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Pamela Garfield-Jaeger is a conservative American therapist and activist in the anti-vaccine and ex-transgender movements.

Do not under any circumstances go to Garfield-Jaeger for any kind of therapy. If you are a trans or gender-diverse minor being forced to see Garfield-Jaeger, do everything in your power to end the sessions and find a supportive local alternative.

Background

Pamela H. “Pam” Garfield was born on July 31, 1973. After earning a bachelor’s degree from Ithaca College in 1996 and a master’s degree from New York University in 1999, Garfield-Jaeger was licensed in California in 2005. Garfield-Jaeger has done social work and therapy in New York and California at several locations, including The Family Center, Unity Care Group, Starlight Adolescent Center, YMCA, Institute on Aging, and Adolescent Counseling Services. Garfield-Jaeger has had a standalone LCSW practice since 2007 and has offered photography services.

Garfield-Jaeger “resides in Pacifica, California and loves coastal living.” Garfield-Jaeger’s spouse is civil engineer Gregory Owen “Greg” Jaeger (born August 1968), President and CEO of North Coast Engineering in San Miguel.

Conservative activism

Garfield-Jaeger is an ambassador for Turning Point USA (TPUSA), an American nonprofit promoting conservatism on high school, college, and university campuses.

Garfield-Jaeger is critical of vaccine mandates, mask mandates, critical race theory, and “the harms of gender medicine.”

Garfield-Jaeger is an advisor to the conservative anti-trans parent group Mom Army.

Anti-vaccine activism

On Garfield-Jaeger website, it says:

After losing her job at Sutter Health in 2021 due to Vaccine mandates, Pamela has been building a curriculum to guide parents through the mental health system. Her goal is to provide parents with the information and language so they can be the best advocates for their child’s mental health. Pamela’s mission is to educate parents on how to avoid therapists who lack skill or try to indoctrinate their children. 

Anti-transgender activism

Garfield-Jaeger is active in the ex-transgender movement. Similar to the ex-gay movement of the 20th century, these anti-trans activists believe that they can prevent or cure children from being transgender. Garfield-Jaeger became alarmed when “half the girls identified as trans” in the outpatient mental health program at Mills Peninsula/Sutter Health:

I’m a licensed therapist who discovered how extremely wrong gender affirmative therapy is simply because it became so radical and widespread in the last 5 years. I took a hiatus from my profession due to a physical disability and when I returned, the changes were shocking. My views on gender ideology are not politically motivated.

Garfield-Jaeger also promotes the ex-trans propaganda film Dysconnected:

Over the past few years, a transgender tsunami has swept the nation, completely overtaking the medical, educational, and counseling industries, and forever altering hundreds of thousands of young girls’ lives. What is going on? How did it come to this? Who is behind it? And what is coming next? Filmmaker and father Don Johnson traveled the country to find out.

According to a 2023 promotion for a conservative women’s event:

Pamela has done several podcasts and YouTube interviews and starred in three documentaries about the harms of gender medicine. You can stream “Dysconnected” by Don Johnson from www.dysconnectedmovie.com. There is a forthcoming film from the Epoch Times (not yet released and title unknown) and another by Simon Esler called “Cut-Daughters of the West” soon to be available on YouTube. Pamela is part of the advisory board of a new movement called MOM Army (www.mom-army.com). Many of them are sexual abuse and trafficking survivors with a mission to stop the war on our children.

Garfield-Jaeger was on hand to document “Detransition Awareness Day,” a 2023 Sacramento gathering of about 10 ex-trans people, 30 supporters, and hundreds of counter-protestors. Participants included “Chloe Cole,” “detransaqua,” “Layla Jane,” “Exulansic,” “onedonebunu,”, Allie Snyder, Ciara Wall., Jay W. Richards, and Abel Garcia

References

Bay Area GOP (March 15, 2023). Therapy, Not Indoctrination. Mid Peninsula Republican Women Federated https://bayareagop.com/wp-content/images/MPRWF-March2023.pdf

Garfield-Jaeger, Pamela (May 25, 2023). Are We Headed Toward a Genderless, Sexually Dysfunctional World? The Epoch Times https://www.theepochtimes.com/are-we-headed-toward-a-genderless-sexually-dysfunctional-world_5292413.html

Garfield-Jaeger, Pamela (May 25, 2023). They Are Scared: Proponents of Gender Affirmation Showed Their Fear at a Conference. The Epoch Times https://www.theepochtimes.com/they-are-scared-proponents-of-gender-affirmation-showed-their-fear-at-a-conference_5292526.html

Resources

The Truthful Therapist (thetruthfultherapist.com)

LinkedIn (linkedin.com)

Twitter (twitter.com)

Instagram (instagram.com)

Substack (substack.com)

Jaeger Pics (jaegerpics.com) [archive]

Mom Army (mom-army.com)

Dysconnected (dysconnectedmovie.com)

The Epoch Times (theepochtimes.com)

Amy E. Sousa is an American anti-transgender extremist. Sousa is an unlicensed therapist, according to self-reports. Do not go to Sousa for therapy of any kind.

A search for Sousa’s therapy license in the State of Washington database did not show any results in 2023.

Background

Amy Elizabeth Sousa was born February 26, 1976. Sousa earned a bachelor’s degree from New York University and a master’s degree from Pacifica Graduate Institute. After living in New York for 15 years, Sousa moved to Port Townsend, Washington in 2009. Sousa was formerly involved in Key City Public Theatre. Sousa as also been involved in Sootsprites Productions and has volunteered for the local film festival.

Anti-transgender activism

Sousa reportedly organized numerous anti-trans protests:

“My activism has included organizing multiple protests: Against Biden’s EO in Washington DC, against the UN in New York City, against swimmer Lia Thomas at the NCAA championships in Atlanta, against child gender clinics in Seattle, free speech events, speaking at state legislature in defense of women/girl’s sports and in defense of single sex prisons for women, as well as speaking at school board meetings to protect kids from indoctrination by sex denying curriculum.”

When Sousa’s friend Julie Jaman was permanently banned from the local YMCA pool following an anti-trans encounter in 2022, Sousa organized those protests as well.

Sousa has been involved in additional protests against Marci Bowers and others who provide gender affirming care.

RevFoXX

Sousa is a member of anti-transgender group RevFoXX (“Reality Encompassed Values” for XX). They claim they are “advocating for the safeguarding of women & children, observing objective reality in solidarity, and countering the narrative of the gender lobby in the United States.” Members include:

  • Gabrielle Clark
  • Jennifer Thomas / revfemjen
  • “Moxie the Fox” aka “FoXXY Moxie”
  • “Sentinel” / Shawn / EJ_Ronin

References

Baume, Matt (August 11, 2022). Transphobic Bullying Incident Prompts Port Townsend YMCA to Ban Member. The Stranger https://www.thestranger.com/queer/2022/08/11/77677771/transphobic-bullying-incident-prompts-port-townsend-ymca-to-ban-member

Resources

RevFoXX (revfoxx.com) [archive]

Little Red Reverberations (littleredreverberations.com)

Depth Psychology Alliance (depthpsychologyalliance.com)

Substack (substack.com)

Instagram (instagram.com)

YouTube (youtube.com)

Twitter (twitter.com)

Facebook (facebook.com)

Medium (medium.com)

TikTok (tiktok.com)

Michael Shermer is an American writer and anti-transgender activist. Shermer has devoted considerable space for anti-trans views in the publication Skeptic and on the podcast The Michael Shermer Show.

Background

Michael Brant Shermer was born September 8, 1954 in Los Angeles, California.

