Gender dysphoria has become a minefield for public discussion, with many afraid to express their views or question the narrative. Our mission is to examine this important and complex topic from a range of perspectives, but always through a psychological lens. By openly considering and examining gender identity, transition, and the transgender umbrella, we hope to give all interested parties permission to engage these fascinating topics with less fear and more honesty. Interviews and discussions will involve clinicians, medical professionals, academics, transgender people, parents, detransitioners and other interesting individuals whose lives have been touched by the concept of gender. Conversations between two practicing therapists give listeners an opportunity to contemplate gender from a depth perspective not currently taken up in most of today’s accessible debates. As a result of their work with gender dysphoric therapy clients as well as their personal divergent experiences with gender, Stella and Sasha hold a refreshing and informed perspective. Is gender identity a facilitation of development and expression of creativity, or can it be a defense against painful existential realities of living in a human body? What can we discover about masculinity, femininity, identity, gender performance, and sexuality when we peer beneath the surface and dive into a deeper psychological exploration? What is the relationship between body, mind, identity, culture, and psyche? This podcast engages listeners in an intimate and fascinating behind-the-scenes inquiry about a topic as taboo as it is salient today. * We are partially sponsored by ReIME, Rethink Identity Medicine Ethics. ReIME is a non-profit organization dedicated to improving long term care for gender variant individuals. To learn more, visit https://rethinkime.org/
144 - "Glinner is a TERF" with Graham Linehan
Graham Lanahan, commonly known as Glinner, joins Sasha & Stella for an insightful exploration of comedy, societal shifts, and the personal journey of how a prominent comedy writer landed himself in the thick of identity politics. The episode serves as a testament to the ongoing struggle for open dialogue in the evolving conversation around gender. Graham Lanahan, born in Dublin, is the mastermind behind the beloved sitcoms Father Ted, The IT Crowd, Black Boots, and Motherland. His Substack, The Glinner Update, is dedicated to monitoring the extremes of gender identity ideology, and he also co-hosts the highly successful “The Mess We're In” on YouTube, which has garnered a remarkable 1.5 million views in just three years.In this conversation, Sasha, Stella, and Glinner explore the intersection of his comedic roots, evolving perceptions, and activism in the face of isolation and confrontation. Linehan shares his concerns about the transgender movement and its im
01/12/2023 • 1 hour 11 minutes 7 seconds
143 - The Battle Over the Word Woman with Sarah Holmes
With Sasha on break this week, Stella plays host to fellow Irish woman, Sarah Holmes, an ordinary working mother turned unexpected activist. The story shared in this conversation is one that resonates with the widespread societal shift in interest toward sex and gender.As the summer of 2020 unfolded, Sarah's life took an unexpected turn when a casual conversation brought to light a seemingly innocuous change in health literature – the disappearance of the word 'woman' from cervical screening materials. Little did Sarah know that this discovery would propel her into the heart of a battle against discrimination, forcing her to confront a societal transformation she never saw coming.When health literature began replacing 'woman' with 'person with a cervix’, Sarah's investigative journey led her to a realization that went beyond the seemingly innocent linguistic alteration. The issue extended to broader concerns about women's rights, safety, and fairness in various facets
24/11/2023 • 1 hour 21 minutes 52 seconds
142 - When Gender Hits the Holidays Part 2
Sasha and Stella join forces for a “Part 2” episode about navigating family dynamics during the holidays for families with trans identified children or young adults. This conversation touches on the complexities of estrangement, handling relationships with trans-identified partners, the delicate balance between intervention and bonding, with a focus on managing emotions, setting boundaries, and fostering open conversations within the family. Sasha and Stella carefully remind parents that conflict and distress can be part of the unfolding sense of character and personality development during adolescence. They also emphasize the importance of self-care when coping with holiday stress and giving space to be intense, but most importantly, practicing patience and self-forgiveness for both parents and children holiday pressures become overwhelming.This is a heartfelt conversation about the challenges parents and families face during the holidays, advocating f
21/11/2023 • 57 minutes 4 seconds
141 - Silenced for Asking Questions About Gender Medicine with Dr. Jillian Spencer
Join Sasha & Stella for their interview with Dr. Jillian Spencer, a child and adolescent psychiatrist from Queensland, Australia. This episode delves into Dr. Spencer's experiences with the gender clinic in her hospital, highlighting the challenges and concerns she faced in encountering adolescents identifying as transgender. The episode explores the complexities of assessing and treating gender dysphoria in young individuals, shedding light on the impact of fast-tracking into gender clinics and the potential psychological consequences. Dr. Spencer shares her journey of trying to raise awareness about the concerns surrounding gender interventions for children and the need for a more comprehensive approach to mental health. Jillian Spencer is a child and adolescent psychiatrist who lives in Queensland, Australia. She studied Medicine at Monash University in Melbourne and then subsequently trained in psychiatry. She completed sub-speciality certificates in Child and Ad
17/11/2023 • 1 hour 15 minutes 44 seconds
140 - Gender: A Wider Lens Live from Denver with Chloe Cole
Welcome to a special edition of Gender: A Wider Lens podcast! Recorded live from Genspect’s The Bigger Picture Conference in November 2023 from Denver, CO, USA with special guest in-person appearance from the delightful detransitioner, Chloe Cole. Hear Chloe share candidly about her journey through gender transition and detransition. From the challenges of societal expectations and the pressure to conform to gender norms, to the emotional impact of undergoing hormone therapy and a double mastectomy all before the age of sixteen. Chloe opens up about the highs and lows of her trans identity experience. Discover how she navigated the complexities of self-discovery, faced online backlash, and eventually found purpose in advocating for detransitioners' rights. Gain insights into her aspirations beyond the gender discourse, including her passion for creativity, fashion, and the desire to build a family. This raw and honest conversation sheds light on the often untold aspects of the trans
10/11/2023 • 1 hour 14 minutes 3 seconds
139 - Sex, Politics, and Double-Standards in Women's Sports with Coach Linda Blade
Coach Linda Blade joins Sasha & Stella for an incredible conversation about the critical issues surrounding fairness and inclusivity in women's sports. They explore the challenges and biases faced by female athletes in the wake of transgender athletes competing in women's categories, particularly the profound psychological impact. The conversation also sheds light on the rich historical context of fairness in competition. Dr. Linda Blade is a former Canadian Champion (1986) and a full scholarship NCAA All American (1984) in Track & Field. As a Chartered Professional Coach, Linda has worked internationally for over 30 years with hundreds of athletes. Her expertise has extended to leadership roles (selected): Provincial President (2014 -2023) of Athletics Alberta, where she developed sex-based eligibility guidelines; Co-author of UNSPORTING: How Trans Activism and Science Denial are Destroying Sport (2021); Collaborator in the establishment of the International Con
03/11/2023 • 1 hour 11 minutes 32 seconds
138 - The Emotional Lives of Parents Caught in the Gender Maelstrom
Join Sasha & Stella for this candid conversation delving into the intricate realm of parenting children who identify as transgender. They discuss the fear, confusion, and complex emotions parents face when dealing with their child's gender identity. The conversation touches on the challenges of communicating with their children and the potential risks and benefits of transitioning, emphasizing the importance of making the process more nuanced and less black-and-white, helping young people understand the complexity of their experiences, fostering resilience and offering a realistic perspective on the long-term impacts of gender transition. The conversation also explores the emotional challenges, including doubts and fears that parents often confront, such as the sense of losing their child to a different persona. They examine the loss of innocence that frequently accompanies adolescence, and the grieving process, a profound experience for these parents, acknowledging
