Informed Dissent

This week: Trojan horses, teal handguns, and a stand-your-ground laws in Wyoming. Jamie Reed, Cori Cohn, and Lauren Leggieri are back together again, with two stories that have absolutely nothing to do with each other, except that both involve someone pretending to be someone they are not. First up: Christopher Nolan finally releases his $250 million, IMAX-shot, five-years-in-the-making Odyssey — and somewhere between Zendaya as Athena and Travis Scott as a bard, Ellen Page shows up as Sinon, a character who isn’t even in the actual Odyssey.Then: a story out of Laramie, Wyoming, that the Times seems almost uncomfortable having written, and photographing. A trans identified man named Rihanna Kelver packs a teal handgun for road trips, gets into with three men, draws a gun — and ends up facing 15 years. In one of the most gun-friendly states in the country. We break down what actually happened, what the law says, and what the coverage gets right and wrong.Like, subscribe, and share this episode — and check out our merch! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit informeddissentpodcast.substack.com/subscribe

This week, Jamie sits down with Cynthia Dill — a Maine civil rights attorney, former Democratic state legislator, and 2012 U.S. Senate candidate — to talk about the case that’s put her at odds with her own party.Dill represented the House and Senate districts covering Cape Elizabeth, South Portland, and part of Scarborough during six years in the Maine Legislature. She ran statewide against Angus King and Charlie Summers in 2012, then moved into media: political columns, commentary on Maine Public, and eventually her own podcast and outlet, Cyndicate Media.Now she’s litigating Mountain v. Liberty — a lawsuit filed on behalf of female inmates at the Maine Correctional Center in Windham against MDOC Commissioner Randall Liberty and Warden Ben Beal, alleging retaliation against women who objected to being housed with male inmates. The case has drawn Department of Justice attention and put Dill, a lifelong Democrat, in the position of arguing against her own party’s corrections leadership.Jamie talks with Dill about the case itself, what it’s cost her politically, whether she still calls herself a Democrat, and what conversations with sitting legislators in Augusta actually sound like behind closed doors.You can find Cynthia on X. You can support our show and find our merch here! As Always…Stay Informed and Ready to Dissent. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit informeddissentpodcast.substack.com/subscribe

Informed Dissent — Show Notes, Week of August 1, 2026In this episode: LeAnne and Cori hold down the fort while Jamie and Lauren are on vacation, covering the Sophie Cunningham/WNBA firestorm, cracks in Democratic Party unity across two swing-state races, and new data on pediatric gender diagnoses in Oregon.Sophie Cunningham & the WNBA rallies* Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham (a Missouri native — Rock Bridge High School, University of Missouri, most decorated player in program history) sparked national controversy with ESPN comments about protecting girls in locker rooms and sport from biological males.* Seattle incident: Two teenage fans holding pro-Cunningham signs at the Fever-Storm game were allegedly confronted by Storm co-owner Celeste Keaton. The WNBA suspended Keaton for five home games and issued an undisclosed fine.* Portland rally (Fri, July 31): Kara Dansky and many others to rally outside the Fever-Fire game.* Minneapolis rally (Sun, Aug 2): Jennifer Sey, founder of XX-XY Athletics, will rally outside Target Center ahead of the Fever-Lynx game.* Full remaining Indiana Fever schedule linked here. Coming up* Next week: the Mountain v. Liberty case on housing biological males in Maine women’s prisons, with attorney Cynthia Dill.* Starting in August: our full series on libraries.Find our merch here. Informed Dissent is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support our work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit informeddissentpodcast.substack.com/subscribe

James Esses — psychotherapist, former criminal barrister, founder of Just Therapy, co-founder of Thoughtful Therapists, founder/coordinator of the Declaration for Biological Reality, Honorary Fellow at the Centre for Heterodox Social Science, University of Buckingham.Jamie, Lauren, and Cori are joined by James Esses ahead of the July 26th High Court judicial review of the PATHWAYS puberty blocker trial. James — alongside Keira Bell and the Bayswater Support Group — is a claimant in the case challenging the Health Research Authority and MHRA’s decision to approve the trial. This conversation covers the trial’s history, the regulatory reversal that let it proceed, and what’s legally at stake this weekend for the children already enrolled.PATHWAYS Trial:- 2024:UK bans puberty blockers for pediatric gender dysphoria outside of clinical research, following the Cass Review.- PATHWAYS approved as the sanctioned research exception — a King’s College London / South London and Maudsley NHS Trust study of GnRH analogues in patients under 16, commissioned by NHS England and the National Institute for Health and Care Research.- February 11, 2026: MHRA writes to trial sponsors raising safety concerns.- February 23, 2026: Health Secretary Wes Streeting confirms to Parliament that the trial has been paused.- Early 2026: Bell, Bayswater Support Group, and Esses file for judicial review against the HRA and MHRA, arguing the regulators failed to properly weigh foreseeable risk to cognition, bone density, and fertility against anticipated benefit.- June 2026: MHRA approves a modified protocol — minimum age requirement, updated patient information — clearing PATHWAYS to proceed, subject to the outcome of the judicial review.- Recruitment date: Originally set for August 1, 2026, pending the court’s decision.- July 26, 2026: High Court hears the judicial review.Further Reading:- Sex Matters coverage of the trial pause and judicial review- Transgender Trend on the modified protocol- The Free Press on the trial’s approval to enroll 11-year-olds- James Esses’s Substack and Just Therapy directory This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit informeddissentpodcast.substack.com/subscribe

This week on Informed Dissent, Jamie Reed sits down with Maya Forstater to talk conversion therapy law, the puberty blocker trial, and Amnesty International.About Maya Forstater Maya Forstater is Chief Executive Officer and co-founder of Sex Matters. She became a public figure after losing her job at the Center for Global Development over her tweets on sex and gender — the resulting employment tribunal case established that ordinary beliefs about the two sexes are protected under the Equality Act 2010’s characteristic of belief. Before co-founding Sex Matters, she spent two decades as a researcher, writer, and advisor to think tanks and cross-sector initiatives on international tax policy, climate finance, and human rights in supply chains, and helped found both the Let Toys Be Toys campaign and the Ethical Trading Initiative.🎧 Like, subscribe, and share if this episode hits home.🛍️ Grab LGB Courage Coalition merch at lgbcourage.org This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit informeddissentpodcast.substack.com/subscribe

Closing out Pride month, Cori Cohn and Lauren Leggieri sit down with pseudonymous writer Jack of Shadows — a cancelled public health professional, gay man, and contributor to our Substack — for a real conversation from inside the LGB about what happens when trans and queer politics collide with gay life.The conversation centers on “Odd Girls Out: Trans-Identified Women in Gay Male Spaces (Part 3: The White Knight and the Wallflower),” the final piece in Jack’s three-part series. Drawing on a firsthand account from a gay men’s retreat, Jack argues that gay male affinity spaces are built on shared orientation — and that well-meaning efforts to include trans-identified women in those spaces, however kindly intended, don’t resolve the underlying mismatch so much as paper over it. It’s a meditation on chivalry, honesty, and what’s lost when spaces built around one thing are asked to become something else.We’ll also touch on his earlier piece, “How a Private Conversation about Gender Got Me Fired from My Dream Job” — our most-read piece to date — about the professional cost of dissent in public health.* * If you liked this episode, like, subscribe, and share Informed Dissent — it genuinely helps more people find us. And check out our merch, available now, if you want to rep the show. Got a story from inside our community that isn’t getting told? Send it to us through lgbcourage.org. Know someone we should be talking to? Send that our way too.Informed Dissent is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support our work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit informeddissentpodcast.substack.com/subscribe

On today’s episode, Jamie Reed moderates a roundtable discussing the Supreme Court’s ruling in West Virginia v. B.P.J. and Little v. Hecox. At the table:Cori Cohn — co-host of Informed Dissent, who has testified in many states on this exact issue.Kara Dansky — attorney and author of The Abolition of Sex and The Reckoning: How the Democrats and the Left Betrayed Women and Girls. She’s a former ACLU senior counsel on criminal justice policy, a former president of the U.S. chapter of Women’s Declaration International, and a former board member of the Women’s Liberation Front. She describes herself as a lifelong Democrat.Kim Jones — co-founder of the Independent Council on Women’s Sports, or ICONS, the organization funding litigation against the NCAA over transgender eligibility policy. She’s a former All-American tennis player at Stanford; she got involved after watching young women compete against Lia Thomas in 2022.Leyland Streiff — co-founder and lead organizer of Maine Girl Dads, and principal officer of the Protect Girls Sports in Maine ballot committee. A father of three who relocated his family to Maine after decades in the New York area, he led the citizen-initiative signature drive that gathered more than 76,000 signatures.Decided 6-3. Majority opinion by Justice Kavanaugh, joined by Roberts, Thomas, Alito, Gorsuch, and Barrett. The majority held that neither Title IX nor the Equal Protection Clause prevents states from reserving girls’ and women’s school sports for biological females. Thomas and Gorsuch each wrote separate concurrences. Justice Sotomayor wrote an opinion concurring in part and dissenting in part, joined by Kagan and Jackson; Jackson also wrote a separate opinion concurring in part and dissenting in part. Notably, all nine justices agreed the states hadn’t violated Title IX — the three liberals only dissented on the Equal Protection question, arguing the case should have gone back to a lower court to develop the factual record on competitive advantage.Chief Justice John RobertsMale · Age 71 · Appointed by President George W. Bush (R), 2005* Obergefell v. Hodges (2015) — Dissented from the majority’s recognition of a constitutional right to same-sex marriage, arguing the decision should have been left to the democratic process rather than decided by the Court.* Bostock v. Clayton County (2020) — Joined Justice Gorsuch’s majority opinion holding that Title VII’s ban on sex discrimination in employment extends to discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.* United States v. Skrmetti (2025) — Authored the majority opinion upholding Tennessee’s ban on certain gender-affirming medical treatments for minors, applying rational-basis review.* This ruling — Joined Kavanaugh’s majority opinion.Justice Clarence ThomasMale · Age 78 · Appointed by President George H.W. Bush (R), 1991* Obergefell — Dissented, joined Scalia’s and wrote his own dissent arguing the majority’s reasoning had no basis in the Constitution’s text or history.* Bostock — Dissented, joining Alito’s opinion arguing the majority rewrote the statute rather than interpreting it.* Skrmetti — Joined the majority.* This ruling — Wrote a concurrence arguing biological sex is an immutable characteristic and that a man does not have a legal right to compete against women based on gender identity.Justice Samuel AlitoMale · Age 76 · Appointed by President George W. Bush (R), 2006* Obergefell — Dissented, warning the ruling would be used to brand traditional marriage views as bigotry.* Bostock — Wrote the primary dissent (joined by Thomas), arguing the majority’s textualism was a pretext for judicially imposed policy change that only Congress had authority to make.* Skrmetti — Joined the majority.* This ruling — Joined the majority.Justice Sonia SotomayorFemale · Age 72 · Appointed by President Barack Obama (D), 2009* Obergefell — Joined the majority recognizing a right to same-sex marriage.* Bostock — Joined the majority extending Title VII protections.* Skrmetti — Dissented from the majority upholding Tennessee’s minor gender-care ban.* This ruling — Wrote the lead dissent, arguing the majority resolved factual questions about competitive advantage that should have gone to a lower court first, and read a summary of her dissent aloud from the bench — a signal of unusually strong disagreement.Justice Elena KaganFemale · Age 66 · Appointed by President Barack Obama (D), 2010* Obergefell — Joined the majority.* Bostock — Joined the majority.* Skrmetti — Dissented.* This ruling — Joined Sotomayor’s dissent.Justice Neil GorsuchMale · Age 58 · Appointed by President Donald Trump (R), 2017* Bostock — Authored the majority opinion himself, reasoning as a textualist that firing someone for being gay or transgender necessarily involves treating them differently because of sex — one of the most consequential LGBT-rights opinions ever written by a conservative justice.* Skrmetti — Joined the majority.* This ruling — Joined the majority and wrote his own concurrence.* (Gorsuch was not yet on the Court for Obergefell in 2015.)Justice Brett KavanaughMale · Age 61 · Appointed by President Donald Trump (R), 2018* Bostock — Dissented, arguing the Court overstepped its role and that any expansion of Title VII protections should come from Congress.* Skrmetti — Joined the majority.* This ruling — Authored the majority opinion, framing it as declining to require “an overhaul of women’s and girls’ sports throughout America,” while stating that transgender girls and women who want to play sports deserve “respect” and should not be “ostracized or vilified.”* (Kavanaugh was not yet on the Court for Obergefell.)Justice Amy Coney BarrettFemale · Age 54 · Appointed by President Donald Trump (R), 2020* Skrmetti — Joined the majority.* This ruling — Joined the majority.* (Barrett joined the Court in 2020, after both Obergefell and Bostock.)Justice Ketanji Brown JacksonFemale · Age 55 · Appointed by President Joe Biden (D), 2022* Skrmetti — Dissented.* This ruling — Joined Sotomayor’s dissent and additionally wrote her own separate opinion concurring in part and dissenting in part.* (Jackson joined the Court in 2022, after both Obergefell and Bostock.)Shop our Merch Store: We have mugs, t-shirts, and tote bags for sale! Stay Informed and Ready to Dissent! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit informeddissentpodcast.substack.com/subscribe