Shermer earned a bachelor’s degree form Pepperdine in 1976 and a master’s degree in psychology from California State University, Fullerton in 1978. Shermer got involved in competitive cycling during this time.

Shermer earned a doctorate from Claremont Graduate University in 1991. Shermer helped found the Skeptics Society in 1991. Shermer has taught at Glendale Community College, Occidental College, and Chapman University.

For 18 years Shermer was a monthly columnist for Scientific American. Shermer has been dogged by accusations of sexual misconduct since 2013. Shermer has produced and appeared in a number of television shows about science and pseudoscience.

Anti-transgender activism

Shermer is especially angry about transgender athletes, trans and gender diverse youth, WPATH, and how Scientific American has gone “woke” due to their coverage of trans issues.

Shermer has also promoted and published anti-trans writings of other “gender critical” activists:

References

Shermer, Michael (November 14, 2024). Postmortem 2024. Skeptic https://michaelshermer.substack.com/p/postmortem-2024

Shermer, Michael (March 14, 2024). Death by Theory. Skeptic https://michaelshermer.substack.com/p/death-by-theory

Shermer, Michael (June 11, 2024). What’s It Like to Be Trans? [letter from a conservative transmedicalist] Skeptic https://michaelshermer.substack.com/p/whats-it-like-to-be-trans

Shermer, Michael (July 8, 2022). What is a Woman, Anyway? Skeptic https://michaelshermer.substack.com/p/what-is-a-woman-anyway

Shermer, Michael (March 7, 2024). Extraordinary Popular Delusions and the Madness of Crowds, Redux—WPATH Edition. Skeptic https://michaelshermer.substack.com/p/extraordinary-popular-delusions-and

Shermer, Michael (December 9, 2021). Trans Athletes and Conflicting Rights. Skeptic https://michaelshermer.substack.com/p/trans-athletes-and-conflicting-rights

Hall, Harriett (). A transgender controversy. Skeptic Volume 27 Number 1 https://www.skeptic.com/reading_room/transgender-controversy/

Tavris, Carol (2022). Behind the Rhetoric: The Untold Story of “Gender-Affirming” Clinics. Skeptic Volume 27 Number 1 https://www.skeptic.com/reading_room/behind-rhetoric-untold-story-of-gender-affirming-clinics/

Davis, Lisa Selin (2022). Trans Matters: An Overview of the Debate, Research, and Policies. Skeptic Volume 27 Number 1 https://www.skeptic.com/reading_room/trans-matters-overview-debate-research-policies/

Tavris, Carol (). Trans Reality: “I Didn’t Know There Was Another Side.” https://www.skeptic.com/reading_room/transgender-reality-i-didnt-know-there-was-another-side/

McCaffree K, Saide A (March 7, 2023). Trans, Identity and Institutional Controversies. Research Report: PADS-002 https://www.skeptic.com/research-center/reports/Research-Report-PADS-002.pdf

Media

(). EPISODE # 160 Abigail Shrier — Irreversible Damage: The Transgender Craze Seducing Our Daughters. The Michael Shermer Show https://www.skeptic.com/michael-shermer-show/abigail-shrier-irreversible-damage-transgender-craze-seducing-our-daughters/

(August 27, 2024). Are We Confused About Social Justice? (Helen Pluckrose). The Michael Shermer Show

(May 14). Nellie Bowles — Reporting From the Frontlines of the Culture Wars The Michael Shermer Show

(September 21). Colin Wright – Biology vs. Gender Ideology: The Science Behind the Debate. The Michael Shermer Show

(September 15). Matt Ridley, Steven Pinker, and Michael Shermer Challenge Conventional Narratives. The Michael Shermer Show

(August 17). Bones, Bias, and Backlash: Elizabeth Weiss on the Politicization of Anthropology. The Michael Shermer Show https://www.skeptic.com/michael-shermer-show/elizabeth-weiss-politicization-of-anthropology/

(August 6). Richard Dawkins on Genetic Insights Into the History of Life. The Michael Shermer Show

(). 461: Helen Pluckrose — Principled Strategies for Surviving and Defeating Critical Social Justice. https://www.skeptic.com/michael-shermer-show/helen-pluckrose-principled-strategies-for-surviving-defeating-critical-social-justice/

(). Aella — From a Christian Upbringing to Sex Work

(). Bradley Campbell — How to Think About Social Justice

Katherine Brodsky — How to Find and Free Your Voice in the Age of Outrage

Michael Shellenberger Explains Government Censorship of Social Media

Ayaan Hirsi Ali Converted to Christianity

Yascha Mounk — Identity Politics and its Discontents

Greg Lukianoff & Rikki Schlott — Cancel Culture and What to Do About It

Gad Saad — The Saad Truth About Happiness

Christopher Rufo Decodes Cultural Shifts in America

Umut Özkirimli — How the Left Can Make Its Way Back From Woke

Jean Twenge — Differences Between Gen Z, Millennials, Gen X, Boomers, and Silents, and What They Mean for America’s Future

Bethany Mandel — How Radicals Are Erasing Innocence & Indoctrinating a Generation

Valerie Fridland — Like, Literally, Dude: Arguing for the Good in Bad English

Gerald & Patricia Posner on Evil

Louise Perry — The Case Against the Sexual Revolution: A New Guide to Sex in the 21st Century

Meghan Daum — The Problem With Everything: My Journey Through the New Culture Wars

Marty Klein — Sex Matters

Andrew Doyle — How the Religion of Social Justice Captured the Western World

Sabine Hossenfelder — Existential Physics: A Scientist’s Guide to Life’s Biggest Questions

Konstantin Kisin — An Immigrant’s Love Letter to the West

Helen Joyce — Trans: When Ideology Meets Reality

Frans De Waal on Sex and Gender Across the Primate Spectrum

Douglas Murray on The War on the West: Race, Politics, and Culture

Cathy Young — The Russian Riddle Wrapped in a Ukrainian Mystery Inside an American Enigma

Jesse Singal on Why Fad Psychology Can’t Cure Our Social Ills 

Dave Rubin — Left, Right, and Woke, based on his book Don’t Burn This Country: Surviving and Thriving in Our Woke Dystopia

Elizabeth Weiss on Woke Archaeology and Erasing the Past

Batya Ungar-Sargon — Bad News: How Woke Media Is Undermining Democracy

Sally Satel on Addiction, the Opioid Crisis, Deaths of Despair, and How Psychiatry Has Gone Woke

Heather Heying and Bret Weinstein on evolution and the challenges of modern life, based on their new book A Hunter-Gatherer’s Guide to the 21st Century

Steven Pinker on Rationality: What it is, Why it Seems Scarce, Why it Matters

Richard Dawkins on evangelizing for evolution, science, skepticism, philosophy, reason, and rationality, based on his new book Books Do Furnish a Life: Reading and Writing Science

Carole Hooven on T: The Story of Testosterone, the Hormone that Dominates and Divides Us

Bari Weiss & Bion Bartning on Their New Foundation Against Intolerance & Racism

David Buss — When Men Behave Badly: The Hidden Roots of Sexual Deception, Harassment, and Assault

Jordan Peterson & Michael Shermer on Science, Myth, Truth, and the Architecture of Archetypes

Niall Ferguson — Doom: The Politics of Catastrophe

John McWhorter — The Elect: Neoracists Posing as Antiracists and their Threat to a Progressive America

John McWhorter — The Elect: Neoracists Posing as Antiracists and their Threat to a Progressive America

Abigail Shrier — Irreversible Damage: The Transgender Craze Seducing Our Daughters

Greg Lukianoff — How Free is Free Speech?