27/10/2023 • 1 hour 6 minutes 7 seconds
137 - Conspiracy Theories, Hoaxes, and the Detransition Time Bomb with Wilfred Reilly
Stella & Sasha welcome Wilfred Reilly to the program for an intriguing conversation touching on gender and medicalization, political affiliations and extremism, violence and discrimination, societal myths and data analysis, and the impact of the internet on niche interests and mental health.Wilfred Reilly is an Associate Professor of Political Science at Kentucky State University, a historically Black institution. His research interests include International Relations, contemporary American race and gender relations, and the use of modern quantitative/empirical methods to test ‘sacred cow’ theories.In this episode, they delve into the issues surrounding gender, addressing concerns about youth and gender transition for children. They explore the challenges of obtaining reliable statistics on detransitioning and the difficulties in conducting research in the field of gender due to ideological biases. The conversation underscores the role of media bias and the evolvin
20/10/2023 • 1 hour 10 minutes 10 seconds
136 - Gender as a Communication, It's Not What You Think with Maggie Goldsmith
In this episode, Maggie Goldsmith joins Sasha and Stella for a conversation about the psychodynamic approach in understanding gender identity issues, particularly in children and adolescents. Maggie shares her personal journey, shedding light on how rapid onset gender dysphoria (ROGD) can signal a need for change within the family dynamic. She puts an emphasis on the importance of delving into unconscious processes that shape identity and behavior. The discussion covers theories about how key developmental stages, such as symbiosis and paranoid schizoid positions, can impact self-perception and relationships. Psychodynamic therapy is highlighted as a tool for deeper exploration, benefiting both the child and their family. Maggie also highlights how parental anxiety can affect the parent-child relationship, so self-care is crucial for both the parent and child's well-being. Sasha, Stella and Maggie share anecdotes about how different children may respond to discussions about gender i
13/10/2023 • 1 hour 8 minutes 56 seconds
135 - Intersex, Identity, & Ideology with Aaron Kimberly
Join Sasha, Stella, and Aaron Kimberly for a conversation exploring gender identity, queer theory, and intersex experiences.In this candid conversation, Aaron shares about his journey through adolescence and the challenges of growing up in a rural farming community with early onset gender dysphoria. He touches on categorization error and its impact on identity development, as well as the discovery of his intersex condition. The discussion explores the complexities of social transitioning within the lesbian community, and the importance of access to accurate information and its influence in shaping one's identity. The conversation even digs into the world of queer theory, its aim to deconstruct traditional categories, and the impact Aaron’s study of queer theory had on his perceptions of gender non-conformity and his own personal decision to transition.Aaron Kimberly is a female to male transsexual, born with a rare ovotesticular intersex condition which was diagnosed w
06/10/2023 • 1 hour 9 minutes 57 seconds
134 - Genspect’s “The Bigger Picture” Comes to Denver
Join Stella and Sasha as they discuss the exciting lineup of speakers and topics at the upcoming conference in Denver. From brain sex to the opioid epidemic, gender ideology to detransition stories, this event promises to be intellectually stimulating, heartwarming, and inspiring. Don't miss the chance to meet these influential voices in person and engage in important conversations.Explore Genspect’s The Bigger Picture Conference in Denver this November! Be there for enlightening discussions on gender, politics, and society. Experts from diverse backgrounds, including biology, psychology, law, and more, will tackle essential topics. Discover a nuanced approach to gender, listen to whistleblower reflections, and delve into the impact of politics on parenting. Don't miss out on this thought-provoking event that aims to bring different perspectives together for a comprehensive understanding of gender issues.Attend Genspect’s: The Bigger Picture
04/10/2023 • 37 minutes 50 seconds
133 - Is Trans REALLY the New Gay?
Sasha and Stella discuss the current cultural impulse that suggests affirming “trans” identity is the same as affirming gay sexual orientation in young people - are these two declarations really as parallel as the social justice narrative claims them to be? Sasha and Stella emphasize the importance of not conflating the two and explore how society's response to a child's gender identity should differ from declarations about sexual orientation. This discussion provides valuable perspectives on the nuanced relationship between gender identity, sexuality, and the importance of careful consideration when affirming a child's self-defined gender .Stella draws from her own personal experiences with gender dysphoria while growing up, and Sasha chimes in, offering expert insights from individual therapy with gender-distressed youth. This conversation sheds light on the challenges faced by young people navigating multiple aspects of their identity development. They stress t
29/09/2023 • 1 hour 2 minutes 47 seconds
132 - How To Have Impossible Conversations About Gender with Peter Boghossian
In this thought-provoking episode, Stella and Sasha engage in a powerful conversation with the brilliant Peter Boghossian, known for his controversial public resignation from Portland State University and his critical stance on academia.Dr. Peter Boghossian is a Founding Faculty member at the University of Austin and the director of National Progress Alliance. Peter has a teaching pedigree spanning more than 25 years that focuses on the Socratic method, scientific skepticism, and critical thinking. Peter’s dissertation explored increasing the moral reasoning of prison inmates and aiding their resistance to crime. His most recent book is How to Have Impossible Conversations, and his writing can be found in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Scientific American, Time Magazine, National Review, and elsewhere. His work is centered on bringing the tools of professional philosophers to a wide variety of contexts to help people think through what seem to be intractable pro
22/09/2023 • 1 hour 9 minutes
131 - Facing Futility: You Can’t Actually Change Sex, with Corinna Cohn
Fellow podcaster, Corinna Cohn, joins Sasha and Stella for an incredibly deep and meaningful discussion. Demonstrating no shortage of her charming sarcastic banter, Corinna offers an endearing balance of humor and thoughtful introspection as well as informative insights based on her lived experience as a transexual, writer, and activist. The conversation covers a wide array of topics including Corinna’s early experiences with gender identity exploration, transition and the changing landscape of gender, as well as her reevaluation of her own perceptions of gender and self-acceptance. Corinna Cohn is a writer, podcaster, and activist from Indiana. Corinna was diagnosed with gender identity disorder at age 15 and underwent surgical transition at age 19. In 2019, she became involved in patient advocacy, and in 2022 began organizing to support legislation that regulates gender medicalization of minors. Corinna has met with legislators and given testimony in Indiana, Texas, an
15/09/2023 • 1 hour 11 minutes 46 seconds
130 - Katie Herzog: Unblocked & Recorded
In this episode, Sasha and Stella eagerly welcome journalist Katie Herzog, who is also co-host with Jesse Singal on the popular podcast Blocked & Reported (aka BARPod). This dynamic discussion covers a wide range of topics, including Katie’s experiences and observations over the past two decades as a lesbian in the queer / LGBTQ+ community, especially pertaining to trans identities. They also explore Katie’s reflections from her influential 2017 article on detransitioners, The Detransitioners: They Were Transgender, Until They Weren't, and how her perspective on gender has evolved in the aftermath of its publication. The conversation even delves into repressed memories, different approaches to psychotherapy, nonbinary identities, and the particularly interesting, important and controversial topic - preferred pronouns. Katie, known well for both her wit and thoughtfulness, brought a unique perspective to these discussions, much like she lends to her own work and co