In This EpisodeWe open with Lauren and Cori on Pride, the Endocrine Society’s annual conference, and the question nobody wants to answer: who is welcomed at Pride anymore? Then Jamie sits down with Dr. Leonard Sax — physician, psychologist, and author — to pull apart one of the most consequential statistical fabrications in the gender medicine literature: the claim that 1.7% of human births are intersex, and how a thought experiment published in a general-interest magazine became the foundation of medical and legal policy for a generation.We now have MERCH available for you! Part One: Lauren and CoriPride, the Endocrine Society, and What’s Gay AnymoreFirst things first: Cori turns 51, and Lauren watched Madonna’s free concert from home — and has thoughts. They compare it to Golden Girls, and honestly, can we get more gay? (We cannot.) Cori also discusses this photo from Indianapolis Pride. Which brings them to the question of the hour: who is Pride for anymore? And while they’re at it — who is the Endocrine Society’s conference in Chicago for? Lauren and Cori look at what both events say about where gay men and lesbians fit in institutions that increasingly can’t define the words “man” and “woman.”Part Two: Jamie with Dr. Leonard SaxIntersex, Anne Fausto-Sterling, and How a Magazine Essay Became Medical CanonDr. Leonard Sax is a physician and psychologist, the founder of the National Association for Single Sex Public Education, and the author of Why Gender Matters, Boys Adrift, and Girls on the Edge. He is also the author of the 2002 Journal of Sex Research paper “How Common Is Intersex? A Response to Anne Fausto-Sterling” — one of the most important and consistently ignored correctives in the medical literature.Jamie and Dr. Sax walk through the full arc of the intersex prevalence claim: where it came from, how it traveled, and why it matters.The origin: In 1993, Anne Fausto-Sterling published “The Five Sexes” in The Sciences, a general-interest magazine — explicitly a thought experiment proposing five sex categories rather than two. Her own definition of intersex was specific: chromosomal sex inconsistent with phenotypic sex, or ambiguous genitalia.The inflation: By 2000, Fausto-Sterling’s co-authored paper “How Sexually Dimorphic Are We?” (Blackless et al.) arrived at 1.7% of human births as intersex. The number spread fast — journalists, academics, clinicians, policymakers. Most didn’t look at what she was actually counting.The rebuttal: Sax’s 2002 paper showed the 1.7% figure included conditions with no relationship to Fausto-Sterling’s own definition — people who are unambiguously male or female. The biggest single contributor was late-onset congenital adrenal hyperplasia (LOCAH), accounting for 1.5 of the 1.7 percentage points. Strip out the conditions that aren’t intersex by any coherent definition, and the true prevalence is approximately 0.018% — nearly 100 times lower.Why it matters: The number has been used to argue that biological sex is not dimorphic and that binary sex categories are scientifically indefensible. It has appeared in legal briefs, medical society statements, and clinical guidelines. It is not supported by the evidence.Jamie and Dr. Sax also discuss what intersex conditions actually are, what good clinical care looks like, and why conflating DSD with gender identity harms the people and families who deserve honest medicine.Resources* Leonard Sax, “How Common Is Intersex? A Response to Anne Fausto-Sterling,” Journal of Sex Research, Vol. 39, No. 3 (August 2002): 174–178* Blackless et al. (Fausto-Sterling), “How Sexually Dimorphic Are We? Review and Synthesis,” American Journal of Human Biology 12 (2000): 151–166* Anne Fausto-Sterling, “The Five Sexes,” The Sciences (March/April 1993)* Leonard Sax, Why Gender Matters — leonardsax.comInformed Dissent is produced by LGB Courage Coalition. Find us on Substack, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify. If this work matters to you, please like, subscribe, and rate us wherever you listen — it makes a real difference. And consider supporting us at lgbcc.org.WE have MERCH! As always — stay informed and ready to dissent. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit informeddissentpodcast.substack.com/subscribe

Episode SummaryIn Part Two of our conversation with Dr. Kenneth Zucker, we continue exploring what decades of clinical research actually shows about gender dysphoria in children and adolescents — and what gets lost when ideology replaces evidence. Dr. Zucker is a certified psychologist based in Toronto, Editor-in-Chief of Archives of Sexual Behavior, and one of the most cited researchers in this field. If you missed Part One, start there — this conversation builds on it.Topics Covered* ROGD as a distinct clinical phenomenon: what the evidence does and doesn’t show* The shift in sex ratios among clinic-referred adolescents and what it signals* Desistance, persistence, and why longitudinal data matters* Is there a “true” transgender? Dr. Zucker makes the case for a genuine gender dysphoria diagnosis — and what distinguishes it from the current wave of adolescent presentationsFrom Dr. Zucker’s ResearchDr. Zucker has a new paper under review asking the core question directly: Is “rapid-onset” gender dysphoria in adolescence a new clinical phenomenon? The manuscript was submitted for publication in January 2026. You can track his work and find the paper when it publishes at his research page:🔗 kenzuckerphd.com/researchHis full CV is also available there as a PDF for listeners who want the complete publication record.Earlier relevant work:* “Adolescents with Gender Dysphoria: Reflections on Some Contemporary Clinical and Research Issues” — Archives of Sexual Behavior, 2019* “The Myth of Persistence” — International Journal of Transgenderism, 2018Coming Up Next Week🎙️ Pride Discussion — Lauren and Cori sit down to talk about Lauren trip to Chicago for the Endocrine Conference and her visit to a Pride Festival. 🎙️ Interview: Dr. Leonard Sax — Author, physician, and researcher. Dr. Sax joins Jamie to discuss intersex conditions, how prevalence claims get distorted, and what accurate terminology actually requires.As always, Stay Informed and Ready to Dissent. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit informeddissentpodcast.substack.com/subscribe

This week it’s just Jamie Reed — this weekend is the Endocrine Society’s annual conference in Chicago, so Headlines and the usual roundtable are off, and we’ll be back at full strength next week.In the meantime, you can stay current with our weekly news: every week the LGB Courage Coalition publishes a roundup of the stories that matter in gender medicine, science, and policy — the headlines you won’t see covered honestly anywhere else. Subscribe on our Substack so you never miss it.For this episode, Jamie sits down with Arthur Caplan, PhD, one of the most influential figures in American bioethics. Dr. Caplan is the Drs. William F. and Virginia Connolly Mitty Professor and founding head of the Division of Medical Ethics at NYU School of Medicine. Before NYU, he created the Center for Bioethics and the Department of Medical Ethics at the University of Pennsylvania, and founded the Center for Biomedical Ethics at the University of Minnesota. He is the author or editor of thirty-five books and over 890 peer-reviewed papers, and has chaired or served on national and international committees spanning the United Nations, the World Health Organization, the National Institutes of Mental Health panel on human experimentation on vulnerable subjects, and the FDA’s Reagan/Udall Foundation. Since 2015 he has co-chaired the Compassionate Use Advisory Committee advising Janssen Pharmaceuticals. He has been named one of the most influential people in American health care, science, and biotechnology by outlets including Discover, Modern Healthcare, and Scientific American.Jamie and Dr. Caplan discuss the foundational frameworks of bioethics — where they came from, why they exist, and how they apply to medicine today.About our guest: Arthur Caplan, PhD, is the Mitty Professor of Bioethics and founding head of the Division of Medical Ethics at NYU School of Medicine. He holds eight honorary degrees and received the National Science Foundation’s Public Service Award for contributions to public understanding of science. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit informeddissentpodcast.substack.com/subscribe

In This EpisodeJamie Reed and Cori Cohn open the episode with analysis of the May 21 Senate HELP Committee hearing, Protecting Our Children: Exposing the Dangers of Irreversible Gender Transition Procedures on Minors, then turn to a new think tank brief counseling trans advocates to accept defeat on youth medical transition. Jamie closes the episode with her recorded conversation with Dr. Kenneth Zucker — one of the most consequential and contested figures in the history of gender medicine.PART ONE: The Senate HELP Committee Hearing Jamie Reed and Cori CohnOn May 21, the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee convened a full committee hearing on pediatric gender transition procedures. Jamie and Cori break down who testified, what was said, and what the hearing reveals about where this debate is headed at the federal level.Witnesses:* Dr. Kurt Miceli, MD, MBA — Chief Medical Officer, Do No Harm* Chloe Cole— Detransitioner and Ambassador, Do No Harm * Shannon Minter — Legal Director, National Center for LGBTQ Rights. Minter appeared on Andrew Sullivan’s Dishcast in August 2025 for a debate-style conversation on pediatric gender medicine — worth a listen for background on where he stands and how he argues. Shannon Minter On Trans Life And Politics — The Dishcast with Andrew SullivanAs a backdrop to their analysis, Jamie and Cori turn to a newly released brief from the Searchlight Institute — The Path Forward for Transgender Rights, authored by Mara Keisling, founder of the National Center for Transgender Equality. Drawing on extensive polling, the brief advises Democratic policymakers to abandon the fight on sports and pediatric medicine and focus on non-discrimination protections for adults. When the movement’s own research infrastructure is counseling retreat, it reframes what was at stake in that hearing room.Links:* Full hearing: Senate HELP Committee, May 21, 2026* The Path Forward for Transgender Rights — Searchlight InstitutePART TWO: Jamie Reed Interviews Dr. Kenneth ZuckerDr. Kenneth Zucker is a psychologist and sexologist who served for decades as head of the Gender Identity Service at Toronto’s Centre for Addiction and Mental Health — until his clinic was shut down following an advocacy campaign in 2015. He is among the most published researchers in the world on gender dysphoria in children and adolescents, and his work on desistance — the finding that a significant majority of gender-dysphoric youth, if not socially transitioned, grow up to be gay or lesbian — has been central to debates about pediatric medical transition. If you don’t know his name, start with Jesse Singal’s longer reporting on his work and the circumstances of his clinic’s closure.In this conversation, Jamie sits down with Zucker to discuss his new paper, co-authored with Michael Bailey: “Cognitive-Behavioral Treatment of Gender Dysphoria in Youth: Opportunities, Challenges, and Responsibilities”— a direct clinical argument that psychological treatment of gender dysphoria in youth is not only permissible but arguably obligatory, and a challenge to a field that has largely foreclosed that conversation.Links:* Zucker & Bailey paper — Current Opinion in Psychology* LGB CC review of the paper: “A Clarion Call to Therapists”About Informed DissentInformed Dissent is the podcast of the LGB Courage Coalition. Hosted by Jamie Reed, Lauren Leggieri, and Cori Cohn.Website: lgbcouragecoalition.org Substack: lgbcouragecoalition.substack.com This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit informeddissentpodcast.substack.com/subscribe

Last week, Informed Dissent released covertly recorded audio from inside two sessions at the 2026 American Psychiatric Association Annual Meeting in San Francisco — audio that was leaked to us, and that we believe the public has every right to hear. This week, Jamie, Lauren, and Cori sit down to discuss what’s on those recordings and what it tells us about the current state of psychiatry’s relationship with gender medicine.Then, Jamie and Lauren sit down with Sara Stockton — a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, lecturer, researcher, and clinical supervisor of a psychotherapy practice in central New York — who was also in attendance at the APA Annual Meeting this year as an observer.Sara’s story is one of the more important insider accounts in this space. She spent the first part of her career as a clinician treating and advocating on behalf of youth and families navigating gender questions. She entered the field in 2008, treated hundreds of families, and wrote many of the first letters used to approve gender transition surgeries on minors. In 2013, she co-authored one of the first mental health assessments in the United States designed to evaluate whether a young person was ready for medical gender transition.In 2022, Sara was featured in the documentary What Is a Woman?, where she spoke publicly for the first time about her professional journey — the moments of doubt, the realizations that came too late for too many patients, and her decision to raise awareness about what she had witnessed from the inside. She has since become one of the clearest voices among clinician whistleblowers, and her willingness to show up at events like the APA — to watch, to listen, and to bear witness — says everything about how seriously she takes the accountability work still ahead.In her conversation with Jamie and Lauren, Sara shares what she observed at the conference, what the sessions revealed about where organized psychiatry stands today, and what it was like to sit in those rooms knowing what she knows.Guest: Sara Stockton, LMFT on X: @MrsSaraStockton | aislingtherapy.comFollow LGB Courage Coalition at lgbtcourage.org and subscribe to Informed Dissent on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and wherever you listen.If this episode moved you, share it.Stay Informed. Stay Ready to Dissent. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit informeddissentpodcast.substack.com/subscribe