Debra Soh — The End of Gender: Debunking the Myths About Sex and Identity in Our Society

Gad Saad — The Parasitic Mind: How Infectious Ideas Are Killing Common Sense

Scott Barry Kaufman — Transcend: The New Science of Self-Actualization

Dave Rubin — Don’t Burn This Book: Thinking for Yourself in an Age of Unreason

Douglas Murray — The Madness of Crowds: Gender, Race, and Identity

Geoffrey Miller — Virtue Signaling: Essays on Darwinian Politics and Free Speech

Peter Boghossian — How to Have Impossible Conversations: A Very Practical Guide

Ben Shapiro — The Right Side of History: How Reason and Moral Purpose Made the West Great

Dr. Gad Saad — Doing Gad’s Work

Dr. Jonathan Haidt — The Coddling of the American Mind: How Good Intentions and Bad Ideas are Setting Up a Generation for Failure

Amy Alkon — Unf*ckology: A Field Guide to Living with Guts and Confidence

Dr. Jonathan Haidt — Coming Apart

Resources

Michael Shermer (michaelshermer.com)

Substack (https://substack.com/)

X/Twitter (x.com)

LinkedIn (linkedin.com)

Glenn Loury is an American economist and key figure in the intellectual dark web, a gateway to the far right.

Loury is connected to a number of anti-trans figures.

Podcast

Guests include:

References

Loury, Glenn (April 25, 2023). Does “T” Belong with “LGB”?-https://glennloury.substack.com/p/does-t-belong-with-lgb

Jennifer Finney Boylan is an American author, professor, and activist. Boylan has written several memoirs and novels and has frequently appeared in the media to discuss trans issues.

Notable work involving gender and media includes:

  • The memoir She’s Not There: A Life in Two Genders (2003)
  • Writing a New York Times opinion column (2007–2022)
  • The memoir Stuck in the Middle with You: A Memoir of Parenting in Three Genders (2013)
  • Serving on the GLAAD Board (2013)
  • Collaborating with transbians Parker Molloy and Christina Kahrl on pushing GLAAD to adopt their prescriptivist views on slang and slurs (2014)
  • Unsuccessfully lobbying behind the scenes to boycott/cancel RuPaul’s Drag Race (2014)
  • Mentoring and promoting writer Parker Molloy during and after abuse allegations against Molloy
  • Being a consultant for Jeffrey Tambor on the dramedy Transparent (2014) during and after abuse allegations against Tambor
  • Appearing as Caitlyn Jenner’s friend on I Am Cait (2015)
  • Giving the thumbs up to an anti-trans article by Lisa Selin Davis (2017)
  • Signing the Harper’s letter with J.K. Rowling and dozens of other anti-trans activists, later withdrawn (2020)

Background

Boylan was born June 22, 1958.

Boylan graduated from Wesleyan University in 1980, then completed graduate work at Johns Hopkins University. Boylan was a professor at Colby College from 1988 to 2014, then took an appointment at Barnard. Several of Boylan’s early books were published prior to beginning transition in 2000. Boylan wrote an opinion column for the New York Times from 2007 to 2022 among other writing.

In 1988 Boylan married Deirdre Finney Boylan (born 1960). They have two children, Sean (born 1996), and Zaira (born 1994) who is also trans.

Boylan served on the board of GLAAD and has held other roles at organizations benefiting sex and gender minorities. Boylan has appeared on Oprah and the Caitlyn Jenner reality show I Am Cait.

Anti-drag factionalism

Boylan was a key figure with Christina Kahrl in the 2014 transbian attacks led by Parker Molloy that were critical of drag artists and the offensive language some of them use. This strain of respectability politics reached a boiling point when the three of them combined their ongoing anti-drag and anti-slur crusades to extract an apology from RuPaul and RuPaul’s Drag Race for a transphobic segment that was ultimately pulled. They bragged about taking over GLAAD, an organization built by the entire community that had previously helped settle intra-community disputes out of the public eye. In a mutually beneficial piece of logrolling, Boylan told Molloy:

“This is, to coin a phrase, not your father’s GLAAD, and this is not the work that was being done a decade ago. One reason why I think we’ve been able to make a little progress is that GLAAD is now largely run by trans people. We occupy positions from staff to volunteers to the board of directors, including its national co-chair, which is me. These are our lives we are talking about; the people demeaned by incidents like this one are the men and women who work here. And other cis staff members have been working for trans rights for years and years now. I am proud of the board and staff for their passion.”

Even after being presented with extensive evidence of Parker Molloy’s abuse and slurs toward other trans people, Boylan remained one of Molloy’s staunchest supporters. In exchange, Molloy would write publicity pieces for Boylan and launder them through Advocate.com until being suspended and ultimately resigning.

2020 Harper’s Letter

Boylan was a signatory on the 2020 “A Letter on Justice and Open Debate” in Harper’s Magazine. That open letter was criticized for the high percentage of “gender critical” people in the media, most notably anti-trans extremist J.K. Rowling. Boylan had been in awe of Rowling to the point that in 2010 Boylan created a children’s fantasy series called Falcon Quinn that shared remarkable similarities with Rowling’s Harry Potter franchise.

Boylan asked to be taken off the Harper’s Letter, claiming ignorance of the other signatories, while trans economist Deirdre McCloskey remained a signatory.

Books

  • Remind Me to Murder You Later (1988)
  • The Planets (1991)
  • The Constellations: A Novel (1994)
  • Getting In (1998)
  • She’s Not There: A Life in Two Genders (2003)
  • I’m Looking Through You: Growing Up Haunted: A Memoir (2008)
  • Falcon Quinn and the Black Mirror (2010)
  • Falcon Quinn and the Crimson Vapor (2011)
  • Stuck in the Middle with You: A Memoir of Parenting in Three Genders (2013)
  • Foreword fo Trans Bodies, Trans Selves: A Resource for the Transgender Community (2014)
  • You Are You (2015)
  • Falcon Quinn and the Bullies of Greenblud (2016)
  • Long Black Veil (2017)
  • Good Boy: My Life in Seven Dogs (2020)
  • Mad Honey: A Novel (2022) [with Jodi Picoult]

References

Nolan, Emma (July 8, 2020). Trans Author Jennifer Finney Boylan Recants ‘Cancel Culture’ Letter Signed by J.K. Rowling. Newsweek https://www.newsweek.com/author-jennifer-finney-boylan-recants-cancel-cultureletter-jk-rowling-1516235

Crane, Emily (July 8, 2020). Trans writer Jennifer Finney Boylan distances herself from free speech letter she signed calling out cancel culture after realizing JK Rowling had also endorsed it – but is immediately called out by the Harry Potter author. Daily Mail https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8503571/Trans-writer-Jennifer-Finney-Boylan-distances-free-speech-letter.html

Molloy, Parker Marie (May 2, 2014). Trans Bodies, Trans Selves Aims to Educate the Trans Masses. Advocate.com https://www.advocate.com/politics/transgender/2014/05/02/trans-bodies-trans-selves-aims-educate-trans-masses

Molloy, Parker Marie (May 1, 2014). GLAAD Cochair Jennifer Finney Boylan Joins Barnard College. Advocate.com https://www.advocate.com/politics/transgender/2014/05/01/glaad-cochair-jennifer-finney-boylan-joins-barnard-college

James, Andrea (July 24, 2014). The GLAAD Board’s “Tranny” Trouble: How Its Trans Takeover Is Reshaping LGBT Politics. Queerty https://www.queerty.com/the-glaad-boards-tranny-trouble-how-its-trans-takeover-is-reshaping-lgbt-politics-20140724 [archive]

Molloy, Parker Marie (March 29, 2014). Logo, RuPaul’s Drag Race Respond to Antitrans Slurs. Advocate.com https://www.advocate.com/politics/transgender/2014/03/29/logo-rupauls-drag-race-respond-antitrans-slurs

Davis, Brendan (November 8, 2013). Meet GLAAD’s new board co-chairs! https://glaad.org/blog/meet-glaads-new-board-co-chairs [archive]

Resources

Jennifer Finney Boylan (jenniferboylan.net)

Wikipedia (en.wikipedia.org)

Harvard University, Hollis Archives (hollisarchives.lib.harvard.edu)

X/Twitter (x.com)

Bluesky (bsky.app)

J.K. Rowling is a British author and the most prominent anti-transgender activist in the world. Rowling has used wealth and influence to cause tremendous harm to the trans rights movement worldwide, and particularly in the United Kingdom.