08/09/2023 • 1 hour 3 minutes 31 seconds
129 - Is “Gender-Affirming Care” an Oedipus Trap
In this episode, Stella & Sasha explore the concept of an Oedipus Trap, inspired by a podcast with Megan McArdle (see below). Sasha and Stella apply this psychological concept to the issue of childhood transition and how so many people involved might refuse to face their own mistakes or acknowledge their own accountability to the consequences of gender-affirming care. In her opinion piece for the Washington Post (linked below), Megan McArdle describes the oedipus trap as “There are some mistakes no one can live with, no matter how innocently they were made…Thus the trap: If you have made such a mistake, it is obviously better not to know you have done so.” The origin of the concept comes from the story of Oedipus from Greek mythology (linked below).In their conversation, Stella & Sasha speak delicately, but candidly about reconciling the choices and actions of affirmative clinicians, as their stories and experiences can offer valuable insights for reflection an
01/09/2023 • 1 hour 8 minutes 1 second
128 - As Weird as a Chicken Crying: AAP Statement on Pediatric Gender Transition with Dr. Julia Mason
“We are making strong recommendations based on weak evidence,” a statement from practicing pediatrician, Dr. Julia Mason, about the basis of gender affirming care, which is the model of care currently backed by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP).In this episode, Dr. Mason sits down with Sasha & Stella to discuss her relentless efforts towards charging the AAP to pursue a systematic review of the evidence behind gender affirming care. They discuss the series of events leading up to the AAP’s most recent article reaffirming their commitment to the affirmation model as laid out in the AAP’s policy statement published in 2018, but also announcing their authorization of a systematic review of the evidence. This decision on the part of the AAP comes long overdue in the wake of so many European organizations who have recently conducted their own reviews, all of which have resulted in abrupt shifts in the care protocols around gender transition.Links:<
25/08/2023 • 57 minutes 55 seconds
ANNOUNCEMENT | Weekend of Workshops Discount Offer
We’re hosting a live event Sep. 21-24 in Annapolis, MD. Join us for When Kids Say They’re Trans: A Weekend of Workshops. Early-Bird Pricing Ends Aug 25th! But, we're sending out a special offer -- be among the first to email: [email protected] with subject line “Annapolis Discount” and receive $350 off registration! Visit https://whenkidssaytheyretrans.com/weekend-of-workshops to learn more!Pre-Order When Kids Say They’re Trans: A Guide for Thoughtful Parents<a href="https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbXdkd3dPM2xGVkg1REhWOG5WWVpaRmpyUFcwQXxBQ3Jtc0tsblJ3bnZPWTNpaEVBdVJYbk5yUDBTYV84eVRmSEtjZF9uV0I0ZWJzX3EzaFZ4MlFEeXpkM3pneXRzVWtqTTNOSElxS2pINGR
22/08/2023 • 1 minute 26 seconds
127 - Help! Gender Is a Mess at My School: For Teachers, Counselors, & Administrators
Adolescence is a natural time for identity exploration. In this episode, Sasha and Stella address the challenges schools face when dealing with students questioning their gender identities. They focus on strategies for finding a balanced approach, honoring students' self-expression, preserving opportunities for further developmental progress and discovery, and respecting family dynamics. They highlight the pressure on schools to quickly respond and adopt policies, often without sufficient evidence of their effectiveness. They discuss the misconception that social transition is the only solution, questioning the long-term efficacy of this intervention and its potential for unintended psychological consequences. The conversation also touches on the fear of suicide, internalized homophobia, and common comorbidities including autism, ADHD, anxiety, and depression that could be contributing to the students' experience. This episode offers valuable insights intended to empower educators t
18/08/2023 • 1 hour 9 minutes 25 seconds
126 - Hot Takes: Sasha & Stella Revisit Controversies from Season 3
Sasha and Stella take time together to dig deeper in reflection and analysis from some of their recent episodes. They also chat a little bit about a few of their latest projects and endeavors including their upcoming book release: When Kids Say They’re Trans: A Guide for Thoughtful Parents. Visit whenkidssaytheyretrans.com to pre-order your copy of the book before Aug 25th and request an invite to their free webinar: When Kids Say They’re Trans: Do’s, Don’ts and Damage Control.This episode also offers the official announcement with details of their 2023 live parent event. Registration is open for When Kids Say They’re Trans: A Weekend of Workshops, taking place September 21-24, 2023 in Annapolis, MD. Register by August 20th to take advantage of early bird pricing.LINKS:Pre-
11/08/2023 • 1 hour 21 seconds
125 - From Gender Expert to Skeptical Dissenter with Sara Stockton
In this episode, Sasha and Stella sit down with Sara Stockton, MA, LMFT. Sara is a licensed marriage and family therapist who initially worked with affirmative clinicians, fully embracing gender identity theory. Initially, Sara earnestly believed in her work and its potential to help transgender youth. Over time, she began to doubt the field's effectiveness, the emerging adoption of queer theory bias within the field, and grew concerned with the poor treatment outcomes she began encountering with patients.Sara Stockton is a licensed marriage and family therapist, lecturer, researcher, presenter, and clinical supervisor of a psychotherapy practice in central New York. In 2012, she co-authored and published one of the first mental health assessments utilized to assess youth readiness for medical treatment and gender transition. Sara spent the first part of her career as a clinician treating and advocating on behalf of youth and families surrounding issues with gender. She spent
04/08/2023 • 1 hour 14 minutes 21 seconds
EP 124: A Culture of Desistance: Schools and Gender w/ Alex Capo
Alex Capo, LMHC, is the Executive Director at The Charlton School (TCS) in Burnt Hills, NY. Alex has over 25 years of clinical experience in working with children, adolescents and families in various clinical/therapeutic settings as well as schools. He has facilitated trainings for administrators, mental health professionals, teachers and students for over 10 years. He has been with TCS in various clinical and administrative positions for the past 20 years. In this episode, Alex describes his experience and observations of gender identity trending in his student population at the Charlton School. Between 2016 and 2020, the all-girls school experienced a dramatic increase in students questioning their gender identity. Following the advice of experts, the school implemented an affirmation policy, leaving parents feeling pressured and triggering an obvious social contagion amongst the student population. Alex noticed that the focus on gender issues was overshadowing the rea
28/07/2023 • 1 hour 9 minutes 20 seconds
123 - Drag, Drinking and Taking off the Mask with Calvin Lunt
In this episode, Sasha and Stella welcome Calvin Lunt, whose life journey encompasses a remarkable exploration of identity, the challenges of addiction and recovery, and a commitment to personal growth and spiritual wellness.Growing up, Calvin was essentially a feminine gay boy, but never particularly gender dysphoric as a child. He became a dancer and later a drag queen. You’ll hear him share about the impact of his experiences as a mixed-raced kid from a working class family with a very chaotic upbringing. From experiencing shame-inducing events to undergoing a pendulum swing between extreme identities, Calvin digs deep into his complex relationship with his sexuality and his body. He also discusses how his role as a social media influencer with a significant following and exposure to the camera spotlight also impacted his sense of self. Additionally, his involvement in the gay party scene led him down a path of heavy drinking and drug use, further impacting his search for
21/07/2023 • 1 hour 10 minutes 41 seconds
122 - We Wrote a Book: Is My Child Trans? | A Guide for Parents