Informed DissentThis Week’s EpisodeMaine is a blue state — Democratic governor, Democratic legislature, transgender sanctuary state. And yet Protect Girls Sports in Maine gathered more than 70,000 signatures to put a sex-based sports and spaces question on the November ballot — nearly all of them from volunteers. This week, as this episode airs, the effort is in crisis: yesterday, Maine’s Chief Deputy Secretary of State issued a recommended decision to invalidate the initiative entirely, finding more than 12,000 additional signatures invalid and leaving the campaign roughly 500 signatures short of the threshold. Protect Girls Sports in Maine’s deadline to file objections is today. The Secretary of State — a Democrat who is also running for governor — is expected to issue a final ruling by May 26. Here and here is coverage from Maine. In California, the race to replace Nancy Pelosi in the 11th Congressional District is ten days from its June 2 primary. Pelosi made her choice four days ago: she endorsed Supervisor Connie Chan — not Scott Wiener, the California State Senator who has spent years as the chief architect of the state’s transgender sanctuary laws, its policy of housing male-bodied incarcerated people in women’s prisons, and an expanding series of bills restricting therapeutic alternatives for gender-dysphoric youth. Running against Wiener is Marie Hurabiell — the one candidate in the race who has said publicly that she objects to biological males accessing women’s spaces and sports based on self-identification.This week, Lauren Leggieri, Jamie Reed and Cori Cohn speak to both. Here are the Democrats that voted in support of H.R. 2616, the "Stopping Indoctrination and Protecting Kids Act," which passed the House on May 19 by a 217-198 vote: Vicente Gonzalez (TX-15) https://gonzalez.house.gov/contact/officesHenry Cuellar (TX-28) https://cuellar.house.gov/contact/Don Davis (NC-1) https://dondavis.house.gov/contactCleo Fields (LA-6) https://fields.house.gov/contactLaura Gillen (NY-4) https://gillen.house.gov/contactMarcy Kaptur (OH-9) https://kaptur.house.gov/contact/officesMarie Gluesenkamp Perez (WA-3) https://gluesenkampperez.house.gov/contactEugene Vindman (VA-7) https://vindman.house.gov/contact/GuestsLeyland StreiffPrincipal Officer, Protect Girls Sports in Maine | Leader, Maine Girl DadsLeyland Streiff is the Principal Officer of the Protect Girls Sports in Maine ballot referendum and leader of Maine Girl Dads — a coalition of 8,000+ fathers from across the political spectrum fighting to protect the sex-based rights of their daughters. He is a dad of three and husband to an amazing wife. Before recently retiring to focus full-time on raising his three kids while leading Maine Girl Dads in his spare time, he had a long, storied career as a marketing executive working with famous brands at famous ad agencies, before becoming a partner at the world’s largest professional services firm, where he led their U.S. ad agency business for many years.In February 2026, his coalition submitted more than 79,000 signatures to the Maine Secretary of State — well above the roughly 67,682 required. The Secretary of State certified more than 71,000 as valid. Then opponents challenged thousands more. A May 12 hearing was held. Yesterday, the Chief Deputy Secretary of State issued a recommended decision to invalidate the initiative entirely — finding more than 12,000 additional signatures invalid and leaving the campaign approximately 500 short. Protect Girls Sports in Maine is filing its objections today. A final decision is expected by May 26.Follow Maine Girl Dads: @mainegirldads on X, Instagram, and Facebook MaineGirlDads.comMarie HurabiellCandidate, California’s 11th Congressional District (June 2, 2026 Primary)Marie Hurabiell is a San Francisco native, attorney, and community activist running for the congressional seat being vacated by House Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi. A Georgetown graduate with a J.D. from the University of Pennsylvania Law School, she founded ConnectedSF, a citywide organization focused on pragmatic solutions and public safety. She was appointed by President Trump to the Presidio Trust Board of Directors. She was a registered Republican until 2022.In a race dominated by California State Senator Scott Wiener — the primary author of California’s transgender sanctuary laws, the legislation allowing male-bodied incarcerated people into women’s prisons, and an expanding series of bills restricting therapeutic alternatives for gender-dysphoric youth — Hurabiell has been the one candidate willing to say publicly that she objects to biological males accessing women’s spaces and sports based on self-identification alone. She declined to sign a transgender rights proclamation. She has been called homophobic by the San Francisco political establishment for criticizing Wiener’s record. She joins us ten days before voters decide.Follow Marie Hurabiell: @MHurabiell on X MarieHurabiell.comThanks for reading Informed Dissent! This post is public so feel free to share it.Informed Dissent is produced by the LGB Courage Coalition. If this show matters to you, please subscribe, share it, and put it in front of someone who needs to hear it.Until next week — stay informed, and ready to dissent. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit informeddissentpodcast.substack.com/subscribe

About This EpisodeThis episode contains audio recorded inside Session 1240 at the 2026 American Psychiatric Association Annual Meeting in San Francisco, held Saturday, May 16, 2026.The session was a Continuing Medical Education offering titled Transgender Psychiatrists Speak: Reflections From Training, Patient Care and Professional Practice. It ran from 1:30 to 3:00 PM Pacific Time in Room 202 of the Moscone Center. The session was designated in-person only and was not offered as a hybrid event. CME credit was available to attending psychiatrists.The session was chaired by Dr. Jack Drescher and presented by Dr. Lana Irons, Dr. Jack Pula, Dr. Tobias Murphy, and Dr. Jami Woods. We received the audio, verified its authenticity, and are releasing it in full. The only alterations made were to audio quality.The ConferenceThe American Psychiatric Association Annual Meeting is the largest gathering of psychiatrists in the United States. The 2026 meeting took place May 16–19 at the Moscone Center in San Francisco. CME sessions at the meeting offer accredited continuing education credit to licensed psychiatrists and other mental health providers.The ChairDr. Jack Drescher, MD is a Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at Columbia University and a Distinguished Life Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association. He served on the APA’s DSM-5 Workgroup on Sexual and Gender Identity Disorders, was Section Editor of the Gender Dysphoria chapter in the DSM-5-TR, and served on the WHO Working Group that revised gender diagnoses in the ICD-11. At the 2025 APA Annual Meeting in Los Angeles, Dr. Drescher presented alongside Dr. Scott Leibowitz in a session on pediatric gender medicine that the APA sought to keep from public view. LGB CC livestreamed the session on X; it was also covered by journalist Benjamin Ryan on his Substack, Hazard Ratio.Thanks for reading Informed Dissent! This post is public so feel free to share it.The PresentersDr. Lana Irons, MD is a trans-identified male psychiatrist and Clinical Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University. He earned his MD from Eastern Virginia Medical School and completed his Adult Psychiatry Residency and Chief Residency at SUNY Downstate, where he received a certification in psychodynamic psychotherapy through the Psychoanalytic Association of New York. He currently serves as a full-time attending psychiatrist with the NYC Health + Hospitals Domestic Violence Shelter Mental Health Initiative.Dr. Jack Pula, MD is a trans-identified female psychiatrist in private practice in New York City and is affiliated with New York-Presbyterian Hospital. She completed her medical degree at SUNY Downstate Medical Center and her psychoanalytic training at the Columbia Center for Psychoanalytic Training and Research. She has published on transgender mental health in peer-reviewed literature and has served in leadership roles focused on expanding transgender psychiatry training in residency programs.Dr. Tobias Murphy, MD is a trans-identified female psychiatrist licensed in New York, Ohio, and West Virginia. She completed medical school and psychiatry residency at Marshall University’s School of Medicine and has additional training in neuropsychiatry and geriatric psychiatry. She is a member of the American Psychiatric Association and the World Professional Association for Transgender Health.Dr. Jami Woods, MD, DPh is a trans-identified male psychiatrist and board-certified psychopharmacologist, formerly Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Vice Chair for Diversity and Inclusion at the University of California, Riverside School of Medicine. He holds subspecialty certification from the American Society of Clinical Psychopharmacology and has delivered CME presentations on pediatric gender medicine to national audiences of prescribers.Stay Informed and Ready to Dissent. lgbcourage.org This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit informeddissentpodcast.substack.com/subscribe

INFORMED DISSENT — Special EditionMonday, May 19, 2026 About This EpisodeThis episode contains audio recorded inside Session 1193 at the 2026 American Psychiatric Association Annual Meeting in San Francisco, held Saturday, May 16, 2026.The session was a Continuing Medical Education offering titled Transgender Care: Update on Evidence Base and Clinical Practice of Primary Care Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Adult Psychiatry. It ran from 8:30 to 10:00 AM Pacific Time in Room 201 of the Moscone Center. CME credit was available to attending psychiatrists.The session was chaired by Dr. Dan Karasic and presented by Dr. Jack Turban. We received the audio, verified its authenticity, and are releasing it in full. The only alterations made were to audio quality. A PDF of Dr. Karasic’s slide deck is available below.Audio note: Dr. Karasic’s presentation opens with embedded video clips, including a clip of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and a clip of Dr. Karasic in a news segment. The audio quality on those clips is limited by recording conditions and is harder to hear than the rest of the session. It improves once those clips have played.The ConferenceThe American Psychiatric Association Annual Meeting is the largest gathering of psychiatrists in the United States. The 2026 meeting took place May 16–19 at the Moscone Center in San Francisco. CME sessions at the meeting offer accredited continuing education credit to licensed psychiatrists and other mental health providers.The PresentersDr. Dan Karasic, MD is Professor Emeritus of Psychiatry at UCSF. He received his MD from Yale University and trained at the UCLA Neuropsychiatric Institute. He is the lead author of the Mental Health chapter of the WPATH Standards of Care, Version 8, and serves as Chair of the APA Workgroup on Gender Dysphoria. He is a Distinguished Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association.In May 2023, audio from a presentation Karasic delivered at the San Francisco Trans Health Summit, titled “Managing Patients with Co-Occurring Mental Health Diagnoses,” was published by The Post Millennial and subsequently released in full by the Transparency podcast (Gender Dysphoria Alliance). In that presentation, Karasic addressed the treatment of verbally impaired autistic patients and discussed drawing as a mode of communicating gender identity. The remarks generated significant public attention. In Saturday’s session, Dr. Karasic returned to that controversy directly, including a screenshot of a tweet about it in his slide deck.(2023 audio sources: Mia Ashton, The Post Millennial, May 10, 2023; “Special Series – National Transgender Health Summit – Ep. 2 – Dr. Karasic,” Transparency, Gender Dysphoria Alliance, June 4, 2023 — Apple Podcasts / Spotify )Dr. Jack Turban, MD, MHS is an Assistant Professor of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Health Policy at UCSF and Founding Director of the UCSF Gender Psychiatry Program. He trained at Harvard (BA, neurobiology), completed his psychiatry residency at McLean Hospital/Harvard Medical School, and his child and adolescent psychiatry fellowship at Stanford. He is the author of Free to Be: Understanding Kids & Gender Identity (Simon & Schuster, 2024). His research on pediatric gender medicine has been cited in legislative debates and federal court proceedings. He has served as a paid expert witness for the ACLU in legal challenges to state restrictions on pediatric gender medicine.Coming Soon: We will release audio from Transgender Psychiatrists Speak: Reflections From Training, Patient Care and Professional Practice, chaired by Dr. Jack Drescher also from the APA Conference. Stay Informed and Ready to Dissent. lgbcourage.org This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit informeddissentpodcast.substack.com/subscribe

Montana has passed some of the most clearly sex-realist legislation in the country — and its courts are using one of the most expansive state constitutions in the country to block it. This week, Jamie sits down with Derek Oestericher, Chief Legal Counsel and Director of Government Affairs at the Montana Family Foundation, for a deep dive into three active cases that will shape not just Montana law, but the national conversation about what “sex” means as a legal category.The episode opens with Jamie’s breakdown of the legal landscape: SB 458, which defined “sex” throughout Montana’s statutes as biological sex determined at birth; the Kalarchik case challenging the state’s birth certificate and driver’s license policies; the Cross case, in which a 2023 pediatric gender medicine ban has been enjoined; and the Perkins bathroom case, currently enjoined at the trial court level. Jamie explains why these cases are still very much alive despite the preliminary injunctions — and why the distinction between a ruling on an injunction and a ruling on the merits is one the public almost always gets wrong.Then Derek Oestericher takes us inside the litigation: what Montana’s equal protection clause actually says, why it differs from the Fourteenth Amendment, how a right to privacy is being invoked to challenge a law protecting minors from medical intervention, and what a meaningful legal win looks like at each level of the courts.GuestDerek Oestericher is Chief Legal Counsel and Director of Government Affairs at the Montana Family Foundation, where he has been working on all three of Montana’s active sex-definition cases from the inside. He is among the most informed legal voices on Montana’s constitutional landscape as it applies to sex-based law.Resources* Montana SB 458 (2023) — Montana’s statutory definition of sex* Kalarchik v. State of Montana — Montana Supreme Court ruling on the preliminary injunction* Justice Rice’s dissent in Kalarchik* Cross v. State of Montana — pediatric gender medicine ban litigation* Perkins v. State of Montana — bathroom law litigation* Montana Family Foundation — montanafamily.orgIf this episode was useful to you, please share it with someone who needs to hear it. Like, subscribe, and leave us a review wherever you listen — it’s one of the most direct ways you can support the work we’re doing. This show exists because you show up for it.Stay Informed and Ready to Dissent. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit informeddissentpodcast.substack.com/subscribe

About this episodeLauren Leggieri, Jamie Reed and Cori Cohn interview Ben Kawaller. Ben Kawaller is a journalist, playwright, and gay man whose writing and video reporting have appeared in the New York Post, Racket News, The Times UK, and The Free Press, where he hosted the sociopolitical interview series Ben Meets America. He’s a Harvard sociology graduate based in New York and a former Blocked and Reported contributor.His new three-part investigative podcast series — Strange Bedfellows: When LGB Met T, produced under Longview Investigations’ Reflector feed — is one of the most thorough attempts yet to document how a gay civil rights movement became something else. Episode 1 traces the arc from social outcasts to the most successful civil rights story of the 20th century. Episode 2 examines the arrival of the Q — and what it changed. Episode 3 follows the thread into the National Sex Education Standards, where the philosophical underpinnings of gender ideology are most visible and most consequential.The series includes an extraordinary moment: Herndon Graddick, former president of GLAAD, says on the record that he believes pediatric medicalization of minors was a mistake. Former GLAAD president. On the record.We had a lot to discuss.We also had a specific accountability question to raise — one that involves Lauren directly. Her testimony, her voice, and her words appear in the series. Her name and her organization do not. We asked Ben about that. Strange Bedfellows is publicly available at no cost through the Longview/Reflector feed.LinksStrange Bedfellows: When LGB Met T — Longview/ReflectorPart I: When LGB Met T — Part II: The Q — Part III: Backlash — Lauren Leggieri’s testimony — Missouri House Emerging Issues Committee, January 20, 2026 — If you found this conversation valuable, please like, subscribe, and share. Tell a friend. Tell your mom. And as always — stay informed and ready to dissent. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit informeddissentpodcast.substack.com/subscribe