Rowling’s primary anti-trans focuses are:

  • falsely claiming “there are no trans kids”
  • supporting sex segregation, especially in sports and prisoner accommodation
  • opposing legal recognition on the basis of gender identity and expression
  • opposing value-neutral and inclusive scientific language about human anatomy and body functions
  • supporting the “LGB erasure” conspiracy theory, particularly the conspiracy that gender-affirming care is “conversion therapy” on lesbian, gay, and bisexual minors
  • opposing those who note Rowling is transphobic or a TERF, often threatening legal action against those who do
  • opposing what Rowling calls the “new trans activism”

Background

Joanne “Jo” Rowling was born on July 31, 1965 in Yate, Gloucestershire, England. Rowling’s parents both served in the British Navy before marrying. Rowling has a younger sibling Dianne. Rowling earned a bachelor’s degree from Exeter in 1987.

Rowling came up with the idea for the Harry Potter series in 1990. After holding several unfulfilling jobs, Rowling moved to Portugal to teach English. There, Rowling met journalist Jorge Arantes, and they married in 1992. They had a child Jessica in 1993, but Rowling left because the relationship was abusive. They divorced in 1995. Rowling earned a teaching certificate in 1996 and began teaching.

The first Harry Potter book was published in 1997. Since publication of the final book in 2007, the series has amassed a huge fandom for the franchise, including movie series, plays, video games, amusement park tie-ins, and extensive merchandizing. Rowling is one of the most successful authors in the history of publishing.

In 2001 Rowling married physician Neil Murray and purchased Killiechassie House, a Scottish estate. They have two children: David (born 2003) and Mackenzie (born 2005).

Rowling subsequently wrote additional children’s books and adult novels, including some under the pen name Robert Galbraith.

Anti-transgender activism

After a series of increasingly anti-transgender statements starting in 2019 with a tweet in support of anti-trans activist Maya Forstater. In 2022 Rowling came out against the proposed Gender Recognition Reform (Scotland) Bill. As Rowling’s anti-trans views became more strident, Rowling began openly supporting anti-transgender extremists in the UK and beyond.

Harper’s letter (2020)

Rowling signed the Harper’s letter with many other leading lights of anti-transgender extremism, including Meghan Daum, Caitlin Flanagan, David Frum, Michelle Goldberg, Jonathan Haidt, Katie Herzog, Phoebe Maltz Bovy, Steven Pinker, Katha Pollitt, Kat Rosenfield, Jesse Singal, Bari Weiss, Matthew Yglesias, Emily Yoffe, and Cathy Young. Trans author Jennifer Finney Boylan also signed and later requested to be removed.

2020 open letter

A 2020 Sunday Times open letter supporting Rowling was signed by many key figures in anti-transgender activism, including Lionel Shriver, Graham LinehanStella O’Malley, Nina PaleyJulie BindelAbigail ShrierLisa MarchianoZubyDebbie HaytonJonny BestSam Leith, Malcolm Clark, and Jess de Wahls.

Beira’s Place (2022)

Rowling also created Beira’s Place, a privately funded trans-exclusionary help center for cisgender women who have experienced sexual assault or domestic violence. Rowling was enraged that other local resources offered help to trans people who had been sexually assaulted. Rowling was also enraged that the Edinburgh Rape Crisis Centre’s CEO Mridul Wadhwa is transgender. In a 2021 interview, Wadhwa said “this is about who has power and who doesn’t,” adding:

Sexual violence happens to bigoted people as well. And so, you know, it is not discerning crime. But these spaces are also for you. But if you bring unacceptable beliefs that are discriminatory in nature, we will begin to work with you on your journey of recovery from trauma. But please also expect to be challenged on your prejudices, because how can you heal from trauma and build a new relationship with your trauma, because you can’t forget, and you can’t go back to life before traumatic incident or traumatic incidents. And some of us never, ever had a life before traumatic incidents. But if you have to reframe your trauma, I think it is important as part of that reframing, having a more positive relationship with it, where it becomes a story that empowers you and allows you to go and do other more beautiful things with your life, you also have to rethink your relationship with prejudice. Otherwise, you can’t really, in my view, recover from trauma and I think that’s a very important message that I am often discussing with my colleagues that in various places.

Wadhwa (2021)

Anti-trans supporters

Rowling’s supporters are anti-trans activists from across the political spectrum and include Bari Weiss, Megan Phelps-Roper, Pamela Paul, Kathleen Stock, Maya Forstater, Alison Bailey, Helen Joyce, Graham Linehan, Lianne Timmerman, Angela Wild, Suzanne Moore, and Julie Bindel.

2024 comments on Nazi persecution of trans people (2024)

On March 13, 2024, X user jaytuberr posted in a thread on trans healthcare, “The Nazis burnt books on trans healthcare and research, why are you so desperate to uphold their ideology around gender?” Rowling then responded, “How did you type this out and press send without thinking ‘I should maybe check my source for this, because it might’ve been a fever dream’?” Many people interpreted Rowling’s post as denial of the 1933 Nazi looting and burning of Magnus Hirschfeld’s clinical books and research on trans people and sexual minorities. Rowling stated in part: “I’m familiar with such activists’ assertions that transgender people have been uniquely persecuted and oppressed throughout history, but claims that trans people were ‘the first targets’ of the Nazis – a claim I refuted on X, and which led to these accusations – and that I ‘uphold [Nazi] ideology around gender’ is a new low.”

Critics

Rowling’s critics include numerous LGBT rights organizations, authors, actors who have appeared in filmed versions of Rowling’s books, and the vast majority of the trans community.

Contrapoints (contrapoints.com)

Shaun (youtube.com/@Shaun_vids)

References

Reed, Erin (December 29, 2024). JK Rowling Falsely Claims “There Are No Trans Kids.” Erin in the Morning https://www.erininthemorning.com/p/jk-rowling-falsely-claims-there-are

Hayes, Britt (March 15, 2024). J.K. Rowling’s Transphobia Hits a New Low With Holocaust Denial. The Mary Sue https://www.themarysue.com/j-k-rowling-holocaust-denial-nazi-transphobic/

Rowling, J.K. (March 14, 2024). Statement from J.K. Rowling, 14th March 2024. https://www.jkrowling.com/opinions/statement-from-j-k-rowling-14th-march-2024/

Montgomerie, Katy (June 15, 2020). Addressing The Claims In JK Rowling’s Justification For Transphobia. Medium https://katymontgomerie.medium.com/addressing-the-claims-in-jk-rowlings-justification-for-transphobia-7b6f761e8f8f

Romano, Aja (March 3, 2023). Is J.K. Rowling transphobic? Let’s let her speak for herself. Vox https://www.vox.com/culture/23622610/jk-rowling-transphobic-statements-timeline-history-controversy

Gardner, Abby (February 7, 2023). A Complete Breakdown of the J.K. Rowling Transgender-Comments Controversy. Glamour https://www.glamour.com/story/a-complete-breakdown-of-the-jk-rowling-transgender-comments-controversy

