No Way Back: The Reality of Gender-Affirming Care is anti-transgender propaganda focusing on the ex-transgender movement. It is directed by Laura VanZee-Taylor and produced by Penka Kouneva. The 2023 project is controversial for including convicted sex offender David Arthur Kendall as one of the original ex-trans activists featured.
Background
The project was originally titled Affirmation Generation: The Lies of Transgender Medicine.
It is produced by Panacol Productions dba PKS, Inc. [Penka Kouneva Studios] and is released by Deplorable Films. Prior to No Way Back, Deplorable has distributed three propaganda pieces criticizing progressive racial policy and one criticizing progressive firearm policy.
Synopsis
Via their promotional materials:
Detransitioners Michelle, Laura, Cat, David, Joel and Abel tell the stories of their gender distress, transgender medicalization, and subsequent detransition. Without diagnostic clarity or mental health evaluations, their doctors quickly affirmed them as “transgender,” and mindlessly ushered them along the path of medical transition. (The “gender-affirming care” is the only treatment recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics.) These young people were harmed irrevocably by the doctors they trusted. AFFIRMATION GENERATION demonstrates how the “one-size-fits-all” medicalization – the “gender-affirming care” – has failed these patients.
The stories of the detransitioners are examined by twelve leading experts with decades of clinical practice treating gender-distressed patients: psychotherapists Lisa Marchiano, Sasha Ayad, Stella O’Malley, physician-scientist Lisa Littman, endocrinologist Dr. William Malone, MD; Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist Stephanie Winn, sociologist Dr. Michael Biggs, pediatrician Dr. Julia Mason, NYT best-selling writer Lisa Selin Davis, and LGB activist & lifelong Liberal Democrat Joey Brite, among others. The 90-minute documentary cites 45 peer-reviewed medical and journalist articles.
People
They describe themselves as “life-long West Coast liberal Democrats in the entertainment industry. To take credit for this passion project would, at the very least, risk our careers.”
They collaborated with anti-trans group LGB United to make it available after it was deplatformed by Vimeo in 2022.
Organizations
- Panacol Productions
- Deplorable Films
- LGB United
Filmmakers
- “L.E. Dawes” (aka Laura VanZee-Taylor) – director, editor, director of cinematography
- “Vera P. Lindner” (aka Penka Kouneva) – producer
- “Dimitri Kanche” – producer
- “Joey Brite” – executive producer and subject
- Stephanie Winn – associate producer and subject
- Sarah Vaci – original art
- Laura Becker – original song
- “Seth Fadel” – assistant editor
- “Larry Hennessy” – original score
Ex-transgender activists:
- “Michelle Alleva”
- “David Arthur” (removed after sex offender status revealed)
- Laura Becker
- “Joey Brite”
- “Cat Cattinson”
- Abel Garcia
Note: Joel Koss appears in the film but has denounced it.
“Parental rights” activists
- Sasha Ayad
- Michael Biggs
- Jennifer Bilek
- Lisa Selin Davis
- Chris Elston
- Lisa Littman
- Lisa Marchiano
- William Malone
- Julia Mason
- Stella O’Malley
- Stephanie Winn
- “Mariana Karra” (France)
AMC screenings and cancellation
AMC promoted one-day-only screenings of No Way Back on June 21. Cielo Sunsarae of the Queer Trans Project led a successful campaign to get the screenings canceled.
References
Factora, James (June 15, 2023). AMC Theatres Is Hosting an Anti-Trans Documentary During Pride Month. them. https://www.them.us/story/amc-theatres-no-way-back-documentary
Osborne, Duncan (June 17, 2023). Anti-trans film nixed after facing backlash. Gay City News https://gaycitynews.com/anti-trans-film-nixed-no-way-back/
Prestigiacomo, Amanda (June 18, 2023). AMC Theatres Cancels De-Transitioner Film Following Trans Group’s De-Platforming Campaign. Daily Wire https://www.dailywire.com/news/amc-theatres-cancels-de-transitioner-film-following-trans-groups-de-platforming-campaign
Emmons, Libby (June 17, 2023). EXCLUSIVE: Producers of ‘No Way Back: The Reality of Gender-Affirming Care’ speak out after AMC Theaters cancels film screenings. Post Millennial https://thepostmillennial.com/exclusive-producers-of-no-way-back-the-reality-of-gender-affirming-care-speak-out-after-amc-theaters-cancels-film-screenings
Stone, Sasha (June 18, 2023). AMC Pressured to Pull a Film Labeled “Anti-Trans.” Awards Daily https://www.awardsdaily.com/2023/06/18/amc-pressured-to-pull-a-film-labeled-anti-trans/
Dawes, L.E. (February 17, 2023). Opinion | Filmmaker: I believed in gender affirming care. Then I saw what happened to my son. Dallas Morning News https://www.dallasnews.com/opinion/commentary/2023/02/18/i-made-a-film-about-transgender-kids-that-doesnt-align-with-my-politics/
New York International Film Awards (2023). Finalists January 2023: Affirmation Generation, Director L. E. Dawes https://newyorkinternationalfilmawards.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/02/FINALISTS-NYIFA-January-2023.pdf
Buttons, Christina (February 22, 2023). Vimeo Deplatforms Another Documentary Critical Of ‘Gender-Affirming Care.’ Daily Wire https://www.dailywire.com/news/vimeo-deplatforms-another-documentary-critical-of-gender-affirming-care
Osborne, Matt (February 20, 2023). Affirmation Generation: The Lies Of Transgender Medicine. The Distance https://www.thedistancemag.com/p/affirmation-generation-the-lies-of
-https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5s1pg7UByoU
-https://twitter.com/2022affirmation/status/1646924000126439424
-https://twitter.com/GrownTomboy/status/1634249769135792128
-https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KkzBEM5RLis
https://jdiff2023.eventive.org/films/642365131dc3780039a95c6a
Resources
No Way Back (nowaybackfilm.com)
Affirmation Generation [original site] (affirmationgenerationmovie.com)
Deplorable Films (deplorablefilms.com)
Twitter (twitter.com)
Vimeo (vimeo.com)