On This EpisodePAS 2026 met in Boston at the end of April. On Sunday, a panel of four researchers and clinicians presented findings on pediatric gender medicine to 106 attendees. Before the session began, the PAS Program Chair informed the audience that every clinician approached to serve as a counterpoint speaker had declined to participate. The panel’s CME accreditation had been flagged for review before a single slide was examined. A concurrent LGBTQ+ pediatric health session the previous day operated without any of those conditions.Lauren Leggieri, Jamie Reed, and Cori Cohn discuss the conference and what it revealed about how academic pediatric medicine handles dissent. Jamie is also joined by Dr. Julia Mason and Dr. Patrick Hunter — both of whom were in the audience that day — for brief reflections on what they witnessed firsthand.People You’ll Hear AboutDr. Daniel Rauch — PAS 2026 Program Chair. Professor of Pediatrics at Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine, and the physician responsible for overseeing the scientific program of the entire conference.E. Kale Edmiston — A researcher who, at the start of the session, implied to the room that she was an author of a chapter of the WPATH Standards of Care 8. Scott Leibowitz, co-chair of the adolescent chapter, has publicly disputed that claim on the record. Kale identifies as a gay man. Dr. Riittakerttu Kaltiala — Psychiatrist and professor at Tampere University in Finland. Her systematic reviews of the evidence on pediatric gender medicine informed Finland’s decision to restrict those interventions in minors.Dr. Anna Hutchinson — Clinical psychologist who worked at the Gender Identity Development Service at the Tavistock Clinic in the United Kingdom prior to its closure, and has since spoken publicly about clinical concerns she observed there.Dr. Moti Gorin — Bioethicist and associate professor of philosophy at Colorado State University. His published work examines how informed consent and ethical standards have been applied in the field of pediatric gender medicine. Panel chair.Dr. Steven Montante — Plastic surgeon in private practice in Richmond, Virginia, and a co-author of the first peer-reviewed systematic review of gender-transition mastectomies performed on minors.Further ReadingPAS 2026: The Panel They Tried to Silence — LGB Courage Coalition If this episode made you think, share it with someone who needs to hear it. Leave a comment, leave a rating, and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. The work we do depends on people like you helping us reach a wider audience.Stay informed and ready to dissent. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit informeddissentpodcast.substack.com/subscribe

This week Lauren Leggieri, Cori Cohn, and Jamie Reed have a lot to get through — and we mean a lot. So take a page from the old NPR Saturday playbook: make something, drive somewhere, tend your garden, and let this one unspool over a few days. We brought three guests, and every one of them earned their seat at the table.We open with the New York Times story about a man who identifies as transgender and abducted his child to Cuba — and what that story reveals about how sex, parental rights, and media framing collide in ways that should concern everyone who would simple like reading a news story to not need a decoder ring. Then we get into the big one: the Southern Poverty Law Center. We’ve been watching the SPLC’s reach into the gender medicine debate for a while now, and this week we dig into just how deep that overlap goes — and what it means when a fundraising machine gets to decide who counts as a hate group.Which brings us to our guests. Elspeth Cypher, Colin Wright, and Jaimee Michell have each been on the receiving end of an SPLC designation or smear — and each of them has a different story about what that costs. Their accounts together paint a picture that’s harder to dismiss than any single data point.You can find Elspeth at the Women’s Liberation Front on X @ebclaw, at her Substack Before Justice Was Blind at substack.com/@ebclaw, and on LinkedIn at linkedin.com/in/elspeth-cypher-106623301.Jaimee Michell is the Founder, President & CEO of Gays Against Groomers. Find her on X @thegaywhostrayd and the organization at gaysagainstgroomers.com.Colin Wright is an evolutionary biologist and Fellow at the Manhattan Institute. Find him on X @SwipeWright and at his Substack Reality’s Last Stand at substack.com/@colinwright.Like, Subscribe, and Share this Podcast. Stay informed. And stay ready to dissent.Thanks for reading Informed Dissent! This post is public so feel free to share it. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit informeddissentpodcast.substack.com/subscribe

This week on Informed Dissent, Jamie Reed, Cori Cohn, and Lauren Leggieri are joined by guest Dr. Julia Mason to discuss the landmark Finnish cohort study on psychiatric outcomes in gender-referred youth and SEGM's methodological appraisal of the Utah evidence review. Dr. Mason is a board-certified pediatrician, Fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics, and founding board member of the Society for Evidence-Based Gender Medicine. She has spent years raising concerns about the evidence base underpinning pediatric gender medicine from inside her own profession — including co-authoring peer-reviewed challenges to the Dutch studies in the Journal of Sex and Marital Therapy and introducing multiple resolutions at the AAP Annual Leadership Forum demanding the academy reevaluate its position on pediatric gender transition.The Finnish StudyRuuska, S.-M., Tuisku, K., Holttinen, T., & Kaltiala, R. (2026). Psychiatric Morbidity Among Adolescents and Young Adults Who Contacted Specialised Gender Identity Services in Finland in 1996–2019: A Register Study. Acta Paediatrica. 🔗 https://doi.org/10.1111/apa.70533This is the landmark Finnish national cohort study tracking 2,083 gender-referred adolescents against 16,643 matched population controls for up to 25 years. It is the largest and most methodologically rigorous outcomes study in this field to date. Among adolescents who underwent medical gender reassignment, rates of severe psychiatric illness rose more than sixfold in the years that followed.For a detailed breakdown of what the study found and what happened when it was published, read our two-part series on the LGB Courage Coalition Substack: 🔗 Part I — What the Study Found: 🔗 Part II — What Happened Next: The SEGM Methodological Appraisal of the Utah ReviewSociety for Evidence-Based Gender Medicine. (2026). The “Utah Review” of Hormonal Treatments for Gender-Dysphoric Minors: A Methodological Appraisal. 🔗 https://segm.org/utah-evidence-review-analysisThe Utah Legislature commissioned an independent evidence review of hormonal interventions for gender-dysphoric minors. The resulting 1,051-page document concluded puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones were safe and effective. SEGM’s appraisal found the review excluded the most rigorous international systematic reviews, failed to conduct an evidence synthesis, and was produced by a team with undisclosed conflicts of interest including direct ties to the clinic under evaluation. When standard quality-assessment tools were applied, the result was the lowest possible rating: high risk of bias, critically low confidence.For our own analysis of the Utah Review and what it tells us about how this evidence gets manufactured, read: 🔗 Paid subscribers to the Informed Dissent Substack receive a full detailed breakdown of the week’s stories delivered straight to their inbox every week. Questions, comments, and suggestions welcome in the Substack comment section or at [email protected]. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit informeddissentpodcast.substack.com/subscribe

This week on Informed Dissent, Jamie Reed and Lauren Leggieri are joined first by LGB CC Head Writer LeAnne Owen for a behind-the-scenes conversation about substantive writing, the stories driving this movement, and LeAnne’s belief that the work we are doing now will serve as the historical primary source documents for tomorrow.Then we are joined by two guests from Colorado — Erin Lee and Dr. Travis Morrell — to discuss Colorado politics, ballot initiatives, and how to reach people who aren’t yet paying attention.Further reading: Republicans and Citizen Initiatives — The New York TimesErin LeeErin Lee is a mom of three from Colorado, a speaker, writer, Founder of Stop Gender Ideology, and Executive Director of Protect Kids Colorado. After her 12-year-old daughter was convinced she was born in the wrong body in a secret gender & sexuality club at school, she helped her desist and filed the first federal secret school transition lawsuit to reach SCOTUS. Her story can be watched for free at ArtClubMovie.com.Links:Protect Kids ColoradoArt Club MovieSocials:X PAGEFACEBOOKINSTAGRAMDr. Travis Morrell Dr. Travis Morrell is a dad, husband, doctor, and lifelong learner with broad experience in medicine and medical leadership. He is published in multiple top medical journals and in popular media.Dr. Morrell is a Senior Fellow at Do No Harm Medicine and Chair of Colorado Principled Physician, grassroots doctors demanding reality-based medicine and Classical Liberal values. Find him on X @MorrellMDmphX @MorrellMDmphColoradodoctors.orgThanks for reading Informed Dissent! This post is public so feel free to share it. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit informeddissentpodcast.substack.com/subscribe

This week Jamie Reed, Lauren Leggieri, and Cori Cohn are joined by Kevin Kellar — a trial lawyer with thirty years of experience handling large-loss tort cases and litigation of all types, all over the country. Kevin specializes in dropping into cases as trial approaches, and he consults and advises on medicalized gender care litigation nationally. He is drawn to this work by his sympathy for the victims of gender ideology, and by the parable of the Good Samaritan.We also check in on Cori’s X addiction — the treatment is ongoing, he needs a sponsor, please apply within — and we discuss parenting through the lens of cinema, including the modern classics Period Panda and Drama Llama. We also think more people should follow us down rabbit holes. Consider this your invitation.This week’s deep dive: Kellan Baker — health policy researcher, lead author of WPATH’s flagship systematic review, and current Senior Advisor for Health Policy at the Movement Advancement Project. We look at who she is, what she has published, and what she has said when she believed she was speaking only to allies. Journalist Ben Ryan is continuing to release internal WPATH conference videos — and Baker appears in that record. This is the background you need.Further Reading: Ben Ryan’s “Hazard Ratio” — ongoing reporting on the WPATH Alabama discovery videos: benryan.substack.comIf this episode was useful to you, please like, subscribe, and share. It is completely free — it costs you nothing — and every subscriber pushes our numbers up and makes us harder to ignore. Tell someone who needs to hear it.Informed Dissent is produced by the LGB Courage Coalition. Stay informed and stay ready to dissent.Informed Dissent is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support our work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit informeddissentpodcast.substack.com/subscribe

Jamie Reed, Cori Cohn, and Lauren Leggieri open the episode with a wide-ranging conversation about the gap between what people say online and what they actually do in real life — and the platforms that shape both. Cori has quit X. Jamie has questions about Tumblr. The hosts dig into the psychology of online activism versus real-world action, anchored by a recurring hypothetical: a young anarchist whose convictions are vivid, whose memory is long, and whose relationship with a photocopier is deeply committed. Seriously — it’s all hypothetical.Guest SegmentIn December 2025, a coalition of parents, researchers, clinicians, and advocacy organizations — including the LGB Courage Coalition — filed a citizen petition with the Food and Drug Administration calling for urgent regulatory review of long-term, high-dose estrogen use in males. The FDA has 180 days to respond. That clock runs out in June 2026.Jamie and Lauren are joined by a physician and a regulatory expert who know both the science and the regulatory landscape inside and out. Together they break down what the petition asks for, what the evidence shows about cumulative estrogen exposure in male bodies — including dramatically elevated risks for stroke, venous thromboembolism, and breast cancer — and why the FDA has the authority and the obligation to act.The episode also addresses two battles playing out in real time: a coordinated campaign by trans activists to flood the FDA public comment docket in opposition to the petition, and an organized effort to attack and suppress the professional reputation of one of this episode’s guests, Dr. Lauren Schwartz. Both are worth understanding — because they illustrate exactly what happens when credentialed clinicians and researchers challenge the prevailing orthodoxy on gender medicine.The public comment portal is open now. Your voice matters — and this episode will tell you exactly how to use it.GuestsDr. Lauren SchwartzBoard-Certified Psychiatrist | Senior Fellow, Do No HarmDr. Lauren Schwartz is a board-certified psychiatrist in private practice, a mother of three, and a Senior Fellow with Do No Harm. Throughout her career, she has advocated for upholding the highest standards of care in medicine and mental health at local, state, and national levels.Her recent publications include an open-access review in Discover Mental Health, a commentary in The Journal of Sex and Marital Therapy, a chapter in The War on Science co-authored with Dr. Art Rousseau (discussed in depth on Informed Dissent Episode 41, August 16), and contributions to Dr. Miriam Grossman’s book Lost in Trans Nation.In July 2025, Dr. Schwartz was invited to speak on an expert panel in Washington D.C. for the FTC. In January 2026, she was awarded a Distinguished Fellowship by the American Psychiatric Association. Her work has been featured in the New York Post, the Dallas Morning News, The Federalist, and City Journal, and she has appeared on Fox News, The Origins Podcast, and America Out Loud News.🔗 laurenschwartzmd.com | 🔗 Do No Harm profilePeter PittsFormer FDA Associate Commissioner | President, Center for Medicine in the Public InterestPeter Pitts is a former Associate Commissioner of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and currently serves as President of the Center for Medicine in the Public Interest and as a Visiting Professor at the University of Paris School of Medicine.With deep firsthand knowledge of how the FDA operates — its tools, its mandates, and its pressure points — Peter brings a uniquely authoritative perspective to the question of what the agency can and should do in response to the citizen petition on estrogen safety.🔗 cmpi.orgTake ActionThe FDA docket is open. Submit your public comment in support of the citizen petition before June 2026. Comments from parents, detransitioners, clinicians, researchers, and concerned citizens all count — and specific personal accounts carry particular weight.📋 Read the Petition: FDA-2025-P-7321 — Citizen Petition on Off-Label Estrogen Use in Males💬 Submit Your Comment: regulations.gov/docket/FDA-2025-P-7321The petition calls for:* A mandatory boxed warning naming stroke, cancer, sterility, and cognitive decline* A “Part 15” public hearing for transparent scientific debate on the record* A comprehensive safety review and REMS evaluation with a mandatory 20-year patient registry* Mandatory enhanced adverse event reportingEvery comment builds the public record. Use your voice.In MemoriamRon MillerFinally — we lost someone important this week. Ron Miller, co-founder of Campbell Miller Payne — the nation’s first and only law firm dedicated to representing detransitioners — passed away last month from brain cancer. He was thirty-eight years old. He leaves behind his wife, four children, and a legal framework he helped build for people the medical system harmed and the activist community abandoned. He will be missed. We will carry his work forward. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit informeddissentpodcast.substack.com/subscribe