Muir, Ellie (Feburary 20, 2023). A timeline of JK Rowling’s comments about women and transgender rights. The Independent https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/books/news/jk-rowling-trans-rights-controversy-timeline-b2285947.html

Chiu, Allyson (8 July 2020). Letter signed by J.K. Rowling, Noam Chomsky warning of stifled free speech draws mixed reviews. Washington Post. https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2020/07/08/letter-harpers-free-speech/ [archive

Milne, Amber; Savage, Rachel (11 June 2020). Explainer: J. K. Rowling and trans women in single-sex spaces: what’s the furore? Reuters https://www.reuters.com/article/us-britain-lgbt-rowling-explainer-trfn-idUSKBN23I3AI

Brooks, Libby (11 June 2020). Why is JK Rowling speaking out now on sex and gender debate? The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/books/2020/jun/11/why-is-jk-rowling-speaking-out-now-on-sex-and-gender-debate

KottasovĂĄ, Ivana; Andrew, Scottie (20 December 2019). J.K. Rowling’s ‘transphobia’ tweet row spotlights a fight between equality campaigners and radical feminists. CNN https://www.cnn.com/2019/12/20/uk/jk-rowling-transgender-explainer-intl-gbr/index.html

Staff report (11 June 2020). JK Rowling responds to trans tweets criticismBBC News / Reuters https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-53002557

Staff report (4 January 2021). Feminist writer Judith Butler has given her theory on why JK Rowling has deemed it necessary to speak out onPink News. https://www.pinknews.co.uk/2021/01/04/judith-butler-owen-jones-jk-rowling-british-feminism-transphobia/

Staff report (22 December 2020). BBC nominates J.K.Rowling’s controversial essay of trans rights for award. dw. https://www.dw.com/en/bbc-nominates-jk-rowlings-controversial-essay-on-trans-rights-for-award/a-56014673 [archive

Flood, Alison (9 October 2020). Stephen King, Margaret Atwood and Roxane Gay champion trans rights in open letter. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/books/2020/oct/09/stephen-king-margaret-atwood-roxane-gay-champion-trans-rights-open-letter-jk-rowling

Rowley, Glenn (11 June 2020). Artists fire back at J.K. Rowling’s anti-trans remarks, share messages in support of the communityBillboard. https://www.billboard.com/culture/pride/artists-fire-back-jk-rowling-anti-trans-remarks-9400386/

Siegel, Tatiana; Abramovitch, Seth (10 June 2020). Universal Parks responds to J.K. Rowling tweets: ‘Our core values include diversity, inclusion and respect.’ The Hollywood Reporter https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/lifestyle/lifestyle-news/universal-parks-responds-jk-rowling-tweets-core-values-include-diversity-inclusion-respect-1297845/

Skrebels, Joe (1 October 2020). WB Interactive president responds to ongoing debate over supporting JK Rowling. IGN https://www.ign.com/articles/wb-interactive-president-responds-to-ongoing-debate-over-supporting-jk-rowling

Rosenblatt, Kalhan (10 June 2020). J.K. Rowling doubles down in what some critics call a ‘transphobic manifesto.’ NBC News https://www.nbcnews.com/feature/nbc-out/j-k-rowling-doubles-down-what-some-critics-call-transphobic-n1229351

Petter, Olivia (17 September 2020). Mermaids writes open letter to JK Rowling following her recent comments on trans peopleThe Independent https://web.archive.org/web/20200615235531/https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/mermaids-jk-rowling-transphobia-transgender-sexual-abuse-domestic-letter-a9565176.html [archive]

Law, Katie (15 October 2020). JK Rowling and the bitter battle of the book world. Evening Standard https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/books/trans-battle-book-world-jk-rowling-a4571221.html

Hancock, Sam (27 April 2021). Maya Forstater: who is woman in employment tribunal over transgender comments?The Independent. https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/maya-forstater-transgender-twitter-jk-rowling-b1838151.html [archive]

Thorpe, Vanessa (14 June 2020). JK Rowling: from magic to the heart of a Twitter storm. The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/books/2020/jun/14/jk-rowling-from-magic-to-the-heart-of-a-twitter-storm [archive]

Yang, Maya (7 October 2021). ‘I’m team Terf’: Dave Chappelle under fire over pro-JK Rowling trans stance. The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2021/oct/07/dave-chappelle-transgender-netflix-special-backlash

Yasharoff, Hannah (30 December 2021). How the ‘Harry Potter’ reunion addresses author J.K. Rowling’s anti-trans controversy. USA Today https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/movies/2021/12/30/harry-potter-return-hogwarts-20th-reunion-emma-watson-jk-rowling-controversy/9042955002/

Shirbon, Estelle (10 June 2020). J.K. Rowling reveals past abuse and defends right to speak on trans issues. Reuters https://www.reuters.com/article/us-britain-rowling/j-k-rowling-reveals-past-abuse-and-defends-right-to-speak-on-trans-issues-idUSKBN23H2XI [archive]

(1 January 2021). ‘I don’t think JK Rowling is transphobic,’ says gender-fluid comedian Eddie Izzard”The Daily Telegraph.  https://www.telegraph.co.uk/comedy/what-to-see/dont-think-jk-rowling-transphobic-says-gender-fluid-comedian/ [archive]

(11 June 2020.). JK Rowling responds to trans tweets criticism. BBC News

Grant, Katie (22 March 2018). JK Rowling liked transphobic tweet in ‘middle-aged moment.’ i https://inews.co.uk/news/uk/jk-rowling-liked-transphobic-tweet-in-middle-aged-moment-137860

(19 December 2019.). Woman sacked over trans tweets loses tribunal. BBC News https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-50858919  Archived 

Sommer, Marni; Kamowa, Virginia; Mahon, Therese (28 May 2020). Opinion: Creating a more equal post-COVID-19 world for people who menstruateDevex https://www.devex.com/news/sponsored/opinion-creating-a-more-equal-post-covid-19-world-for-people-who-menstruate-97312 Archived 

Petter, Olivia (15 June 2020). JK Rowling criticised over ‘transphobic’ tweet about menstruation. The Independent https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/jk-rowling-tweet-women-menstruate-people-transphobia-twitter-a9552866.html Archived 

Moreau, Jordan (6 June 2020). J.K. Rowling Gets Backlash Over Anti-Trans Tweets. Variety https://variety.com/2020/film/news/jk-rowling-transphobic-tweets-controversy-1234627081/ Archived 

Avila, Pamela (6 June 2020). J.K. Rowling Faces Backlash Over Tweets Considered TransphobicE! OnlineArchived 

Harry Potter fan sites distance themselves from JK Rowling over transgender rights.” The Guardian. 3 July 2020. Archived 

Chilton, Louis (3 July 2020). Harry Potter fan sites distance themselves from JK Rowling over transgender commentsIndependentArchived 

Bui, Hoai-Tran (11 June 2020). The ‘Harry Potter’ Kids Are All Right: Emma Watson, Eddie Redmayne Condemn J.K. Rowling’s Trangender CommentsSlashFilm.comArchived

Haynes, Suyin (11 June 2020). Emma Watson, Eddie Redmayne and Other ‘Harry Potter’ Actors Voice Support for Transgender PeopleTime.

Lewis, Isobel (12 June 2020). Rupert Grint speaks out after JK Rowling’s comments about trans peopleThe Independent.