There are so many books available for parents who want to help their kids transition, right? Of course there's no shortage of affirmative guidebooks for parents. But there are very few books written for parents about how to actually encourage critical thinking, how to slow down, exercise caution about the medical interventions and focus on developmental health first. Family dynamics and attachment are each key variables that are important not to neglect. Sasha and Stella joined forces with Lisa Marchiano to write "Is My Child Trans? A Guide for Parents" because they wanted to give parents a different type of guidebook and resource.In this episode, Sasha and Stella share a little bit about the book and the robust and comprehensive insights it yields. They discuss how it’s meant to be a practical guide, offering strategies to help parents reconnect with their instincts, orienting them towards reconnecting with their child in effective ways. They touch on the cultural influences
14/07/2023 • 1 hour 5 minutes 47 seconds
Follow-Up Episode: 116 Part II - Retraction w/ Dr. Michael Bailey
BONUS EPISODE coming in hot! We’re changing things up a bit this time around, in a few ways actually. Consider this some special mid-week bonus content for our dedicated listeners and the many, many professionals following the gender paper trails. And not only is it a surprise extra conversation for the week, you’ll notice that our dear Stella O’Malley is flying solo without her charismatic co-host Sasha Ayad. Not to fear, Sasha will return for our regularly scheduled programming!Today, we’re bringing you an update to one of our previous episodes…In the wake of recent developments around Dr. Mike Bailey and Suzanna Diaz’s paper, which has now been referenced in several of our recent episodes, Dr. Bailey graciously agreed to sit down with us for a follow-up conversation to explore a little bit more in depth about the recent official retraction announcement. He speaks about never having been retracted before and his very reasonable appeals to the publisher in an effo
12/07/2023 • 37 minutes 46 seconds
121 - Practical Advice for Managing Gender Identity in Schools with Dr. Kate Goonan
Episode 121 - Practical Advice for Managing Gender Identity in Schools with Dr. Kate GoonanIn this episode, Sasha & Stella spend time with Dr. Kate Goonan, an advisory and advocacy specialist with Genspect. Together they discuss the importance of building a strong support system for young individuals experiencing gender dysphoria. Kate shares about her approach for navigating gender dysphoria compassionately, grounded in realism, and offers clear, practical advice to parents.Dr. Kate Goonan is board certified physician who graduated from University of California at Davis School of Medicine and completed her residency at Massachusetts General Hospital in Primary Care Internal Medicine. After several years of practicing primary care and women’s health, her career focus moved to evidence-based medicine and quality improvement. Two years ago, she started studying the evidence base around gender dysphoria. She took a role in Genspect ad
07/07/2023 • 1 hour 4 minutes 23 seconds
120 — Pioneer Series: Researching Sexual Behaviors with James Cantor
This is a unique episode in that it features a conversation that was originally recorded back in 2022 with Dr. James Cantor. We intentionally decided not to release the episode at that time. You’ll hear Sasha and Stella introduce the conversation by sharing more about why they chose to withhold the episode for all this time and why they have opted to release it now, over a year after recording.Dr. Cantor is a clinical psychologist and sexual behaviour scientist. For the past 20 years, he has been studying the nature and causes of sexual interests from relatively familiar ones — such as heterosexuality and homosexuality, transsexuality, and asexuality — to rare and exotic phenomena, including vorarephilia (sexual fantasies of being swallowed) and furries (people who have sex while dressed or cross-dressed as animals). The most widely discussed of his findings has been his research using neuroimaging and other techniques to isolate the causes of pedophilia and hebephilia (the s
30/06/2023 • 1 hour 42 minutes 51 seconds
119 — Who Gets Embroiled in the Gender Debates
In this episode, Stella & Sasha explore the different kinds of ways people engage in the gender debates. You will hear them touch on the various kinds of characters and/or archetypes of people who imbed themselves deeply into the “gender world.” And you may also notice that there are many varieties of voices not referenced as well. Today’s episode takes shape a little differently than a typical Gender: A Wider Lens conversation in that they cover so many categories all at once, but at a very light level, and don’t have the opportunity to go too far in-depth into any of the concepts touched on. This discussion barely begins to scratch the surface of all there is to talk about here.Upon reflection after recording, Sasha shares her sense of apprehension in releasing the episode at all, only to come to the conclusion that in fact, these ideas require much more expansive exploration, after all. Stella acknowledges that there’s no denying the vastly compelling nature o
In this episode, Sasha and Stella sit down with Zhenya Abbruzzese, a healthcare researcher, analyst, and the author of several widely read peer-reviewed publications about pediatric gender medicine. Zhenya Abbruzzese papers include “The Myth of Reliable Research in Pediatric Gender Medicine,” “Reconsidering Informed Consent for Children, Adolescents, and Young Adults,” and most recently, “Current Concerns About Gender-Affirming Therapy in Adolescents. ” She works with several healthcare organizations, including the Society for Evidence-Based Gender Medicine (SEGM), an international non-profit organization that aims to raise the
16/06/2023 • 1 hour 16 minutes 40 seconds
117 - Gender, Parents, and Public Schools with Kate Parker
This episode is the first of several episodes dedicated to exploring what is happening with gender in schools and education systems. Schools are becoming more and more of a focus for parents and citizens who pay close attention to identity politics.In this episode, Stella and Sasha chat with Kate Parker, a high school educator and library director at a private school with over 16 years of service as an elected trustee to K-12 and community college boards of education. Kate recently stepped down from her position as the President of the Santa Barbara City College Board of Education in California and is the parent of an adult trans-identified child.In their conversation, you’ll hear Stella, Sasha, and Kate discuss how and when Kate noticed things changing and her observations of gender coming into the school system. They explore the triangulation that happens in families when schools keep secrets from parents and how destructive that can be. Kate offers advice
09/06/2023 • 1 hour 8 minutes 13 seconds
116 — Identity Politics vs. The Pursuit of Knowledge with Dr. Michael Bailey
In this episode, Sasha and Stella welcome guest, Dr. Mike Bailey, who recently published a paper with co-author, Suzanna Diaz about reports of ROGD kids. Their paper is important because it essentially corroborates Dr. Lisa Littman’s study from 2018. During the conversation, Dr. Bailey shares about the possibility that the paper could be retracted due to activist backlash. He also explores the findings of the paper with Sasha and Stella, as well as the complaints brought against it. They even dissect the context of why a paper would even be retracted in the first place.Michael Bailey is an American psychologist, behavioral geneticist, and professor at Northwestern University best known for his work on the etiology, or origins, of sexual orientation. He maintains that sexual orientation is heavily influenced by biology and male homosexuality is most likely inborn. Dr. Bailey’s 2003 book, The Man Who Would Be Queen, gave an accessible, intimate, and compassionate account of mal
02/06/2023 • 1 hour 22 minutes 21 seconds
115 — How Online Communities Shape Thought, Desire, and Doubt about Transition: with Eliza Mondegreen
In this episode, Sasha & Stella chat with graduate student and Substack author Eliza Mondegreen, who is dedicated to the study of online trans and detrans communities. She also studies the knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs underpinning affirmative care.The conversation with Eliza begins with a deep dive into what led to her intimate exploration of gender. She shares how her history with eating disorders, an early interest in the study of totalitarianism, advocacy work around women’s reproductive health, and her relationship with a close friend during their transition experience all helped pave the way for her intense interest and curiosity about gender, specifically the psychological experience as it relates to projecting distress and the medical interventions for managing the distress. Eliza shares how she explores these concepts in depth through her engagement with online communities (like Reddit) where she observes and reflects on the stories, ideas, and reactions shar
26/05/2023 • 1 hour 11 minutes 53 seconds
114 — The Dutch Protocol: A Deprivation of Sexual Development with Julia Mason and Stephen Levine