What the ASPS position statement on pediatric gender surgery actually says — and what it means. A listener’s guide to our episode for March 21 2026; names, the history, and what’s at stake.On February 3, 2026, the American Society of Plastic Surgeons issued a nine-page position statement recommending that surgeons delay all gender-related surgery — breast/chest, genital, and facial — until a patient is at least 19 years old. It was the first statement of its kind from a major American medical association, and the reverberations were immediate.This is a significant moment. Not because it ends the debate, but because it marks the first formal fracture in the wall of institutional consensus that has, for the better part of a decade, treated surgical intervention in minors as settled, evidence-based, and beyond reproach. It was not settled. It was not evidence-based. And the ASPS has now said so on the record.This episode of Informed Dissent features our interview with Dr. Scot Glasberg — a past president of the ASPS and a central figure in the multi-year deliberation that led to this statement. His name, and several others, will come up throughout the conversation. This piece is your guide to who these people are, what their relationships are to each other, and why the internal story of how this statement came to exist is as important as the statement itself.The Organization and Its ReachThe ASPS is not a minor player. It represents more than 11,000 physician members and over 90 percent of board-certified plastic surgeons practicing in the United States and Canada. Crucially, plastic surgeons are the primary specialty performing mastectomies on minors with gender dysphoria — approximately 1,000 or more annually in recent years, by conservative estimates.When the ASPS speaks on this issue, it is speaking as the guild whose members have been performing these procedures. That is what makes this statement different from outside criticism. These are the surgeons.What the Statement Actually SaysThe coverage has focused on the age cutoff — 19 — but the statement goes considerably further. The ASPS doesn’t just recommend delay. It raises foundational questions about the entire treatment pathway.The statement is unambiguous: it characterizes the research supporting gender-related interventions in minors as “low quality/low certainty.” It draws on the 2024 Cass Review commissioned by NHS England, several European systematic reviews, and the HHS report Treatment for Pediatric Gender Dysphoria: Review of Evidence and Best Practices, published in 2025. The statement finds “insufficient evidence demonstrating a favorable risk-benefit ratio for the pathway of gender-related endocrine and surgical interventions in children and adolescents.”Not just surgical interventions. The full pathway — endocrine and surgical — fails the evidence test.The statement also addresses the natural history of gender dysphoria directly: among children, the vast majority show resolution without medical intervention. Among adolescents, existing evidence suggests most will desist as well. This directly challenges the clinical framing that has driven urgent intervention — the idea that the trajectory of a child’s gender identity is fixed and must be medically affirmed. The ASPS also explicitly rejects the “suicide narrative” — the claim that withholding or delaying these interventions is equivalent to causing a child’s death. The statement treats crisis-based justifications for irreversible procedures as a reason for greater caution, not less.On informed consent, the statement is clear: plastic surgeons cannot treat a prior referral letter, a mental health clearance, or a prior medical intervention as a proxy for surgical indication. Each surgeon bears independent professional responsibility to assess the risk-benefit profile — and to communicate uncertainty honestly.Before the Statement: The Cass Review Panel That Never HappenedTo understand why this statement exists, you have to go back to the fall of 2024.Dr. Scot Glasberg, then president of the Plastic Surgery Foundation — the ASPS’s research wing — had organized a panel at the ASPS annual meeting titled “Translating Evidence into Best Practices: A Gender Medicine and Surgery Paradigm.” Dr. Hilary Cass, author of the landmark 2024 independent review of gender identity services for children commissioned by NHS England, had been invited to present.Before the meeting, a group of ASPS members — including gender surgery practitioners and leaders of gender-affirming surgery programs, among them Dr. Blair Peters — sent a letter to the ASPS board. Their demand: arrange virtual attendance for members who would be at the WPATH conference in Lisbon, Portugal, held simultaneously.The ASPS board met the demands. And then pulled the panel anyway. Every other gender-related session at the annual meeting proceeded as scheduled. The Cass panel was the only one removed. Glasberg sent the notice describing it as “postponed.”The Gender Surgery Task Force was established in May 2025, in part as a response to this episode. Its stated mandate was not to issue guidance, but to seek “areas of emerging consensus” among clinicians with differing perspectives. What no one outside the ASPS initially knew: several members of that task force held simultaneous leadership positions at WPATH — the organization whose standards of care the Cass Review had found to “lack developmental rigour.”The Gender Surgery Task Force’s response to the ASPS statement would become a flashpoint of controversy.The Internal FractureWhen the ASPS board released its position statement on February 3, 2026, it did not go through the task force. The board acted independently. The task force — including its WPATH-affiliated members — found out when everyone else did.Seven task force members sent an open letter to the ASPS board demanding transparency about the statement’s authorship and development. The letter was spearheaded by Dr. Jens Berli and subsequently posted publicly on LinkedIn by Dr. Scott Leibowitz — a move that created additional friction within the task force, with at least one member seeking to withdraw his signature.The open letter did not dispute the evidentiary findings. It focused on process. But the identities of its signatories — which include WPATH’s current president, president-elect, and a board member — tell their own story about who had a stake in the task force’s approach and why the board chose to circumvent it.The Malpractice ContextThe same week the ASPS statement was released, a former patient named Fox Varian was awarded $2 million in a malpractice judgment in New York state after undergoing a double mastectomy as a minor and subsequently detransitioning. It was the first detransitioner lawsuit in the United States to reach a jury verdict.The attorney who represented her, Adam Deutsch, said publicly that the ASPS statement validated his theory of the case: that a surgeon cannot simply defer to a mental health referral when assessing whether an irreversible procedure is appropriate for an adolescent. At least 27 other detransitioner lawsuits are currently pending.The liability calculus for surgeons in this space has changed.What Other Medical Organizations SaidThe response from other major medical bodies was revealing in its awkwardness. The AMA told reporters it agreed that surgical interventions for minors should be generally deferred to adulthood — but framed this as a clarification of its existing position, not a response to ASPS. The American Academy of Pediatrics said it “does not include a blanket recommendation for surgery for minors” — language that carefully elides what its own guidelines say about supporting surgical interventions for minors on a case-by-case, individualized basis.These organizations have staked significant credibility on a position the evidence no longer supports. The ASPS has now made that visible.Who’s Who: A Listener’s GuideSeveral names come up throughout this episode. Here is a brief guide to who they are and how they connect to this story.Dr. Scot GlasbergPast President, ASPS | President, Plastic Surgery Foundation | Co-chair, ASPS Gender Surgery Task ForcePrivate practice, Manhattan | Informed Dissent guest, this episodeGlasberg convened the Hilary Cass panel at the 2024 ASPS annual meeting that was pulled under pressure from WPATH-aligned members. He was central to the multi-year evidence deliberation inside ASPS that preceded the February 2026 position statement, though he was not involved in the board’s final drafting. He has spoken publicly about the evidentiary basis for the age-19 threshold and the statement’s independence from political pressure.Dr. Hilary CassAuthor, the Cass Review (2024)NHS England — Independent Review of Gender Identity Services for Children and Young PeopleDr. Cass led the most comprehensive independent review of pediatric gender medicine to date, commissioned by NHS England. Her 2024 final report found the evidence base for hormonal and surgical interventions in minors to be “remarkably weak” and found that existing clinical guidelines — including WPATH’s — lacked developmental rigour. She was invited to present at the 2024 ASPS annual meeting and was disinvited when the panel was pulled. The ASPS position statement cites her review approvingly by name.Dr. Loren SchechterPresident-Elect, WPATH | Member, ASPS Gender Surgery Task Force | Open Letter SignatoryMedical Director, Gender Affirmation Surgery Program, Rush University Medical Center, ChicagoOne of the highest-volume gender surgery practitioners in the U.S. — approximately 100–150 procedures annually. An ASPS member, signatory of the task force open letter, and WPATH’s incoming president. Part of the group that pressured the ASPS board regarding the Cass Review panel in 2024. After the February 2026 statement, he told reporters “the answer is somewhere in the middle.” In the Fox Varian malpractice trial he testified that surgery is not a mechanism to prevent suicide — a position that contradicts sworn statements he gave in a 2022 Florida case involving a minor.Dr. Scott LeibowitzBoard Member, WPATH | Member, ASPS Gender Surgery Task Force | Open Letter SignatoryChild and Adolescent PsychiatristA child and adolescent psychiatrist and WPATH board member who served on the ASPS Gender Surgery Task Force. He was among the seven signatories of the open letter to the ASPS board — and was the member who posted the letter publicly on LinkedIn, an action that created friction within the task force itself. On LinkedIn, he argued that the ASPS statement “ignored the reality that a young person’s maturity to make a decision can differ across ages” and that low-certainty evidence is a reason for guardrails, not restriction. His dual role — WPATH board member and ASPS task force member — is central to understanding the conflict of interest embedded in the task force’s composition.Dr. Asa RadixPresident, WPATH | Open Letter SignatoryWorld Professional Association for Transgender HealthCurrent WPATH president and a signatory of the open letter sent by the ASPS task force to the ASPS board. WPATH is the organization whose Standards of Care have served as the primary clinical guidance framework for gender-affirming care globally — and whose guidelines the Cass Review, the HHS report, and now the ASPS have all declined to endorse as trustworthy for implementation.Dr. Jens BerliHead, Division of Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery, OHSU | Open Letter Author | ASPS Task Force MemberOregon Health & Science University, PortlandSwiss-trained, Johns Hopkins-residency plastic surgeon who joined OHSU’s Transgender Health Program in 2016. He specializes in phalloplasty and gender-affirming facial surgery. Metadata from the task force open letter — and confirmation from a fellow task force member — identify Berli as the letter’s primary author. He and Blair Peters are colleagues at OHSU and frequent research collaborators. He is a WPATH member and follows WPATH surgical guidelines.Dr. Blair PetersVice Chair, ASPS Gender Surgery Committee | ASPS MemberOregon Health & Science University (OHSU)Peters, who describes himself as a “Queer surgeon,” is one of the ASPS members who sent the letter demanding virtual attendance accommodations before the 2024 annual meeting — the action that preceded the removal of the Cass Review panel. He is Vice Chair of the ASPS gender surgery committee, with Dr. Melissa Poh as Chair. He has been publicly critical of the ASPS position statement, posting on Threads in the days following its release. He is a frequent research collaborator with Dr. Berli at OHSU.Dr. Melissa PohChair, ASPS Gender Surgery Committee | ASPS MemberKaiser Permanente West Los Angeles Medical Center, Los AngelesBoard-certified plastic surgeon and head of the transgender surgery program at Kaiser Permanente LA, performing the full spectrum of gender-affirming procedures. She is Chair of the ASPS gender surgery committee — with Blair Peters as her Vice Chair — making them the two most senior ASPS members in formal governance oversight of gender surgery. She has published extensively about gender-affirming surgical techniques. She may be on the ASPS Gender Surgery Task Force, but that is unconfirmed in published reporting.Dr. Rachel Bluebond-LangnerPlastic Surgeon, Gender-Affirming Surgery | ASPS MemberLaura and Isaac Perlmutter Professor of Reconstructive Plastic Surgery, NYU Langone, New YorkOne of the country’s leading gender-affirming plastic surgeons, based at NYU Langone where she and her team perform over 800 gender-affirming procedures annually. Bluebond-Langner is a Johns Hopkins-trained reconstructive surgeon and pioneer of robotic peritoneal flap vaginoplasty. She has a longstanding research collaboration with Dr. Berli — including a joint commentary on the mastectomy systematic review that the ASPS position statement cites as foundational evidence. A WPATH member who follows WPATH guidelines. Her connection to the task force or open letter has not been confirmed in published reporting. NYU Langone has been at the center of its own controversy: on February 17, 2026 — two weeks after the ASPS position statement — the hospital shut down its Transgender Youth Health Program entirely, citing the Trump administration’s threats to withdraw Medicare and Medicaid funding from hospitals providing gender-affirming care to minors. The closure triggered protests outside the hospital, demands from 73 New York legislators that the decision be reversed, and a directive from the New York Attorney General ordering the program reinstated within 10 days. It is not yet known how the closure affects Bluebond-Langner’s adult surgical practice.References & Further ReadingASPS Position Statement (February 3, 2026): Gender Surgery for Children and AdolescentsHHS Evidence Review: Treatment for Pediatric Gender Dysphoria: Review of Evidence and Best PracticesSEGM Analysis: The American Society of Plastic Surgeons Rejects Adolescent Gender SurgeryBroadview News (Lisa Selin Davis): Medical Groups Are Censoring the Cass Review — The 2024 reporting on the Cass panel cancellation.Broadview News (Lisa Selin Davis): Understanding the ASPS Position Statement with Dr. Scot GlasbergBen Ryan / Substack: Tensions Flare Within Plastic Surgery Group Over New Policy — The definitive account of the task force open letter and internal fracture.Gender Clinic News (Bernard Lane): Consensus Shatters — Notes Schechter’s contradictory testimony across two legal cases.City Journal (Leor Sapir): It’s Official: No Consensus Among Medical Groups on ‘Gender-Affirming Care’ for MinorsSTAT News: American Society of Plastic Surgeons Endorses Delaying Gender-Affirming Surgeries Until 19NBC News: Plastic Surgeons Group Calls for Delaying Gender-Affirming Surgery Until Age 19Thanks for reading Informed Dissent! This post is public so feel free to share it. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit informeddissentpodcast.substack.com/subscribe

This week on Informed Dissent, Lauren Leggieri, Cori Cohn, and Jamie Reed break down a week that managed to be both absurd and consequential — sometimes at the same time.The first is a new paper out of the Amsterdam clinic — the team that invented the Dutch Protocol and launched a generation of pediatric gender medicine worldwide. De Rooy, Dekkers, Steensma, Popma, Kreukels, and de Vries looked at 1,470 adolescents referred to their clinic between 2009 and 2019. Eighteen percent did not pursue medical treatment. The most common reasons: no gender dysphoria diagnosis, or mental health and identity development problems that made treatment infeasible. The kids who didn’t pursue treatment had more psychological problems — not fewer. The paper’s own conclusion calls for “comprehensive diagnostic exploratory trajectories” before any medical intervention. The second is Brandon Robinson, a man who identifies as nonbinary, holds a seven-figure federal grant, and recently went viral for arguing that sexual identity labels — including “gay” and “lesbian” — harm transgender people and should be abolished.We also want to say thank you to our guests this week, Jen Sey and Kim Jones, who joined Lauren and Cori for a conversation that is well worth your time.If this show matters to you, please like, subscribe, comment, and share. Every share puts this conversation in front of someone who needs to hear it — and that’s exactly the point.Thanks for listening to Informed Dissent! This post is public so feel free to share it.Links:* De Rooy et al. (2026) — “Characteristics of Dutch Gender Clinic-Referred Adolescents Who Did Not Pursue Gender-Affirming Medical Treatment,” Journal of Sex & Marital Therapy: https://doi.org/10.1080/0092623X.2026.2641805* Brandon Robinson, Trans Pleasure: On Gender Liberation and Sexual Freedom — UCR profile: https://news.ucr.edu/articles/2026/03/06/scholar-makes-case-moving-beyond-sexual-labels* Jen Sey / XX-XY Athletics: https://www.xx-xyathletics.com* Kim Jones / ICONS (Independent Council on Women’s Sports): https://iconswomen.com* UN Commission on the Status of Women — CSW70 official record: https://press.un.org/en/2026/wom2249.doc.htm* LGB Courage Coalition on Substack: This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit informeddissentpodcast.substack.com/subscribe