Radcliffe, Daniel (8 June 2020). Daniel Radcliffe Responds to J.K. Rowling’s Tweets on Gender Identity. The Trevor Project. Archived 

Malvern, Jack (13 June 2020). JK Rowling: flood of tweets reverses Noma Dumezweni’s praise of authorThe TimesArchived 

Hibberd, James (17 March 2021). Ralph Fiennes defends J.K. rowling amid trans controversy, says backlash is ‘disturbing’The Hollywood Reporter.

Shirbon, Estelle (10 June 2020). J.K. Rowling reveals past abuse and defends right to speak on trans issuesReuters.comArchived 

D’Alessandro, Anthony (10 June 2020). J.K. Rowling Defends Trans Statements In Lengthy Essay, Reveals She’s A Sexual Assault Survivor & Says “Trans People Need And Deserve Protection”Deadline.

Explainer: J. K. Rowling and trans women in single-sex spaces: what’s the furore?”Reuters. 11 June 2020

J K Rowling, predatory men and the nuance we’re all missing outThe Independent. 11 June 2020

The battle for Stonewall: the LGBT charity and the UK’s gender wars”New Statesman. 3 November 2021

An open letter to J.K. Rowling. Mermaids. 12 June 2020. Archived 

Moore, Matt (13 June 2020). Mermaids writes open letter to JK Rowling following her anti-trans tweetsGay TimesArchived 

Calvario, Liz (10 June 2020). GLAAD President Says J.K. Rowling’s Words Create Dangerous Environment for Transgender CommunityET OnlineArchived

Ferber, Alona (22 September 2020). Judith Butler on the culture wars, JK Rowling and living in “anti-intellectual times”New StatesmanArchived 

Siegel, Tatiana; Abramovitch, Seth (10 June 2020). Universal Parks responds to J.K. Rowling tweets: ‘Our core values include diversity, inclusion and respect’The Hollywood Reporter.

Chris Murphy (10 June 2020). Warner Bros. Finally Responds To J.K. Rowling’s Shocking Commitment to Being TransphobicVulture.

Ntim, Zac. Hagrid actor Robbie Coltrane says people accusing JK Rowling of transphobia ‘hang around waiting to be offended’InsiderArchived 

Succession star Brian Cox jumps to JK Rowling’s defence while lambasting inclusive language around menstruation. 24 September 2020. Archived 

Thorpe, Vanessa (14 June 2020). JK Rowling: from magic to the heart of a Twitter stormThe ObserverArchived from the original on 4 July 2020. Retrieved 6 July 2020. Arrayed on Rowling’s side are some of the veteran voices of feminism, including the radical Julie Bindel, who spoke out in support this weekend: “Her political position is nothing to do with transgender issues. She has always been a feminist and she has inspired generations of young women and men to look into issues of sex-based discrimination,” she told the Observer.

Hirsi Ali, Ayaan (25 June 2020). J.K. Rowling’s lonely fight for women’s rightsThe Washington Examiner. Archived 

The winners:2020 Russell prize for best writing. BBC News. 21 December 2020. Archived 

Fitzsimons, Tim (19 June 2020). GOP senator quotes J.K. Rowling while blocking vote on LGBTQ billNBC NewsArchived 

Waterson, Jim (22 June 2020). Authors quit JK Rowling agency over transgender rightsThe GuardianArchived 

Waterson, Jim (23 July 2020). Children’s news website apologises to JK Rowling over trans tweet rowThe GuardianArchived 

Flood, Alison (28 August 2020). JK Rowling returns human rights award to group that denounces her trans view”The GuardianArchived 

A Statement from Kerry KennedyRobert F. Kennedy Human Rights website. 3 August 2020. Archived 

Statement from J.K. Rowling regarding the Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Ripple of Hope AwardArchived 

JK Rowling’s latest book is about a murderous cis man who dresses as a woman to kill his victimsPinkNews. 14 September 2020. Archived 

Review: Yep, J.K. Rowling’s new thriller has transphobic elements. It’s also a crashing boreLos Angeles Times. 22 September 2020. Archived 

Kolirin, Lianne (15 September 2020). JK Rowling’s new book sparks fresh transgender rights row. CNN. Archived 

Flood, Alison (15 September 2020). JK Rowling’s Troubled Blood: don’t judge a book by a single reviewThe GuardianArchived 

Hellen, Nicholas (27 September 2020). Literati rally to JK Rowling’s defence in row over Cormoran Strike bookThe Sunday TimesArchived 

Letters to the Editor. The Sunday Times. 27 September 2020. Archived

Eddie Redmayne condemns ‘vitriol’ aimed at JK Rowling after her trans rights commentsThe Guardian. 29 September 2020. Archived 

Cordero, Rosy. Eddie Izzard defends J.K. Rowling, says she doesn’t believe author is transphobicEW

‘I don’t think JK Rowling is transphobic,’ says gender-fluid comedian Eddie IzzardThe Telegraph. 1 January 2021.

Tony Blair: Without total change Labour will die. New Statesman. 11 May 2021.

‘I’m team Terf’: Dave Chappelle under fire over pro-JK Rowling trans stanceThe Guardian. 7 October 2021.

US quidditch leagues to change name in effort to break from JK Rowlingthe Guardian. 20 December 2021.

MichĂšle, JosĂ©phine (1 January 2022). Why Harry Potter’s Reunion Mostly Ignores JK RowlingScreenRant

Return to Hogwarts: Critics bemoan Rowling’s absence in Harry Potter reunion. BBC News. 29 December 2021

Romano, Nick (30 December 2021). Why J.K. Rowling didn’t join the Harry Potter reunion for the Return to Hogwarts specialEntertainment Weekly

Russell, Rachel (12 March 2022). JK Rowling accuses Keir Starmer of ‘misrepresenting equalities law’ on trans women. Sky News

Chilton, Louis (25 April 2022). JK Rowling accused by Lesbian Visibility Week founder of ‘stirring hate within our community’The Independent

Bollinger, Alex (25 April 2022). JK Rowling now thinks she can say who’s a lesbian & who’s notLGBTQ Nation

Wakefield, Lily (26 April 2022). JK Rowling blasted as ‘perfect example of how not to be an ally’ by Lesbian Visibility Week founderPinkNews

Beal, James (19 May 2022). Nadhim Zahawi backs schoolgirl forced out after trans rowThe Times.

JK Rowling backs protest over Scottish gender billBBC News. 6 October 2022. Retrieved 28 December 2022. Author JK Rowling has supported a protest rally by wearing a T-shirt calling Scotland’s first minister a “destroyer of women’s rights”.

JK Rowling launches support centre for female victims of sexual violenceThe Guardian. 12 December 2022.

Alex Bollinger (19 December 2022). JK Rowling gleefully tweets anti-trans “holiday” message to fanLGBTQ Nation.

John Russel (13 December 2022). JK Rowling opened a rape crisis center that excludes trans womenLGBTQ Nation.

Ring, Trudy (19 December 2022). J.K. Rowling Lambasted for ‘Merry Terfmas’ TweetThe Advocate.

Duggan, Jennifer (28 March 2021). Transformative readings: Harry Potter fan fiction, trans/queer reader response, and J. K. Rowling. (PDF). Children’s Literature in Education53 (2): 147–168. doi:10.1007/s10583-021-09446-9.

Pape, Madeleine (2022). Feminism, trans justice, and speech rights: a comparative perspectiveLaw and Contemporary Problems85 (1): 215–240.