In the wake of such comprehensive exploration and analysis around the foundational medical research cited time and time again regarding child and adolescent gender transition, the Dutch Protocol, we extended an invitation to Dr. Stephen Levine and Dr. Julia Mason to join us in a discussion about their most recent paper, co-authored together with Zhenya Abbruzzese in a thorough critique of the Dutch Protocol.Dr. Stephen B. Levine is Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine. He is the solo author of five books, all of which are concerned with love and sexuality. He has been teaching, providing clinical care, and writing since 1973 and has generated over 180 publications, 35 of which have been related to gender dysphoria. He and two colleagues received a lifetime achievement Masters and Johnson’s Award from the Society for Sex Therapy and Research in March 2005. His recent publications on gender dysphoria have been read by thousands
19/05/2023 • 1 hour 17 minutes 54 seconds
113 — Gender A Wider Lens LIVE from Ireland
Sasha and Stella are together in the same place! Joined by Lisa Marchiano, this live episode was recorded in Killarney, Ireland, and the Genspect Bigger Picture Conference on April 28, 2023.[22:20] Question from Helen Joyce[32:13] Question from Colin Wright[47:35] Question from Maya Forstater[51:50] Question Jessie Mannisto from Third Factor Magazine[57:00] Question from Lisa Selin Davis[1:00:10] Question from Malcolm Clark[1:01:30] Question from Laura Becker / Funk God Artist[1:05:38] Question Adrian from LGB Alliance USA[1:09:51] Question from Wesley YangLinks:Helen Joyce’s Website:https://thehelenjoyce.com/Helen on Twitter: https://twitter.com/HJoyceGender<p
12/05/2023 • 1 hour 14 minutes 2 seconds
112 — Jamie Reed: “Every Ethical Line I Drew Was Walked On… We Are Hurting People”
In this episode, hear a personal first-hand whistleblower account of the harmful practices taking place inside an American gender clinic. Jamie Reed, a former Case Manager at the Washington University School of Medicine Pediatric Transgender Center at St Louis Children’s Hospital reflects on her experiences inside the clinic that ultimately lead to her profound decision to file for whistleblower protection from the Missouri Attorney General’s office to publicly express her concerns with the judgment and care provided for the patients at the gender clinic.Jamie, who herself identifies in the LGBTQIA community and is also a proud parent of five children, has a Bachelor’s Degree in Cultural Anthropology and a Master’s of Science in Clinical Research Management. In her conversation with Sasha & Stella, along with her attorney, Vernadette Broyles, not only does Jamie describe the experiences that led to the ultimate formal filing of her concerns, but both Jamie and Vernadette
05/05/2023 • 1 hour 13 minutes 46 seconds
Flashback Episode | 41 - Trans: A Conversation with Helen Joyce
In honor of Helen Joyce’s keynote appearance at the 2023 Genspect Conference: The Bigger Picture, we wanted to revisit our conversation with her from 2021 shortly after the release of her book, Trans: When Ideology Meets Reality. So this episode is a replay of her prior appearance on our show. And now we find ourselves almost two years later from this recording and she continues her work around sex and gender. She recently announced her decision to leave her senior editorial role at the Economist and is devoting her efforts full-time as the Director of Advocacy at Sex Matters. She has since worked tirelessly to defend women’s rights to single-sex spaces against the encroachment of gender self-ID and trans rights activism.Joyce’s address at the 2023 conference presents the cultural and sociological impact of gender identity beliefs as well as the disastrous effects of gender identity ideology on the health care of those suffering from gender distress. She then teams up with co
28/04/2023 • 1 hour 12 minutes 2 seconds
111 — Affirmation Therapy: Necessary, But Not Sufficient
Until recently in many parts of Europe, and currently in the United States and Canada, the affirmative model of care is the primary practice in place for working with gender-nonconforming and gender-diverse youth and children. In this episode, Stella and Sasha put some intention into a deeper exploration of what affirmation therapy is exactly. They take time flushing out not just what it is but also facilitate consideration of what it means and what it achieves. Together they reflect on where the concept of affirming therapy came from, how it evolved into its current practice, when a clinician follows the affirmation model, how does that look in practice, and what are the implications?Sasha and Stella also explore varying types of therapy, both similar to and in contrast to the fundamental premise of the affirmative approach, what they think about it, and does it actually offer any context for a comprehensive therapeutic process in the name of care?<
21/04/2023 • 1 hour 6 minutes 55 seconds
110 — Pathologizing Normal: The Lure of Identity Labels & Diagnoses
It seems like, in Western culture at least, we went from a place where, years ago, mental health issues were never talked about and often dismissed or hushed, to a place today, where it’s so ubiquitous to talk about mental health. And while it’s important that mental health is de-stigmatized, and a good thing that it’s been relatively de-pathologized, in many ways, it has shifted into some kind of identity marker, almost like a sense of identity for people. Mental health categories are becoming a way for people to seek and find meaning about who they are as a person. But this can be dangerous in that people are so much more than just the labels affiliated with their mental health.With the growing absence of religious and national identities, other identities have come into place in extraordinary ways. In this episode, Sasha and Stella explore society’s evolving tendency to rush to medicalize for quick and radical fixes for generally normal experiences. They discuss obsession
14/04/2023 • 1 hour 7 minutes 51 seconds
109 — What If We Are All Wrong: A Mother’s Regret with Rose
This episode is a powerful and important conversation exposing the increasingly devastating impact of the conflation between gender identity theory and the experience of living with gender dysphoria.In this episode, Sasha & Stella speak with Rose who wishes to remain anonymous. Rose is the mother of two young sons and lives in the United States. In August of 2022, she published the piece “True Believer” on the Parents with Inconvenient Truths around Trans (PITT) Substack. She wrote “True Believer” to share her story and help other parents and concerned adults who are struggling to understand the dynamics underneath the current phenomenon of transgender children. Rose’s first-hand perspective is unique in that she and her partner were "affirming parents" — they thought their four-year-old son could be transgender and chose to socially transition him, only to realize they were wrong.Rose’s story is incredibly important because, at its core, it’s a simple c
07/04/2023 • 1 hour 25 minutes 8 seconds
108 — Genspect Vision: The Bigger Picture with Joe Burgo & Alasdair Gunn
In this episode, Stella & Sasha talk with Joe Burgo and Alasdair Gunn about the Genspect’s new direction and the upcoming first-ever live event. As you will hear them discuss, the Genspect Conference, themed “The Bigger Picture,” will bring together experts from many fields holding a myriad of perspectives: eminent scientists, researchers, lawyers, doctors, psychologists, psychiatrists, psychotherapists, sociologists, educators, feminists, and some well-known detransitioners.Guest Joe Burgo is a clinical psychologist and psychoanalyst who’s been in practice for almost 40 years. He’s particularly interested in the concept of narcissism and shame. He’s also a really big part of the BeyondTrans project through Genspect, and the author of several books, including The Narcissist You Know: Defending Yourself Against Extreme Narcissists in an All-About-Me Age.Guest Alasdair Gunn was working in academia when he became interested in gender issues. After coming into
31/03/2023 • 1 hour 3 minutes 6 seconds
107 — What Your Teen is Trying to Tell You
In this episode, the Wider Lens duo takes a slight detour from gender to explore teenage years from a developmental approach and how parents can better connect with and support their teen children through a challenging but powerful season of life — adolescence.Sasha interviews Stella about her latest book, What Your Teen is Trying to Tell You. The book empowers parents to distinguish between opportunities in which intervention makes sense or moments that are best left for the teens to work out for themselves. Reviewed as somewhat of a deep dive into the teenage brain, the book provides practical advice for each of the key milestones teenagers need to tackle during adolescence to become happy, healthy adults.Covering topics from anxiety to body confidence and technology obsession to the sexual self, this book is sure to give parents — always desperate to “fix” situations for their kids — the confidence to optimize on a teaching moment, or the patienc