This week, Jamie and Lauren are joined by three guests pushing back against ideological capture in law, psychology, and education. Cori will be back next week.🏛️ SCOTUS: Mirabelli v. BontaThe Supreme Court issued an emergency order vacating the Ninth Circuit’s stay of a district court injunction — protecting parents from California’s gender-identity nondisclosure policies in schools. Justice Barrett’s concurrence noted the Ninth Circuit had demonstrably misconstrued the Court’s recent holding in Mahmoud v. Taylor. A major win for parental rights.Cert Watch A decision on whether to grant cert in Littlejohn has been postponed. Foote v. Ludlow School Committee remains pending — a decision could come soon. Recommended Reading “The Emergency Docket’s Critics Have It Backwards” — Stephanie Barclay, SCOTUSblog (March 6, 2026) 🔗 Read it hereGuestsLaura Powell — Mother, attorney, investigator, and founder of Californians for Good Governance, a nonpartisan organization advocating for civil liberties and government accountability. Her work has earned national media coverage, been cited in federal investigations, and contributed to the repeal of an unconstitutional state law. She recently testified before Congress on violations of parents’ rights in California schools. 🔗 X: @LauraPowellEsq | @CA4GovernanceKevin Waldman — Classical liberal, gay man, clinical researcher, mental health professional, and founder of psychFORM Research Lab, which conducts independent research into human development free from ideological bias. psychFORM has established IRB approval for a five-university study surveying approximately 2,500 undergraduates on professorial influence and Western cultural perspectives. psychFORM.com | X: @KevWaldman | SubstackBen Appel — Author of Cis White Gay: The Making of a Gender Heretic (Bombardier, 2025), a memoir tracing his journey from a Christian covenant community to LGBT activism to Columbia University — where he encountered a new kind of orthodoxy. His recent piece in The Atlantic, “In Defense of Effeminate Boys,” is out now. benappelwrites.com| X: @benappel | SubstackInformed Dissent is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support our work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.If you find this show valuable, please like, share, and subscribe.Stay informed and ready to dissent. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit informeddissentpodcast.substack.com/subscribe

Informed DissentFebruary 28, 2026This week on Informed Dissent, Cori, Jamie, and Lauren break down Jesse Singal’s recent opinion piece in the New York Times and review some of the comments furiously written in the short window available. We also discuss what is happening in the state of Kansas regarding the implementation of the new sex-based driver’s license law. This Week’s GuestDan Zaksheske is a reporter at OutKick and has covered trans-identified athletes in women’s sports for about 2.5 years. He has appeared on Fox News and FoxNews.com, and his reporting has been cited in congressional correspondence to the U.S. Secretary of Defense. He has traveled across the country to tell the stories of girls affected when males enter women’s sports and spaces, reporting on the rules and policy shifts shaping competition and what they mean for fairness, safety, and opportunity for women and girls.🔗 Read Dan’s work at OutKick:https://www.outkick.com/person/z/dan-zaksheske📺 Subscribe to his YouTube channel:https://www.youtube.com/@UncontrolledNarrativewithDanZPlease like, subscribe, comment, and share. Our free weekly content happens because of the volunteers at the LGB Courage Coalition and from the support of listeners like you! Tarot card decks and fan mail can be sent to: LGB Courage Coalition PO Box 150114 St Louis MO 63151 Stay informed and ready to dissent. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit informeddissentpodcast.substack.com/subscribe

This week on Informed Dissent, Jamie, Lauren, and Cori step into the breach — with guest Jennifer Sey. Jennifer SeyJennifer Sey is an American author, filmmaker, business executive, and retired National Champion gymnast.She was the 1986 U.S. Women’s National Champion and 7x National Team member. She was the first gymnast to speak out about the abuses in the sport in her 2008 memoir, Chalked Up.Sey went on to produce the 2020 Emmy-award winning documentary film, Athlete A on Netflix, exposing the crimes of Larry Nassar and the abuse of athletes rampant in the Olympic movement.Sey began working at Levi Strauss & Co. in 1999, rising to Chief Marketing Officer and then Brand President.In 2020, she was the only C-suite executive to speak out against covid lockdowns and school closures.She is now the founder and CEO of her own clothing brand, XX-XY Athletics – the only athletic brand to stand up for women’s sports and female athletes.https://xx-xyathletics.com🔎 Stories Discussed🇬🇧 UK Pauses PATHWAYS Puberty Blocker TrialThe UK government has paused the PATHWAYS clinical trial into puberty blockers for minors after regulators raised safety concerns. Read more:👉 https://www.theguardian.com/science/2026/feb/20/uk-clinical-trial-into-puberty-blockers-paused-after-medicines-regulator-raises-concerns⚖️ AAP & Endocrine Society Sue the FTCThe American Academy of Pediatrics and the Endocrine Society have filed suit against the U.S. Federal Trade Commission over investigations related to gender-affirming care guidance. Read the Reuters coverage:👉 https://www.reuters.com/legal/government/pediatricians-group-sues-over-us-ftc-launching-gender-affirming-care-probe-2026-02-17/If you value these conversations, please subscribe for free, like this episode, and share it with others who care about evidence, ethics, and open dialogue. Your support helps us continue this work and grow the conversation.And as always, stay informed and ready to dissent. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit informeddissentpodcast.substack.com/subscribe

Informed Dissent — Week of February 14, 2026With Jamie Reed, Lauren Leggieri, and Cori CohnGuest: Dr. Patrick HunterThis week on Informed Dissent, Jamie, Lauren, and Cori go back to the Detransitioner lawsuit trying to parse a standard of care when the whole field went off the rails. They discuss weekly headlines and are then joined by Dr. Patrick Hunter for a wide-ranging conversation on pediatric care, standards of practice, and medical ethics.From Helen Lewis’s piece : “that she’d had her breasts removed at 16, only 11 months after first identifying as male. She had also been diagnosed with autism and had struggled with an eating disorder and anxiety.” Ben Ryan’s coverage American Society Plastic Surgeons: New York Sun Ben Ryan’s coverage American Society Plastic Surgeons: Hazard Ratio Substack Guest Interview — Dr. Patrick HunterThis week’s guest is Dr. Patrick Hunter, who joins the show for a detailed conversation about clinical practice, pediatric care, and evolving standards in youth gender medicine. You can follow Dr. Hunter on X @PatrickHunterMDThe discussion covers:* Dr. Hunter’s professional background and clinical experience* The role of pediatricians and primary care providers in evaluating distress in children* Why a cautious, slow-moving approach has historically been standard in pediatric medicine* The importance of careful assessment, watchful waiting, and risk–benefit evaluation when treating minors* How physicians navigate standards of care amid changing evidence, institutional guidance, and public pressure* The ethical responsibilities of clinicians working with children, including questions of informed consent, risk, and medical decision-making for minors* The tension between urgency, patient distress, and the duty to avoid harm in pediatric careThe conversation also introduces key ethical questions surrounding pediatric medicine and clinical responsibility. Because of the importance and complexity of these issues, Dr. Hunter will return to Informed Dissent for a future episode focused specifically on medical ethics and standards of care.Please like, subscribe, and share to help more listeners find these conversations.Informed Dissent is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support our work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit informeddissentpodcast.substack.com/subscribe

Informed Dissent — Show NotesThis week, Lauren, Jamie, and Cori break down a cascade of developments that unfolded in rapid succession: a New York jury malpractice verdict and major medical organizations reversing course on youth gender surgeries. We also take a brief look at patient-facing spaces like Reddit to see whether families are already reporting canceled or delayed surgeries, noting that while anecdotal, these discussions often surface institutional shifts before they appear in official statements. https://www.reddit.com/r/TopSurgery/comments/1qw9l00/comment/o3nyajn/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_buttonTaken together, the legal, medical, and cultural signals suggest a consensus once treated as untouchable is now beginning to fracture.Joining us this week is Gabe Walters, an attorney with the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE). We discuss the DIAG case, the free speech and civil liberties issues it raises. We also touch on FIRE’s recent victory defending a Washington State professor investigated for parodying a university land acknowledgment. Thanks for reading Informed Dissent! This post is public so feel free to share it.Relevant links:* FIRE (Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression): https://www.thefire.org/* DIAG v. Alexi Giannoulias (case page): https://www.thefire.org/cases/democrats-informed-approach-gender-v-alexi-giannoulias/* FIRE victory in the University of Washington land acknowledgment case:https://www.thefire.org/news/victory-court-vindicates-professor-investigated-parodying-universitys-land-acknowledgment/If you appreciate this episode, please like, subscribe, and share—and stay informed, and ready to dissent. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit informeddissentpodcast.substack.com/subscribe

This week on Informed Dissent, Jamie, Lauren, and Cori reflect on a week of unexpected moments — travel, testimony, and the decision to speak up when staying quiet would have been easier.Our deep dive includes a behind-the-scenes conversation about recent legislative hearings and welcoming new voices into the movement. We’re joined by Dr. Karla Solheim, a board-certified OB/GYN living and practicing in Northeast Iowa. Dr. Solheim is married to her wife of 12 years, and together they are raising three children. She began writing to support and empower other OB/GYNs practicing in rural settings, before turning her attention to the growing influence of gender medicine.In this episode, Dr. Solheim speaks about professional integrity, medical accountability, and what happens when clinicians decide to speak honestly — even when they hadn’t planned to.You can read Dr. Solheim’s writing on Substack here:If you appreciate this podcast, please like, share, and subscribe. These conversations matter, and they only grow when people pass them on.Stay informed — and stay ready to dissent.Informed Dissent is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support our work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit informeddissentpodcast.substack.com/subscribe

Informed Dissent — January 17, 2026News of the Week & Deep DiveThis week’s episode moves from state-level political turmoil to Supreme Court oral arguments, with a few unexpected cultural and intellectual detours along the way.Segment One — New Jersey at a CrossroadsWe open with the unfolding conflict inside New Jersey’s political and advocacy landscape, where a proposed “gender health care shield law” failed to pass before the close of the legislative session. That story, and the broader institutional turmoil at Garden State Equality, set the stage for a deeper conversation about how organizations respond to internal contradiction, external pressure, and reputational risk.Along the way, we take a few side roads:* What a zombie apocalypse in World War Z can teach us about cascading institutional failure.* Why Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring still matters when thinking about how societies respond to environmental and systemic risk.* Chris Argyris’ Overcoming Organizational Defenses and how organizations protect themselves from information they do not want to hear.* A brief discussion of Jennifer Bilek’s reporting on networked advocacy influence in the gender policy space.If you want the full written breakdown of the New Jersey story, we covered it here:Segment Two — Supreme Court Sports CasesIn the second half, returning guest Glenna Goldis lawyer and author of Bad Facts joins us for legal analysis of the two cases argued this week at the U.S. Supreme Court:* Little v. Hecox (Idaho)* West Virginia v. B.P.J.We unpack the constitutional questions before the Court, Title IX implications, standards of review, and what oral argument signals about where the justices may be headed. We also discuss how these cases fit into the wider national strategy around sex-based protections in law and sport. Closing ReflectionsAs always, we wrap by reflecting on the growing community around this show, the people showing up in real life at hearings and rallies, and the many listeners quietly processing complex family and cultural conflicts alongside us each week.If you enjoyed this episode, please like, subscribe, and share Informed Dissent. Independent media only works when listeners help build the audience and the impact.And as always — stay informed, and stay ready to dissent. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit informeddissentpodcast.substack.com/subscribe

This week on Informed Dissent we tackle the New York Times, men in women’s sports, Trans News Network, and the 37th Annual GLAAD Media Award nominees.We also discuss shoe sizes (is a women’s 11½ an outlier?), the independent media nominees all being either trans, queer, or aligned with that side of the movement, and why Jamie can’t pronoun Brad Polumbo’s name.In our second segment we were joined by guest Ben Appel. Ben Appel is the author of Cis White Gay: The Making of a Gender Heretic. He’s written for the Wall Street Journal, the New York Post, Newsweek, UnHerd, and many other publications.Links:Cis White Gay:https://www.amazon.com/Cis-White-Gay-Making-Heretic-ebook/dp/B0FJ2PVZCPX: https://x.com/benappelSubstack: Website: https://www.benappelwrites.com/Like, subscribe, share, and comment. Independent media only works if we share it and support it—and since we’ll probably never win a GLAAD Award, tell us in the comments who you think should be nominated for an independent media award. As always, stay informed and ready to dissent. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit informeddissentpodcast.substack.com/subscribe