Pedersen, Sarah (2022). ‘They’ve got an absolute army of women behind them’: the formation of a women’s cooperative constellation in contemporary ScotlandScottish Affairs31 (1): 1–20. doi:10.3366/scot.2022.0394

Schwirblat, Tatiana; Freberg, Karen; Freberg, Laura (2022). Chapter 21: Cancel culture: a career vulture amongst influencers on social media. In Lipschultz, Jeremy Harris; Freberg, Karen; Luttrell, Regina (eds.). The Emerald Handbook of Computer-Mediated Communication and Social Media. Emerald Publishing Limited. doi:10.1108/978-1-80071-597-420221021

Steinfeld, Jemimah (2020). Not my turf: Helen Lewis argues that vitriol around the trans debate means only extreme voices are being heardIndex on Censorship49 (1): 34–35. doi:10.1177/0306422020917609

Suissa, Judith; Sullivan, Alice (February 2021). The gender wars, academic freedom and educationJournal of Philosophy of Education55 (1): 55–82. doi:10.1111/1467-9752.12549S2CID 233646159.

Wagner, Wolfgang; Hayes, Nicky (2022). Repressive moralism: world making and petty fascism in transgender politics. (PDF). Integrative Psychological and Behavioral Science. Springer Publishing. 56 (3): 573–589. doi:10.1007/s12124-021-09670-4

Resources by Rowling

J.K. Rowling (jkrowling.com)

Twitter (twitter.com)

Facebook (facebook.com)

Resources about Rowling

Wikipedia (en.wikipedia.org)

Britannica (britannica.com)

IMDb (imdb.com)

 

Jennifer Lahl is an American nursing executive and anti-transgender activist. Lahl is is founder and president of The Center for Bioethics and Culture Network, an organization that opposes reproductive freedom and bodily autonomy.

In addition to opposing trans healthcare, Lahl opposes stem cell research, assisted suicide, egg and sperm donation, and surrogacy. Lahl calls these practices “egg and womb trafficking.”

Background

Jennifer D. Chenoweth was born on May 9, 1958, then earned a bachelor’s degree from California State University, Fullerton and a master’s degree from Trinity International University in 2000.

Lahl married marketing executive and church planter Daniel E. “Dan” Lahl (born October 7, 1956). Both attended Trinity International University. They have three children, Allison, Julia, and Katherine.

Jennifer Lahl has worked as a pediatric critical care nurse and administrator. Lahl’s California licenses were as a registered nurse (1982–2021) and public health nurse (1985–2019).

Lahl’s film projects have included:

  • Lines That Divide: The Great Stem Cell Debate (2009)
  • Eggsploitation (2010)
  • Anonymous Father’s Day (2011)
  • Breeders: A Subclass of Women? (2014)
  • Maggie’s Story (2015)
  • Compassion and Choice: Denied (2016)
  • #BigFertility: It’s All about the Money (2018)

Anti-transgender activism

Lahl produced the 2021 film Trans Mission: What’s the Rush to Reassign Gender? It is critical of gender affirming care for youth.

In 2022 Lahl produced a documentary on the ex-transgender movement The Detransition Diaries: Saving Our Sisters.

Resources

Center for Bioethics and Culture Network (cbc-network.org)

Twitter (twitter.com)

Facebook (facebook.com)

Instagram (instagram.com)

IMDb (imdb.com)

anonymousfathersday.com

eggsploitation.com

Every Woman First, Inc. handsoffourovaries.com

Trisha Posner is an American writer and anti-transgender activist who also publishes under the name Patricia Posner.

Anti-transgender activism is a family business; spouse Gerald Posner is also involved in the anti-transgender movement.

Background

Patricia Denise Levene was born in London on March 10, 1951 and grew up in Islington, doing some dance training at the Aida Foster Theatre School before dropping out of Arts and Media School Islington.

After coming to New York City in 1978 and working as an artist, hotel manager, and employee at the Swedish recording label SWS, Trisha Poser married Gerald Posner after they met on a blind date. They soon began collaborating on books. Posner’s website states:

I conduct every interview with him, sift through thousands of pages of original documents in government and private archives, and work on early drafts of manuscripts.

In a profile for Florida International University’s Artspeak, Posner reiterated this work as a researcher to the authors: “On those projects, she conducted every interview with him, sifted through thousands of pages of original documents in government and private archives, and worked on the early drafts of manuscripts.”

In the late 1990s Posner started a monthly column about developments in women’s health.

  • This is Not Your Mother’s Menopause: One Qoman’s Natural Journey through Change (2000)
  • No Hormones, No Fear: A Natural Journey Through Menopause (2007)
  • The Pharmacist of Auschwitz: The Untold Story (2017)

In 2010, Gerald Posner was revealed to be a serial plagiarist, which was attributed to “a flawed research methodology.”

The Posners own Area 51 Consulting LLC. They are also officers of the non-profit Antisemitism Watch, Inc., a Florida Domestic Non-Profit Corporation filed on November 22, 2022. Miami DJ Oren Nizri is also an officer.

Anti-transgender activism

Posner was offended during cancer treatment when when a healthcare provider described the condition as chest cancer. Even though Posner is well-versed in the historic dangers of attacking a persecuted minority, Posner jumped into anti-transgender activism with zeal, offering up a version of the “great replacement” conspiracy theory that cisngender women are being “erased” by transgender people.

Posner claimed that friends were also afraid of expressing outrage about inclusive medical terms that encompass all people with the same disease:

you’re called a Republican for whatever reason that is, or [you’re called] transphobic. Then, of course, you had JK Rowling, who really stood up to everybody, and they canceled her. But then for me, there wasn’t much to cancel. So then I looked at the UK Health Project, and they had a woman with a man sitting next to her – pregnant man – it just seemed all a bit bonkers to me.

When the Posners publicly teamed up for their anti-trans crusade in 2023, they revealed their affinity with an array of other anti-trans activists, including J.K. Rowling, Jordan Peterson, Ben Shapiro, Abigail Shrier, Christopher Rufo, Heterodorx, Julia Mason, Genspect, Sharron Davies, Charles Gasparino, Wesley Yang, Rich Zeoli, Lorelei/hatpinwoman, Tom Fitton, Mike Opelka, Rick Ferri, Lisa Selin Davis, Michael Shermer, and the global ringleader Stella O’Malley.

References

Posner, Patricia (May 9, 2022). When did “woman” become a dirty word? Wall Street Journal https://www.wsj.com/articles/woman-become-dirty-word-transgender-gender-fluid-nonbinary-lgbtqia-sogie-supreme-court-leak-dobbs-roe-wade-birthing-person-medicine-11652124897

Helppie, Richard (June 7, 2022). Woman Erased: How Degendering is Eliminating the Biological Woman: An interview with Trisha Posner:. The Common Bridge https://thecommonbridge.substack.com/p/woman-erased-how-degendering-is-eliminating

Resources

Trisha Posner (trishaposner.com)

Wikipedia (en.wikipedia.org)

LinkedIn (linkedin.com)

Antisemitism Watch (antisemitismwatch.org)

  • EIN 88-4312270

Instagram (instagram.com)

Twitter (twitter.com)

Gerald Posner is an American writer, plagiarist, and anti-transgender activist.

Anti-transgender activism is a family business; Posner’s spouse Patricia Denise Levene “Trisha” Posner (born March 10, 1951) is also involved in the anti-transgender movement.

Background and plagiarism

Gerald Leo Posner was born May 20, 1954 in San Francisco. Posner’s parent Jerry was raised Jewish and was a shipping executive. Posner’s parent Gloria L. Posner was Catholic, and Posner was raised Catholic.

Posner attended St. Ignatius College Preparatory and earned a bachelor’s degree from University of California, Berkeley in 1975. Posner earned a law degree from the University of California, Hastings College of the Law in 1978. Posner practiced law until 1986.