24/03/2023 • 1 hour 6 seconds
106 — Detransition Awareness: Beyond Identity & Political Narratives
This episode is dedicated to spreading awareness about the existence and experience of detransitioners — those who pursued a medicalized gender transition and later came to feel it wasn’t the right path for them. The detransitioner community is growing faster than ever as more young people realize they received inadequate and inappropriate healthcare.The complex experience of detransition is not at all captured by the political identity being defined in the public discourse on the topic, and the real hardships involved seem to be entirely lost as an openly acknowledged possible outcome of the medical transition pathway, a primary outcome of the gender affirming model of care.You will hear Sasha and Stella talk about how the detransition process is often a reckoning with reality. They speak about their experience working with detrans individuals and how it’s not as simple as “landing on detransition marks the end of a medical process or experience.” It is mor
17/03/2023 • 1 hour 10 minutes 2 seconds
105 — From Rejecting the Body to Finding Female w/ Victoria Smith
Victoria Smith is a regular contributor to The Critic, writing on women’s issues, parenting, and mental health. Her work has also appeared in The New Statesman, The Independent, and UnHerd. Her book Hags looks at the demonisation of middle-aged women in politics and popular culture.In this episode, Stella and Sasha chat with Victoria about the depths of body hatred and body loathing. Victoria shares her perceptions about experiences described in the context of gender dysphoria, seeming incredibly relatable to her experience of anorexia and disordered eating when she was younger. The conversation exposes the distress of the burden of acclimating to the maturing female form at a young age manifesting as dysphoric perceptions of reality — a coping mechanism for discomfort.Another fascinating concept explored in the conversation is how with age, females continue to experience confusion and discomfort with their changing bodies a
10/03/2023 • 1 hour 2 minutes
104 — No Time to Think with Hannah Barnes: The Downfall of GIDS at the Tavistock
Hannah Barnes is Investigations Producer at the BBC’s flagship television news and current affairs program, Newsnight. She has spent the last 15 years at the BBC, specializing in investigative and analytical journalism for both television and radio. Hannah led Newsnight’s coverage of the care available to young people experiencing gender-related distress at the UK’s National Health Service’s (NHS) only youth gender clinic in England and Wales, the Gender Identity Development Services (GIDS) at the Tavistock in London.In this episode, Sasha and Stella speak with Hannah about how, although she continued to report and expose questions, nothing changed and she eventually felt compelled to write a book; as she says herself “I knew too much.” In this probing discussion, issues such as puberty blockers, overwhelming caseloads, and the impact of lobby groups, such as Mermaids, are highlighted and explored.Hannah’s work at Newsnight ultimately helped precipitate an e
03/03/2023 • 1 hour 20 minutes 29 seconds
103 — Follow the Gender-brick Road: from Bi to Pan to Trans
Many young people who first claim to be bisexual will later identify as pansexual and then trans. Sasha and Stella discuss this common but contemporary pathway to trans identification and analyze why this might be happening and what it could mean subconsciously. They offer parents some ideas for how to engage their child during this time of exploration.Sasha and Stella both have parent coaching membership sites that offer an expansive catalog of resources curated to support and empower parents of gender-questioning teens and young adults. Depending on the membership level, you have access to full-length in-depth topic videos, articles, book recommendations, and live Q&A sessions.Links:Sasha Ayad’s Parent Coaching Membership Group (SubscribeStar)https://www.subscribestar.com/sashalpcStella O’Malley’s Parent Coaching Membership Group (Substack)</
24/02/2023 • 55 minutes 38 seconds
102 — Dutch Journalists: Words Matter…The Media’s Influence to Share or to Silence
The development of the Dutch protocol, and the research conducted from its practice, has become the basis for gender-related medical intervention in children all over the world; specifically, using drugs to block children's puberty and subsequently using cross-sex hormones and surgery to medicalize their 'transition.' The Dutch model has the reputation of being the “gold standard of care” for youth transgender medicine and is often cited when defending the use of puberty blockers and surgeries in minors and young adults. In many ways, it created the possibility of gender 'transition' in children.On today’s episode, Sasha and Stella welcome Dutch journalist, Jan Kuitenbrouwer and Dutch sociologist, Peter Vasterman. The two collaborated and most recently published an article; (translated title) “Trans Care Too Must Meet Health Science Standards”, weighing caution to the quality of the standard of care for transgender health and medicine, virtually all based on and adapted from
17/02/2023 • 1 hour 11 minutes 53 seconds
101 — Michael Biggs on Puberty Blockers: From Curiosity to Exposé
On this episode of Gender: A Wider Lens, Stella & Sasha sit down with Dr. Michael Biggs, Associate Professor of Sociology at the University of Oxford and a Fellow of St Cross College. Dr. Biggs has been key in uncovering vital information that led to the independent Cass Review on GIDS at Tavistock. Biggs has since turned his laser-like focus on the Dutch Protocol and in this episode, he discusses many of the issues with this flawed model. His distinguished body of work includes articles on social movements and collective protest published in all the leading disciplinary journals, including the American Journal of Sociology, American Sociological Review, British Journal of Sociology, and Social Forces. In this conversation, Dr. Biggs tells the story of his experience as a professor in a graduate sociology program when he encountered pushback from students about discussing gender identity from a sociological perspective as part of a classroom e
10/02/2023 • 1 hour 8 minutes 36 seconds
100 — Falling Down the Gender Rabbit Hole: A Tale of Two Therapists
Sasha & Stella take a walk down “memory lane,” recalling the evolution of events and circumstances that lead them each towards a deeper concentration on gender identity exploration in their work. With very different stories to tell, they each share their observations of society at large and describe their individual experiences within the culture of their communities and in their workspaces. They explain what intrigued them and led them to explore deeper questions about identity development, dive into the research behind gender affirmative care and gender reassignment surgery, gender stereotypes, and basic human development in general.They also reflect on how they began working with families and individuals impacted by gender. Their stories both lead up to how their work around gender identity development connected them and ultimately inspired the creation of this show and its rapidly-growing listener base. In its first two years, their collaboration podcast, Gender:
03/02/2023 • 1 hour 19 minutes 19 seconds
TOP 5 of 2022 Countdown: #1 EP 93 - A Takedown of Gender Politics with Wesley Yang
This episode is being rereleased as part of our Top 5 Episodes of 2022 Countdown! Wesley Yang, an essayist and public intellectual, has written extensively about 21st-century America and the liminal position of the non-black, non-white person. Coining the term "successor ideology" in 2019, Wesley has carefully analyzed this particular kind of ideology among left-wing movements that is centered around identity politics. Wesley has recently turned his attention towards gender issues and, in this episode, he delivers a blistering analysis of how gender has become a socio-political juggernaut, infiltrating society in every possible way. His substack features his writing, and the writing of other authors who are covering all the shocking twists and turns in the gender debates. He is also covering the release of the new WPATH Standards of Care, and the subsequent talks given about various chapters, including the now infamous eunuch chapter. As you’ll hear Wes
27/01/2023 • 1 hour 17 minutes 50 seconds
TOP 5 of 2022 Countdown: #2 EP 69 - Pioneers Series: Post-Series Analysis & Break!