Informed Dissent — This Week for January 3, 2026This week’s episode marks our return after the holiday break and focuses on Washington State, where sports policy, media framing, parental rights, and direct democracy are converging in real time.Jamie, Cori, and Lauren are together for the full episode, opening with a wide-ranging first segment before turning to an interview from Washington State.Segment One: Washington Post and NYT The episode opens with a discussion about a young man in sports and takes a rather bizarre turn to STI’s and Bacterial Vaginosis. * The conversation begins in Washington State and a recent Washington Post profile of a male athlete competing in girls’ track.🔗 Washington Post (live): “For young transgender runner, racing wasn’t the hardest thing”https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2025/12/28/transgender-female-athlete-competition-trump/🔗 Washington Post (archived):https://archive.is/2025.12.28-222636/https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2025/12/28/transgender-female-athlete-competition-trump/* Jamie, Cori, and Lauren end discussing a recent New York Times article examining new research suggesting that bacterial vaginosis (BV) may be sexually transmitted, and why the story centers a trans identified woman. 🔗 NYT: “Bacterial Vaginosis May Be Sexually Transmitted, New Research Suggests”https://www.nytimes.com/2025/12/30/health/bacterial-vaginosis-sexually-transmitted-infection.htmlThis post is public so feel free to share it.Segment Two: Ballot initiatives and direct democracyIn the second segment Lauren, Cori and Jamie are joined by Brian Heywood, from Let’s Go Washington. Brian can be found on X @bkheywood (That Damn Mormon) Heywood discusses:* Two Washington ballot initiatives—one restoring sex-based categories in school sports and another advancing parental notification and authority—that have surpassed signature thresholds for the 2026 ballot.* The scale of volunteer participation statewide and the documented intimidation, harassment, and violence directed at signature gatherers.* Why direct democracy has become necessary when institutional actors attempt to close debate rather than resolve it.🔗 Let’s Go Washington: https://letsgowashington.com/We are excited to announce the final counts: IL26-001 Strengthen Communication Between Parents and Schools: 416,201IL26-638 Protecting Fairness in Girls Sports: 445,187 Additional context and referenced voicesThroughout the episode, the hosts also reference:* Reporting on Seattle-area schools administering gender-identity surveys to children and sharing data with third partiesIf you found this episode valuable, please like, subscribe, and share.Your engagement helps more people find the show and keeps these conversations moving forward.As always, thank you for listening. Stay informed—and stay ready to dissent. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit informeddissentpodcast.substack.com/subscribe

Informed Dissent — This Week for December 20, 2025This week’s episode moved fast and covered a lot of ground. Cori and Jamie opened with a wide-angle look at where things actually stand right now—before turning to a guest conversation that tested the limits of dialogue across disagreement.Policy, politics, and what’s winningCori and Jamie begin the episode by breaking down several developments shaping the current moment, while also taking a trip down memory holed land into the world of the AAP and Peanuts. * A discussion of proposed rules from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services related to Medicaid, including what these changes could mean in practice and where leverage points may exist.* An overview of House legislation introduced by Marjorie Taylor Greene and Dan Crenshaw, with attention to political signaling, strategy, and how these efforts fit into the broader legislative landscape.* A grounded conversation between Cori and Jamie about what is winning right now—distinguishing institutional progress from rhetorical noise, and identifying where momentum is translating into real-world outcomes.Guest: Dr. Laura TargownikDr. Laura Targownik is a gastroenterologist and clinician-researcher in the University of Toronto Department of Medicine. Dr. Targownik holds a Master of Science in Health Services from UCLA and is the author of more than 230 peer-reviewed publications. Dr. Targownik is internationally recognized for work in the epidemiology of inflammatory bowel disease and in health economics.Four years ago, Dr. Targownik publicly shared a history of transition. Since that time, Dr. Targownik has become an advocate for trans rights, drawing on personal experience to present a vision of trans coexistence that emphasizes integration, civic participation, and contribution to the common good. Writing by Dr. Targownik has appeared in the The Globe and Mail and the Canadian Health Network.X (Twitter): @datadriven_tdocTweet of the Week:A satirical clip from Women Are Real that circulated widely this week and sparked discussion about how political conflict and cultural critique now travel through humor, shorthand, and viral media.Programming noteWe’ll be taking next week off for the holiday and will return the following week.If you value this show—even when it’s imperfect—please like, subscribe, rate, and share. That support keeps these conversations going.As always: stay informed—and stay ready to dissent.Informed Dissent is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support our work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit informeddissentpodcast.substack.com/subscribe

Informed Dissent — This Week’s EpisodeThis week on Informed Dissent, we’re joined by Alasdair Gunn and Harrison Tinsley for a wide-ranging and deeply human conversation about health, survival, fatherhood, civic responsibility, and what it means to protect children in a culture that often resists restraint.We discuss how lived experience—serious illness, custody battles, and advocacy—reshapes moral clarity, and why real compassion requires honesty, boundaries, and the courage to act when institutions fail.GuestsAlasdair GunnX: @ngusdairAlasdair Gunn is a long-time gender-critical writer and commentator who was early to recognize the harms being done to boys and young men in gender medicine. In this conversation, Alasdair reflects on how surviving a life-threatening cancer diagnosis clarified his understanding of consent, care, and health—especially when supporting people who are deeply vulnerable and suffering.Harrison TinsleyX: @HarrisontinzHarrison Tinsley is a father who successfully fought for custody of his son, in part over concerns related to gender ideology. Harrison joins the show to discuss fatherhood, the legal realities parents face when protecting their children, and why supporting others matters—especially when the stakes are this high.Please note: Informed Dissent will take a brief break the week of December 27. The news never seems to stop, but our underpaid—and often unpaid—volunteers have officially demanded one day off this year. We honor the request. Please enjoy an episode from our back catalogue that day, or you can always revisit the Mariah Carey 1994 Christmas album.Thanks for listening to Informed Dissent! Thank YouThank you to Harrison and Alasdair for joining us, and to our listeners for continuing to engage thoughtfully and respectfully. If you have a guest suggestions for 2026 please drop it in the comments below. As always, please like, subscribe, share, and leave a comment—it helps more than you know.Stay informed. And stay ready to dissent. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit informeddissentpodcast.substack.com/subscribe

Informed Dissent News for the Week December 6, 2025Segment One — Conversation with Glenna GoldisWe open the episode with Glenna Goldis and a breakdown of the week’s biggest stories:* The New York Times piece on the secretly recorded surgery consultation* Chase Strangio, taking one for the team with a public-facing optimism that change is possible within current advocacy structures — and why that message feels (because it is) another kind of fake believe. Glenna provides legally grounded analysis, highlighting how weak or ideologically driven legal defense strategies can create long-term consequences for everyone — eroding public trust, distorting precedent, and reshaping the legal landscape in ways that harm both patients and professionals. Her critique underscores how fragile the rule of law becomes when institutions abandon rigor.Segment Two — Interview with Journalist Ben RyanNext, we sit down with journalist Ben Ryan for an in-depth historical and cultural discussion of the HIV landscape:* The origins and development of AIDS Service Organizations (ASOs)* How these organizations became federally funded and what that funding structure meant for their long-term mission and operations* The history, promise, and limitations of PrEP, including how it reshaped the HIV prevention paradigm* How medical interventions, public-health messaging, and funding priorities can influence — and sometimes transform — community culture, norms, and expectationsBen offers rich historical context and a nuanced understanding of how institutions evolve, how public-health decisions ripple outward, and how medicine can shape a community’s identity and trajectory.Our Guest: Journalist Ben Ryan Ben Ryan is an independent journalist specializing in science and health care coverage. You can find more here: http://www.benryan.net/bio.htmlBluesky: @benryanwriterTwitter: @benryanwriterSubstack: Hazard RatioAdditional Notes: Guest Glenna Goldis Here’s her 2024 piece on Chase Strangio that quotes her saying gender identity isn’t real, etc. - Glenna on X:https://x.com/glennagoldisThank you for joining us this week.Please subscribe (it’s free!) wherever you get your podcasts, and don’t forget to like, rate, review, and share — it truly helps the show grow.As always:Stay informed, and stay ready to dissent.Thanks for listening to Informed Dissent! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit informeddissentpodcast.substack.com/subscribe

Informed Dissent — News of the Week• Nex Dagny BenedictWe cover the ongoing developments in the Nex Dagny Benedict case and the layers of narrative, reporting, and political framing that continue to emerge.• New Research Study — Covered by Ben RyanWe discuss the newly released study on youth suicidality and cross-sex hormones, along with journalist Ben Ryan’s detailed analysis of its methods and conclusions.🔗 Ben Ryan’s article:Conversation Notes* Helen Webberley and her many media hits* UK Pathways Puberty Blocker Study * Wheeler’s early political identity and public presence* His decision to break with party leadership on gender-related legislation* The political and cultural pressures surrounding those moments* How his past speeches and civic work reveal a through-line in his values* The broader landscape of youth gender medicine and how Wheeler situates himself within itPLEASE NOTE!After the show was recorded, Jamie spent the day reading all of the arms of the PATHWAYS studies and wrote a detailed tweet thread breaking it down.🔗 https://x.com/JamieWhistle/status/1994546772656431274?s=20Guest: Jonah Orion WheelerOur guest this week is New Hampshire State Representative Jonah Orion Wheeler, whose public service and recent high-profile decisions have made him a central figure in the current gender-medicine debate.Background & Featured Clips• Local TV Interview (December)21-year-old State Representative Jonah Wheeler makes mark at State House | CloseUp🔗 • Speaking for Women — March 20, 2025NH Rep Jonah Wheeler breaks ranks with Democrats to stand up for women — HB148🔗 • Confrontation After the Internet-Outage HearingRepresentative Jonah Wheeler Faces Down Angry Crowd in New Hampshire🔗If you enjoy Informed Dissent, please:* Subscribe — it’s free wherever you get your podcasts* Like, rate, and review the show (especially on Apple Podcasts, which helps boost visibility)* Share this episode with friends, colleagues, and anyone following the gender-policy landscape* Drop us a note — we love hearing your thoughts and reading the discussion in the commentsYou can also support our work by visiting the LGB Courage Coalition merch store at LGBcourage.org — and stay tuned: an Informed Dissent merch store is on the way. Everyone needs a new coffee mug.Stay informed — and stay ready to dissent.Informed Dissent is a reader-supported publication. To support our work, consider becoming a paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit informeddissentpodcast.substack.com/subscribe

Informed Dissent — Week of Nov 22, 2025News of the Week: Passport RulingWe walk through the recent U.S. Supreme Court order that allows the Trump administration to enforce a passport policy requiring sex markers to match sex as recorded at birth — eliminating the option of an “X” marker and ending self-identification on new passports, renewals, and corrections.We cover:* What the Orr v. Trump decision actually does* What happens to existing passports with X markers* How this fits into the broader legal landscape on sex, identity documents, and women’s rightsInformed Dissent is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support our work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.Guest: Derrick JensenAbout Derrick JensenHailed as the philosopher poet of the environmental movement, Derrick Jensen is author of twenty-five books, including The Myth of Human Supremacy, Endgame, and A Language Older Than Words. He holds a degree in creative writing from Eastern Washington University, a degree in mineral engineering physics from the Colorado School of Mines, and has taught at Eastern Washington University and Pelican Bay State Prison. He has packed university auditoriums, conferences, and bookstores across the nation, stirring them with revolutionary spirit.Support the ShowIf you enjoy Informed Dissent, please subscribe, share, like, and leave a comment — it helps more people find the show and join the conversation.Thanks for reading Informed Dissent! This post is public so feel free to share it. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit informeddissentpodcast.substack.com/subscribe

🎙️ Informed Dissent — Nov 15, 2025This week, Jamie Reed and Cori Cohn hold down the fort while Lauren Leggieri recovers from being sick — we miss her and hope she’s back next week.Jamie and Cori are joined by Vincent Deboni for a wide-ranging discussion about how powerful ideologies tend to follow the same playbooks across countries and institutions. Together they tackle one of the biggest questions of the moment:Are rates of transgender identification actually falling?How do we measure it, what early signals are emerging, and why might the landscape be shifting?We also break down the news of the week, share updates from the movement, and look ahead to major events coming up.📅 Save the Date — January 13th, U.S. Supreme CourtJoin us on the steps of the Supreme Court on January 13th to stand in support of protecting girls’ sports.Bring a sign, bring a friend, and bundle up — we’ll be out there doing the right thing, together.🔗 Links We Discussed• CRT in South Africa: The Devil’s Finest Trickhttps://psychkitchen.wordpress.com/2021/07/16/the-devils-finest-trick-crt-southafrica/• Paper: A Male Perspective of Psychology from the Rainbow Nationhttps://zenodo.org/records/4301377• Angelo Vincent Deboni — PsychReg Profile (10 articles on related topics)https://www.psychreg.org/angelo-vincent-deboni/Please subscribe to our Substack — it’s free — and don’t forget to like our podcast and share your comments below. And if you’re listening on Apple Podcasts, please rate and review the show; it really helps others find our work.Thanks for listening to Informed Dissent! This post is public so feel free to share it. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit informeddissentpodcast.substack.com/subscribe

Week of November 8, 2025Hosts: Jamie Reed, Lauren Leggieri, and Cori CohnSponsored by the LGB Courage Coalition■ Lauren’s HeadlinesKey stories of the week in gender policy, medicine, and media.■ Deep DiveTopic: “Who My Child Was and Would Be” — by James Marcus, The New YorkerDiscussion: Jamie, Lauren, and Cori unpack the essay’s portrayal of parental loss, identity, and ideology — and how elite media continues to frame family and gender through a narrow lens.Read it here:https://www.newyorker.com/news/the-weekend-essay/who-my-child-was-and-would-behttps://archive.ph/N3gyJhttps://x.com/wesyang/status/1985728982046629996■ SEGM CME Segment with Dr. Julia MasonTopic: SEGM’s new CME-accredited education series on evidence-based care.Links:- SEGM Official Website: https://segm.org/- SEGM Press Release on CME Launch: https://segm.org/news/segm-launches-cme-accredited-series- Ben Ryan Substack — “Fact-Checking Erin Reed’s Piece About SEGM”: https://benryan.substack.com/p/fact-checking-erin-reeds-piece-about■ ClosingSpecial thanks to Dr. Julia Mason, our production team, and our tech guru who finally stopped the screen from bouncing from face to face.Please like, subscribe, and comment — and know that in the new year, we’re investing in teleprompters and mics!If you’re in Washington State, come see Lauren and Jamie at the Super Signer Rally – Spokane, WA this Saturday afternoon (2:00–3:30 pm) at Bowdish Middle School (2109 S Skipworth Rd, Spokane Valley, WA 99206).Full event details & RSVP here:https://letsgowashington.com/super-signer-rally-spokane-wa/Stay Informed — and Ready to Dissent.Informed Dissent is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support our work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit informeddissentpodcast.substack.com/subscribe