Posner’s books include:

  • Mengele: The Complete Story (1986)
  • Warlords of Crime: Chinese Secret Societies: The New Mafia (1988)
  • Hitler’s Children: Sons and Daughters of Leaders of the Third Reich Talk About Their Fathers and Themselves (1991)
  • Case Closed: Lee Harvey Oswald and the Assassination of JFK (1993)
  • Killing the Dream: James Earl Ray and the Assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr. (1998)
  • Motown: Music, Money, Sex and Power (2003)
  • Why America Slept: The Failure to Prevent 9/11 (2003)
  • Secrets of the Kingdom: The Inside Story of the Secret Saudi-U.S. Connection (2005)
  • Miami Babylon: Crime, Wealth, and Power–A Dispatch from the Beach (2009)
  • God’s Bankers: A History of Money and Power at the Vatican (2015)
  • Pharma: Greed, Lies, and the Poisoning of America (2020)

Posner was Chief Investigative Reporter for The Daily Beast, until resigning over serial plagiarism charges in 2010. Posner’s excuse at the time was:

in the quick turnaround I then obviously lost sight of the fact that it belonged to a published source instead of being something I wrote.

Posner (2010)

It later emerged that The Daily Beast was the tip of the iceberg. Posner’s books also had extensive instances of plagiarism, most notably Miami Babylon. Author Frank Owen demonstrated in court filings that Posner plagiarized liberally from Owen’s 2003 book Clubland. Via the Miami Herald, a publication that was also one of Posner’s many plagiarism victims:

Earlier this week, Posner, who holds a law degree, told The Associated Press that a flawed research methodology caused him to put passages from Clubland in Miami Babylon without proper credit. Last month, Posner quit as chief investigative reporter of The Daily Beast after a Slate.com writer noted several instances in which Posner used material from Miami Herald articles.

Rothaus (2010)

In 2013, Posner was named in a complex federal lawsuit brought by Harper Lee, author of To Kill A Mockingbird, against Posner’s book agent Samuel Pinkus. Via Vanity Fair:

Filed in New York District Court, the suit names Pinkus, his wife, former TV-news writer Leigh Ann Winick, and Gerald Posner, a Miami-based attorney and investigative journalist with a questionable reputation, as defendants.  […]

When Posner filed the incorporation papers of Philologus Procurator, Inc., [PPI] in 2011, he was digging out from a journalism scandal. In February of the previous year, he had resigned as chief investigative reporter of the Daily Beast Web site following allegations of serial plagiarism. Later that same year, he was sued for copyright infringement by the Miami writer Frank Owen, who charged Posner with such pervasive plagiarism in his book Miami Babylon from Owen’s book about Miami, Clubland, that, as Owen said in his lawsuit at the time, Posner should be “eligible for the Guinness Book of World Records for copyright infringement.” (The lawsuit was settled out of court.)

By the end of 2012 it seemed Posner wanted out. He filed an amendment stating that he was no longer associated with PPI: “As of December 31, 2012, Sam Pinkus is the full and only owner of all shares of this corporation.”

Seal (2013)

Posner was later dismissed with prejudice from Lee’s suit, and the case was ultimately settled.

Posner and spouse are officers of the non-profit Antisemitism Watch, Inc, a Florida Domestic Non-Profit Corporation filed on November 22, 2022. Miami DJ Oren Nizri is also an officer.

Anti-trans activism

In 2023, Posner joined his wife in attacking healthcare for transgender children and adolescents. In a Wall Street Journal opinion piece about “transgenderism,” he criticized the legal off-label use of puberty blockers to halt unwanted puberty.

As an example of how Posner spins things, he mentions that puberty blockers are FDA approved to delay puberty, but he claims it is only for “a rare childhood disease caused by a genetic mutation.” He deliberately avoids saying “precocious puberty” because it undermines his entire thesis.

Delaying puberty, including in trans children and adolescents, is usually done to appease parents in addition to helping young people experiencing unwanted puberty. Most gender diverse youth (at least 19 in 20 in one study) continue transition, and many would prefer to go directly to hormones without delay. Posner concludes:

Ignoring the long-term dangers posed by unrestricted off-label dispensing of powerful puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones, combined with the large overdiagnosis of minors as gender dysphoric, borders on child abuse.

Posner (2023)

If a minor wants to halt unwanted puberty for whatever reason, and their family and healthcare provider agree after weighing the potential risks and benefits, that option should be available to all Americans.

Posner and spouse revealed their affinity with an array of other anti-trans activists, including J.K. Rowling, Jordan Peterson, Ben Shapiro, Abigail Shrier, Christopher Rufo, Heterodorx, Julia Mason, Genspect, Sharron Davies, Charles Gasparino, Wesley Yang, Rich Zeoli, Lorelei/hatpinwoman, Tom Fitton, Mike Opelka, Rick Ferri, Lisa Selin Davis, Michael Shermer, and the global ringleader Stella O’Malley.

References

Nolan, Hamilton (March 30, 2010). Gerald Posner May Set World Plagiarism Record. Gawker https://www.gawker.com/5505620/gerald-posner-may-set-world-plagiarism-record

Nolan, Hamilton (September 7, 2010). Superplagiarist Gerald Posner Sued by Plagiarism Victim. Gawker https://www.gawker.com/5631819/superplagiarist-gerald-posner-sued-by-plagiarism-victim

Shafer, Jack (February 5, 2010). Plagiarism at the Daily Beast. Slate https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2010/02/plagiarism-at-the-daily-beast-gerald-posner-concedes-lifting-from-the-miami-herald.html

Shafer, Jack (February 8, 2010). More Posner Plagiarism. Slate https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2010/02/case-reopened-reviewing-new-examples-of-plagiarism-by-the-daily-beast-s-gerald-posner.html

Shafer, Jack (February 11, 2010). The Posner Plagiarism Perplex. Slate https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2010/02/making-sense-of-the-blog-statement-by-former-daily-beast-reporter-gerald-posner.html

Rothaus, Steve (Mar 20, 2010 ). Authors confront each other amid book scandal. Miami Herald https://www.miamiherald.com/living/article1935676.html [archive]

Staff report (February 28, 2010). Gloria Posner. San Francisco Chronicle https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/sfgate/name/gloria-posner-obituary?id=21926876

Elfrink, Tim (May 10, 2020). Posner Plagiarizes Again. Miami New Times https://www.miaminewtimes.com/2010-05-20/news/posner-plagiarizes-again/ [archive]

Seal, Mark (August 2013). To Steal* a Mockingbird*? Vanity Fair https://www.vanityfair.com/culture/2013/08/harper-lee-dispute-royalties

United States District Court for the Southern District of New York (2013). Lee v. Pinkus et al. (1:2013-cv-03000) https://dockets.justia.com/docket/new-york/nysdce/1:2013cv03000/411469 https://www.sdnyblog.com/files/2013/07/13-Civ.-3000-2013.05.03-Complaint.pdf

Brush, Pete (September 6, 2013). Harper Lee Settles With Agent Over ‘Mockingbird’ Copyright. Law360 https://www.law360.com/articles/470604/harper-lee-settles-with-agent-over-mockingbird-copyright

Posner, Gerald (June 7, 2023). Opinion: The Truth About ‘Puberty Blockers.’ Wall Street Journal https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-truth-about-puberty-blockers-overdiagnosis-gender-dysphoria-children-933cd8fb

Resources

Gerald Posner (posner.com)

Blogspot (blogspot.com)

Wikipedia (en.wikipedia.org)

LinkedIn (linkedin.com)

Substack (substack.com)

Twitter (twitter.com)

Facebook (facebook.com)

Muck Rack (muckrack.com)

Antisemitism Watch (antisemitismwatch.org)

  • EIN 88-4312270

Daily Beast (thedailybeast.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)