This episode is being rereleased as part of our Top 5 Episodes of 2022 Countdown! We have completed eleven interviews and today we analyze the second half of our Pioneers Series. Stella and I discuss the psychological and emotional impact of some recent interviews. We review the shocking discussions we’ve had with several of our guests and reflect on the flawed Dutch Protocol, which is often held up as the gold standard in childhood dysphoria medical treatment. Dr. Anne Lawrence’s reflections on Autogynephilia and the extreme measures she feels some might take are discussed in the context of the Dutch researcher’s interview. We also think back about the role Az Hakeem’s groups will play when we examine this period in hindsight, years down the line. Perhaps Susan Bradley is right about ASD being a large explanatory factor in understanding gender dysphoria more broadly. We also look at the Samoan Prime Minister’s response to the Olympic Weightlifting competition: arguably
20/01/2023 • 1 hour 6 minutes 49 seconds
TOP 5 of 2022 Countdown: #3 EP 71 — Gender: The American State of Affairs with Jesse Singal
This episode is being rereleased as part of our Top 5 Episodes of 2022 Countdown! Jesse Singal was instrumental in shining a light on the defamation of Dr. Ken Zucker in 2016. Then, two years later, he became even more widely known in the gender world for his seminal, long-form piece in the Atlantic, “When a Child Says She’s Trans.” In this conversation, we discuss flaws in the science of gender dysphoria treatment and the misrepresentation of research findings in the media. We also look at the recent pronouncements from the Biden Administration, new state legislation, and Health and Human Services proposals. We discuss how all of this impacts our understanding of complex issues and shapes the American political landscape around gender today.Links:Jesse’s Recent book: The Quick Fix: Why Fad Psychology Can’t Cure our Social Ills https://amzn.to/3yIVwpn <
13/01/2023 • 1 hour 42 seconds
TOP 5 of 2022 Countdown: #4 EP 88 - Gender: Philosophy, Institutions, and Policy with Leor Sapir
This episode is being rereleased as part of our Top 5 Episodes of 2022 Countdown! If you’ve ever asked yourself: how is this happening? How are so many institutions completely captured by contemporary gender beliefs? How are medical bodies, educational institutions, and courts operating in ways that seem crazy? Well, then you really need to listen to this insightful and clarifying discussion with Leor Sapir. Leor is a fellow at the Manhattan Institute. A driven researcher with a Ph.D. in Political Science from Boston College, Dr. Sapir previously completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the Program on Constitutional Government at Harvard University. His academic work, including his dissertation on the Obama Administration’s Title IX regulations, has investigated how America’s political culture and constitutional government shape public policy on matters of civil rights.Similarly, at the Manhattan Institute, Dr. Sapir will apply his knowledge of po
06/01/2023 • 1 hour 12 minutes 24 seconds
TOP 5 of 2022 Countdown: #5 EP 66 - Pioneers Series: Where it All Started - The Dutch Researchers Steensma & De Vries
This episode is being rereleased as part of our Top 5 Episodes of 2022 Countdown! Bio: Steensma Thomas D. Steensma, Ph.D., is a health psychologist, principal investigator and part of the outpatient management team at the Center of Expertise on Gender Dysphoria at Amsterdam UMC, The Netherlands. Trained as a child and adolescent psychologist, his clinical work is focused on the counseling and treatment of people of all ages with gender incongruence and Differences in Sex Development (DSD). As principal investigator, his research lines are focused on psychosexual development, gender identity development and treatment evaluation of youth with gender incongruence. Over the years, he has published over 50 peer reviewed articles in international journals and sever
02/01/2023 • 1 hour 26 minutes 35 seconds
99 — Detransitioned & Damaged by the Dutch Protocol: Teiresias
In this last episode before our break, we begin with some important and exciting announcements about what listeners can expect in 2023 from Gender: A Wider Lens. We then launch into one of our most important interviews yet: “Teiresias” was a patient at the notorious Dutch clinic. Unlike the common misconception that the Dutch used an air-tight method for correctly identifying kids who would benefit long-term from transition, Teiresias’s detransition reveals the truth about childhood gender medicine, even when it’s being practiced by the “gold standard.”He speaks out about his medical transition and subsequent detransition. Teiresias was a feminine boy who, with puberty, became increasingly distressed by his same-sex attraction. One day Teiresias watched a TV program where a trans man described the happiness that came about as a result of medical transition. A seed was sown, and Teiresias turned to the internet where he was encouraged by older trans women to transition as soon
09/12/2022 • 2 hours 25 minutes 17 seconds
98 — StoicMom: Using Her Child’s Trans Identity for Personal Individuation
StoicMom is a certified life coach and former classroom teacher who has some unique ideas about parenting and education. Like other moms whose lives have been altered when their teens adopted a trans identity, StoicMom was initially determined to rescue her daughter from this dangerous ideology. She quickly recognized what she was up against and sunk into desperate fear and rage. StoicMom did “all the things” to get her daughter to desist — she even moved her family to a small town in a red state — but this backfired, as gender identity theory was everywhere. Repeated failures at getting her daughter to desist left her feeling impotent and hopeless.Eventually, StoicMom had to accept that her approach was also taking a toll on her health and relationships. To restore sanity and stability to her home, she’d need to find a better way. So, she turned to her life-coaching toolbox and decided to reframe what was happening to her daughter and to herself. Knowing she couldn’t really
02/12/2022 • 1 hour 3 minutes 27 seconds
97 — The Freedom to Believe or Not To with Rev. Bernard Randall
Today’s interview might be a bit different from what our listeners are used to, and we think it’s crucial to recognize the many arenas of life where gender identity beliefs have been elevated. Not only elevated over progressive or classically liberal institutions but even within religious institutions, which you might think are inoculated from a radical gender-identity takeover. Our guest, Bernard Randall initially studied Classics and Ancient History (the subject of his Ph.D.), but after feeling the call to ministry he added theology to his studies and was ordained in the Church of England in 2006. After a spell in parish ministry, he entered educational chaplaincy in 2011, first in a Cambridge University college, and then at Trent College, a fee-paying K-12 school near Nottingham with a Church of England foundation. He had a general awareness of the issues around gender and gender identity but was forced to face them head-on in 2018 with the arrival of Educate a
25/11/2022 • 1 hour 10 minutes 50 seconds