Jamie Reed, Lauren Leggieri, and Cori Cohn break down the U.K.’s big news: the National Health Service launching a dedicated detransitioner service. What does this mean for accountability—and how does an institution open a clinic to address harm while continuing to cause it?Then, attorney Glenna Goldis joins to discuss the Texas doctor who fled to Oregon and the Kansas lawsuit challenging gender medical practices. Glenna will return regularly as our resident legal analyst.Follow Glenna:* Substack: Bad Facts* X: @glennagoldisWe’re also looking for a sports expert to join us from time to time—someone who can keep us updated on the state of women’s sports, and the men who refuse to take the hint and play where they belong: the open category, where they can finally compete on a level playing field. If you have any suggestions (or think this could be a good fit for you), please contact us at [email protected], attention Sports Desk, or drop your ideas in the comments below.Sorry for the short show notes this week — it’s Halloween, we’re tired, and there’s a full-size bag of Reese’s Pieces waiting for me. 🎃 This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit informeddissentpodcast.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode, we speak with Joe Figliolia, author of the Manhattan Institute’s new report on institutional capture inside the Texas Medical Association, and Dr. Lisa Ehrlich, who has seen that reality up close. We revisit the AAP’s 2018 Rafferty policy, walk through Texas SB 14, and note the latest news of a Texas doctor losing her license under the new law. From Ignaz Semmelweis to the mechanics of trade guilds, 501(c)(6)s, and runaway diffusion, we trace a recurring pattern: when ideology replaces evidence, institutions fail—and vulnerable patients pay the cost. We close with a reflection on Five Days at Memorial and what happens when no one in the room is allowed to say “stop.”Links & References * Deep Dive — Texas Medical Association / Institutional Capture • Article page: https://manhattan.institute/article/the-anatomy-of-institutional-capture-gender-medicine-policy-and-the-texas-medical-association* AAP / Jason Rafferty (2018) Policy Statement• AAP journal page: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30224363/* Texas Law — SB 14 (Final Enrolled Text)• Official Texas Legislature PDF: https://capitol.texas.gov/tlodocs/88R/billtext/pdf/SB00014F.pdf* Texas Doctor Licensing News • Texas OAG Press Release: https://www.texasattorneygeneral.gov/news/releases* Ignaz Semmelweis (history of hand-washing and medical resistance)• NPR/PBS feature: https://www.pbs.org/newshour/health/ignaz-semmelweis-doctor-prescribed-hand-washing* Trade Guild (definition)• Britannica: https://www.britannica.com/topic/guild* 501(c)(6) Overview• IRS: https://www.irs.gov/charities-non-profits/other-non-profits/irc-501c6-organizations* “Runaway Diffusion” • Diffusion of Innovations (Everett Rogers reference gateway): https://journals.sagepub.com/home/sgo* Book — Five Days at Memorial (Sheri Fink)• Publisher page: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/213878/five-days-at-memorial-by-sheri-fink/If you value this work, don’t just listen—subscribe, share, and drop a comment. Algorithms push what audiences engage with, and your support is what keeps evidence, accountability, and dissent in the public square. Thank you for listening, and we’ll see you next time on Informed Dissent.Thanks for listening to Informed Dissent! This post is public so feel free to share it. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit informeddissentpodcast.substack.com/subscribe

In this week’s Informed Dissent—our first real fall episode—Jamie Reed, Lauren Leggieri, and Cori Cohn take a darker turn, exploring how speech—whether protected, restricted, or weaponized—shapes the moral landscape of medicine, therapy, and the digital world.Our two deep dives reveal that speech isn’t an abstract legal theory—it can be tied to real harm. First, we examine the Chiles v. Salazar case and the Washington Free Beacon report, “The Problem With Conversion Therapy Bans.” We discuss why therapists should be held to standards that prevent abuse, but why those same regulations must never conflate honest, exploratory therapy with coercive “conversion” practices.Then we turn to The Washington Post’s devastating piece, “White Tiger 764,” a story of digital predation, manipulation, and cruelty that shows how words—and silence—can both destroy.From therapy rooms to Discord servers, this episode asks: when do words heal—and when do they harm? As autumn settles in, we look unflinchingly at the cost of speech, censorship, and what happens when comfort replaces truth.🔗 Resources & Mentions* The Problem With Conversion Therapy Bans — Washington Free Beacon* Teen’s Live-Streamed Suicide Set Off Exhaustive Search for “White Tiger” — The Washington Post* Chiles v. Salazar (Colorado Supreme Court, 2025)* “Lolcows” — a term from harassment forums like Kiwi Farms referring to individuals targeted and mocked for amusement or ideological reasons.* “Hug box” culture — insular online spaces that offer constant affirmation but little accountability, leaving users more isolated and susceptible to manipulation.* Etsy’s Rules for Minors:* Terms of Use — users must be 18+; minors (13–17) may participate only under direct parental supervision.* Can Minors Sell on Etsy? — minors must operate under a parent’s registered account and disclose supervision.* Imagery of Minors Policy — prohibits nude, partially nude, or suggestive images of minors.Thanks for reading Informed Dissent! This post is public so feel free to share it. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit informeddissentpodcast.substack.com/subscribe

What should count as a mental disorder—and who gets to decide? In this week’s deep dive, Jamie Reed, Lauren Leggieri, and Cori Cohn examine how the DSM (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders) became one of the most politicized documents in modern medicine. From the pathologizing of homosexuality to today’s debates over “gender dysphoria,” the hosts explore how psychiatric labels have shaped medicine, culture, and identity itself.Recorded in the wake of the 2025 SEGM Conference in Berlin and the Genspect Conference in Albuquerque, this conversation looks at competing proposals for a new diagnosis—or whether “gender-related distress” belongs in the DSM at all.Jamie and Lauren join from the road while traveling through the Pacific Northwest on their speaking tour.Drawing on insights from leading critics of psychiatry, including Dr. Paul McHugh and Dr. James Davies, the hosts trace how clinical consensus replaced scientific rigor—and how ideology continues to define what counts as care.They also discuss what “bad therapy” really looks like and why the cell phone generation faces unique psychological challenges that psychiatry has yet to understand.Links for Show Notes:SEGMSEGM 2025 Conference, BerlinSept. 11-14th, 2025https://segm.org/Berlin-2025Dr. Paul McHughThe Psychiatrist Who Shut Down America’s First Gender Clinic Speaks OutInterview of Dr. Paul McHugh, University Distinguished Service Professor of Psychiatry at Johns Hopkins University School of MedicineBeyond Gender podcastJul 17, 2025“Psychiatry is a discipline that’s not come of age.” - Dr. Paul McHugh (48:46)Notable fact: Dr. McHugh (1931–) co-founded the U.S.-based FMSF in 1992 to support families accused of abuse via “recovered memories,” often critiquing psychotherapy techniques for inducing false memories. The FMSF dissolved in 2019, after completing its contributions to the 1990s “memory wars” in therapy and legal contexts.Dr James DaviesAD4E Festival - Dr James Davies - The Making of DSM.ADisorder4Everyone YouTube ChannelSep 25, 2020Dr. James Davies, accredited U.K. psychotherapist and professor of Social Anthropology and Mental Health at the University of Roehampton, London, presents at the ‘A Disorder For Everyone’ online festival, held September 18, 2020. The making of DSM. Dr. Davies is co-founder of CEP (The Council for Evidence-based Psychiatry).CEP (The Council for Evidence-based Psychiatry)Diagnostic system lacks validityStatement: “Psychiatric diagnostic manuals such as the DSM and ICD (chapter 5) are not works of objective science, but rather works of culture since they have largely been developed through clinical consensus and voting. Their validity and clinical utility is therefore highly questionable, yet their influence has contributed to an expansive medicalisation of human experience.”https://cepuk.org/unrecognised-facts/diagnostic-system-lacks-validity/Psychiatry & Big Pharma: Exposed - Dr James Davies, PhDThe Weekend University“by reclassifying painful normality as psychiatric abnormality we have created the illusion of a psychiatric epidemic” -- Dr. James Davies (3:07)Regarding Dr. Robert Spitzer & DSM 3, 4, 5Stella O’Malley and Mia Hughes Recount Robert Spitzer-Led Updates to the DSMBeyond Gender Podcast, Clip from Episode #18https://x.com/stellaomalley3/status/1937598587157852616During his presentation at the A Disorder 4 Everyone! (AD4E) Festival, Dr. Davies recounts his interview with Dr. Robert Spitzer (chairperson of DSM-III) regarding the lack of biological basis and reliance on consensus for DSM disorders: (14:06)An Orchestrated Consensus becomes “Clinical Consensus”“we took over because we had the power” - Robert Spitzer (30:00)Mia Huges at Genspect“The Upstream Battle: Challenging the False Belief Fueling Medical Harm” Mia HughesPresentation at the 2025 Genspect The Bigger Picture Conference, Albuquerque, NMCori Cohn at GenspectThe recording of his speech has not yet been released. As soon as it is we will include the link in a future episode. Thanks for reading Informed Dissent! This post is public so feel free to share it. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit informeddissentpodcast.substack.com/subscribe

Relaunch: Introducing Lauren LeggieriWelcome to the relaunch of Informed Dissent! Each week, your hosts — Jamie Reed, Lauren Leggieri, and Cori Cohn — cut through the noise of the gender culture wars, tackling the stories behind lawsuits, medical controversies, school policies, and the very meaning of “gender.”In this episode, Jamie introduces new co-host Lauren Leggieri. Lauren reflects on the moments that shaped her advocacy — from the Gavin Grimm Case in Virginia to early protests at the Endocrine Society Conference and the American Academy of Pediatrics Conference in Orlando. She shares her experiences of being “canceled,” landing on the Transgender Map, and featured in Jennifer Block’s recent documentary. For Lauren, embracing her role as a gender non-conforming lesbian and emerging as an effective advocate has been a defining part of her journey.Next week: A Tale of Two Conferences — Society for Evidence Based Gender Medicine and Genspect, and the battle over what belongs in the DSM, and who actually has a say over that determination. Enjoy the show and we welcome your comments below! Thanks for reading Informed Dissent! This post is public so feel free to share it.Production or subscription questions or concerns: Email [email protected] with “Informed Dissent” in the subject line. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit informeddissentpodcast.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode, Cori and Ben take the mic without their cohosts to reflect on two pressing stories shaping the gender debate. We begin with former Mermaids CEO Susie Green’s latest effort to advance the cause of medical transition for children. From there, we turn to the recent tragedy in Minneapolis, examining how quickly it has become a political football for competing ideological tribes. What does this moment reveal about the trans movement today? And how do these flashpoints illuminate the wider struggle over truth, narrative, and power in the culture war?* The Webberleys* Susie Green’s TEDx talk* Minneapolis shooting* “Tired of being trans”* Westman’s history This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit informeddissentpodcast.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode, we discuss the activist-led campaign to discredit systematic reviews conducted by researchers at McMaster University because they were funded by SEGM (the Society for Evidence-Based Gender Medicine). We examine the researchers’ response, whether the campaign gained traction, and what it reveals about the politicization of evidence.From there, we step back to look at the broader landscape of systematic reviews on “gender-affirming care”—and whether the American public realizes just how weak the evidence base actually is. This naturally brings us to the University of Utah’s August 2024 review, which claimed that the evidence shows these interventions to be safe and effective. We break down what the Utah review got wrong and why its conclusions stand in sharp contrast to other systematic reviews.Links:McMaster statementGordon Guyatt“No pride in pseudoscience” op-edWPATH suppresses publication of Hopkins reviewsSEGM - Utah reportHandmaid’s Tale season 6The Human ScaleWardley mappingAlien Earth This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit informeddissentpodcast.substack.com/subscribe

Today, Corinna and Ben speak with the psychiatrist Dr. Lauren Schwartz. Dr. Schwartz is a senior fellow with Do No Harm, the lead author of a 2025 paper on the health risks of estrogen use in males, and the coauthor of a chapter in Lawrence Krauss’s new anthology, The War on Science (“Gender-Affirming Care: The Abandonment of Medical and Academic Standards”).* Arkansas ban stands* Air Force reneges on retirement benefits* DoE investigates Kansas* “Emerging and accumulating safety signals for the use of estrogenamong transgender women”* The War on Science This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit informeddissentpodcast.substack.com/subscribe

Today we talk about the latest gender clinic closures and “pauses” on pediatric transition services and speculate about what the future holds for the young people who’ve been harmed by these practices. Who’s going to help them? How will they help them? Will anyone be held accountable for harming them? We discuss the case of Avery Jackson, the trans-identified boy who at age nine appeared on the cover of National Geographic’s 2017 “Gender Revolution” issue. Avery, medicalized at 11, is now in his late teens and identifies as nonbinary.If you enjoyed this episode, please consider becoming a paid subscriber!* Leor’s piece on Meredithe McNamara* Lisa’s piece on Avery Jackson* “Gender Identity 5 Years After Social Transition”* “I Transitioned My Child - I Regret It”* NY Times article on blue state closures* Chameleon’s Substack piece* Ken Zucker* My Mom Jayne* Sandpipers* Albion’s Seed: Four British Folkways in America* Kandinsky art* The End of October This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit informeddissentpodcast.substack.com/subscribe