-process-psychologist-warns.html
Alexander, Harriet (February 3, 2024). Gay teens who couldn’t come to terms with their sexuality share how they removed their breasts and genitals in false hope that becoming transgender would ‘cure’ them, as concerns mount that ‘gender-affirming care’ for children is homophobic. Daily Mail https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13040507/transgender-children-gay-teenagers-surgery-hormones-detransition.html
Hays, Gabriel (February 2, 2024). Detransitioners open up to NY Times about feeling abandoned, harm of ‘gender-affirming care:’ ‘It’s a mess.’ Fox News https://www.foxnews.com/media/detransitioners-open-ny-times-feeling-abandoned-harm-gender-affirming-care-mess
Paul, Pamela (February 2, 2024). As Kids, They Thought They Were Trans. They No Longer Do. New York Times https://www.nytimes.com/2024/02/02/opinion/transgender-children-gender-dysphoria.html
Action Network (2024). Raising the Alarm on Gender Identity Change Efforts Disguised as Talk Therapy. https://actionnetwork.org/petitions/raising-the-alarm-on-gender-identity-change-efforts-disguised-as-talk-therapy [archive]
SPLC (December 12, 2023). Group dynamics and division of labor within the anti-LGBTQ+ pseudoscience network. https://www.splcenter.org/captain/defining-pseudoscience-network
Reed, Erin (January 13, 2023). Unpacking ‘gender exploratory therapy,’ a new form of conversion therapy. Xtra https://xtramagazine.com/health/gender-exploratory-therapy-243833
Selected writing by Garcia-Ryan
Garcia-Ryan, Paul (April 18, 2024). Opinion: A new report roils the debate on youth gender care. Washington Post https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2024/04/18/cass-review-young-people-gender-transition/
- Resposes https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2024/04/25/cass-review-transgender-kids-treatment/
Resources
Paul Garcia-Ryan (paulgarciaryan.com)
LinkedIn (linkedin.com)
Licensure
- NPI 1326685694
- NY License # 093503
Brooklyn Holistic Therapy (brooklynholisticpsychotherapy.com)
Open Therapy Institute (opentherapyinstitute.org)
Therapy First (therapyfirst.org)
Instagram (instagram.com)
X/Twitter (x.com)
Psychology Today (psychologytoday.com)
- Paul Garcia-Ryan
- psychologytoday.com/us/therapists/paul-garcia-ryan-brooklyn-ny/427351
Do No Harm is an American anti-transgender nonprofit that claims it is “protecting minors from gender ideology.”
Background
Do No Harm was launched in 2022 to oppose diversity initiatives in medicine.
Founder Stanley Goldfarb is a retired doctor who wrote the 2022 book Take Two Aspirin and Call Me By My Pronouns: Why Turning Doctors into Social Justice Warriors is Destroying American Medicine.
Do No Harm was initially funded in 2022 by Joseph Edelman and Susan Lebovitz-Edelman via their Edelman Family Foundation:
The contribution to Do No Harm is one of the Edelmans’ single largest donations. It is also roughly the same amount of money that Do No Harm projected as revenue for 2022, suggesting the Edelmans were the group’s primary funders in its initial year. In a note describing the donation on its tax filings, the foundation said it was “to provide support to protect healthcare from a radical, divisive and discriminatory ideology.”
Redden (2023)
Anti-trans activism
Do No Harm has evolved into an anti-trans organization, producing model legislation used in several states seeking to ban gender-affirming care for trans and gender diverse youth.
Via the Associated Press:
The AP obtained the texts of more than 130 bills in 40 state legislatures from Plural, a public policy software company, and analyzed them for similarities to model bills peddled by the conservative groups Do No Harm, which also criticizes efforts to diversify staffing in medicine, and the Family Research Council, which has long been involved in abortion restrictions.
One of the clearest examples is in Montana, where nearly all the language in at least one bill can be found in Do No Harm’s model.
McMilan (2023)
Key people
Founding funders
- Joseph Edelman
- Susan Lebovitz-Edelman
- Edelman Family Foundation
Staff
- Dr. Stanley Goldfarb, Board Chair
- Kristina Rasmussen, Executive Director
- Ari DeWolf, Director of Outreach
- Ian Kingsbury, Director of Research
- Laura Morgan, Program Manager
- Mary Miller, Vice President of Strategic Partnerships
Senior Fellows
Visiting Fellows
- Dr. Rick Bosshardt
- Dr. Marilyn Singleton
Patient advocates
References
Redden, Molly (October 26, 2023). This Billionaire Hedge Funder Is Quietly Financing Anti-Trans Advocacy Across The U.S. HuffPost https://www.huffpost.com/entry/joseph-edelman-political-donor-transgender_n_653a8605e4b0783c4ba04deb
McMillan, Jeff; Kruesi, Kimberlee (May 20, 2023). Meet the influential new player on transgender health bills. AP News https://apnews.com/article/transgender-bills-lobbying-do-no-harm-94f56059d24608d724eb78fefecf4e09
McMillan, Jeff; Harjai, Kavish; Kruesi, Kimberlee (May 20, 2023). Many transgender health bills came from a handful of far-right interest groups, AP finds. AP News https://apnews.com/article/transgender-health-model-legislation-5cc4a7cb4ab69150f670d06fd0f361ab
Resources
Trans Data Library (transdatalibrary.org)
- Do No Harm
- transdatalibrary.org/organization/do-no-harm
Do No Harm (donoharmmedicine.org)
Twitter (twitter.com)
Facebook (facebook.com)
YouTube (youtube.com)
Instagram (instagram.com)
LinkedIn (linkedin.com)
Paul Hruz is an American pediatrician and anti-transgender activist.
Since 2016 Hruz has testified in at least ten lawsuits related to gender transition and trans rights.
Hruz is a fellow at the National Catholic Bioethics Center, and a member of the Catholic Medical Association, two groups that reject gender transition altogether.
References
Redden, Molly (September 15, 2023). Inside The Cottage Industry Of ‘Experts’ Paid To Defend Anti-Trans Laws. HuffPost https://www.huffpost.com/entry/paid-experts-defending-anti-trans-law_n_65021a7ee4b01df7c3b6d513?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email
Stahl, Aviva (June 9, 2023). Four controversial doctors helping Republicans attack trans healthcare. The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/society/2023/jun/09/doctor-republican-trans-gender-affirming-minor-healthcare-lgbtq-rights
Resources
Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis Pediatrics (pediatrics.wustl.edu)
LinkedIn (linkedin.com)