96 — Official Launch: Clinical Guide for Therapists Working with Gender-Questioning Youth
Two other members of GETA’s leadership team join Sasha and Stella for this special episode: Jungian Analyst, Lisa Marchiano and psychoanalyst, Joe Burgo join to discuss the new Clinical Guide that will be officially launched on December 3rd 2022. GETA, the Gender Exploratory Therapy Association and other groups have worked together to produce this guidance, which provides a loose framework for skilled and ethical therapists who are interested in depth-oriented work with gender-related distress. The launch of this document will be paired with a ground-breaking free workshop for any interested clinicians who want to learn how to work with gender issues in an ethical, exploratory fashion. Links: Dec 3rd Launch Event: https://bit.ly/GETADecember GETA, the Gender Exploratory Therapy Association: <a href="http://www.gende
18/11/2022 • 49 minutes 39 seconds
95 — How We Think About Sex: Leonore Tiefer
Dr. Leonore Tiefer is a native New Yorker, and an author, educator, feminist, researcher, psychologist, and activist whose work focuses on sexuality. She was a Clinical Associate Professor of Psychiatry at the NYU School of Medicine from 1981‒2018. She has been elected to office and received honors from major U.S. and international sexology and feminist psychology organizations such as the International Academy of Sex Research and the Association for Women in Psychology.Today, Leonore tells us about getting her Ph.D. from UC Berkeley in 1969. As a sexologist, she was studying hormones and sexual behavior in rats. When she got wind of the women’s revolution taking place outside her laboratory, she began a deep dive into feminist readings. Thinking about the cultural and social aspects of sexuality completely changed her paradigm. She came to believe that observing rat behavior in a lab could never help us understand how humans think about their own sexual experiences. She chan
11/11/2022 • 1 hour 14 seconds
94 — WPATH’s Bizarre 8th Standards of Care
WPATH (World Professional Association for Transgender Health) has recently released its Standards of Care, Version 8 (SOC8) to a lot of criticism and controversy. Sasha and Stella provide a preliminary examination of WPATH and their SOC8, explaining why they believe glaring issues within these guidelines have discredited the organization. Links: WPATH SOC8: https://www.wpath.org/soc8BMJ: https://www.bmj.com/content/378/bmj.o2303Wesley Yang: https://wesleyyang.substack.com/p/of-eunuchs-and-wannabesThe Daily Wire: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/wpath-explains-why-they-removed-minimum-age-guidelines-for-children-to-acc
04/11/2022 • 1 hour 7 minutes 9 seconds
93 — A Takedown of Gender Politics with Wesley Yang
Wesley Yang, an essayist and public intellectual, has written extensively about 21st-century America and the liminal position of the non-black, non-white person. Coining the term "successor ideology" in 2019, Wesley has carefully analyzed this particular kind of ideology among left-wing movements that is centered around identity politics. Wesley has recently turned his attention towards gender issues and, in this episode, he delivers a blistering analysis of how gender has become a socio-political juggernaut, infiltrating society in every possible way. His substack features his writing, and the writing of other authors who are covering all the shocking twists and turns in the gender debates. He is also covering the release of the new WPATH Standards of Care, and the subsequent talks given about various chapters, including the now infamous eunuch chapter. As you’ll hear Wesley has a truly incisive mind and dynamic voice, and we’re so thrilled he’s pointing his atten
28/10/2022 • 1 hour 16 minutes 24 seconds
92 — Brian Belovitch: From Boy to Girl to Woman to Man
Brian Belovitch is an author, actor, and mental health professional. As a longtime resident of NY, he has a storied career as a writer and gender outlier. He was a featured guest on The Moth Storytelling Hour on NPR sharing a story from his memoir, Trans Figured: My Journey from Boy to Girl to Woman to Man, published in 2018. In June 2019, Brian was named one of the 50 most influential LGBTQ authors of all time by Barnes and Noble and he participated in the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall Gay Pride Parade in New York City. Brian was also the subject of a documentary film that made its world premiere at DOC NYC titled; I’m Gonna Make You Love Me directed by Karen Bernstein.Most recently, Brian holds a Master’s Degree in Mental Health Counseling, where he plans to use his lived experience as a cis gay man of trans experience to help others who are exploring their identity journeys. As a long-term survivor of HIV, Brian lives proudly as an out belove
21/10/2022 • 1 hour 15 minutes 11 seconds
91 — Uncovering the GIDS Disaster: Dr. Dave Bell
Dr. David Bell retired last year from his position as a consultant psychiatrist at the Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust, where he worked for 25 years. There, he led the Fitzjohns Unit service which provided long-term psychotherapy for those with enduring, severe psychological problems. He is also the former President of the British Psychoanalytic Society.While he was in the Governor role at the Tavistock and Portman Trust, through a series of events, which we cover today, Dr. Bell discovered that something was going terribly wrong in the Children’s Gender Identity Development Service, or GIDS. Something I didn’t know before speaking to Dave is that the broader Tavistock Service had an established reputation for excellent psychoanalytic treatment models and for providing the highest quality of psychological care. So, clinicians who applied to work there were expecting to join the ranks of the most thoughtful and knowledgeable psychotherapists in the UK. Those young a
14/10/2022 • 57 minutes 54 seconds
90 — Tomboy at Tavistock: Ellie’s Desistance Story
Ellie was a gender nonconforming 90s kid in the UK. She became a patient of what came to be the Gender Identity Development Services (GIDS) at Tavistock. She was seen at the time by Dr. DiCeglie, a child and adolescent psychiatrist, and the GIDS founder. Ellie describes her psychological treatment with him and her decision, early on in life, that medicalization simply was not an option. She tells us about her family life and coming to terms with being gay in her teens. Ellie is now married to her wife and living happily. But she also talks about gender dysphoria being something she, and many lesbians, simply learn to live with. She offers some fascinating insights about the way technology is used, and social media, in particular, can mimic a kind of schizophrenia experience, with too many competing voices and opinions influencing the minds of teens today. She tells us about being featured in a BBC2 children’s program as a kid, and you can see the YouTube video of this segment in the
07/10/2022 • 1 hour 25 minutes 50 seconds
89 - Ritchie’s Detransition: The Myth of Adult Invulnerability
Ritchie Herron, also known as TullipR on Twitter, is a 35-year-old detransitioning male who spent almost a decade living as a trans woman. Before his fixation on gender, Ritchie had spent most of his life struggling with debilitating anxiety and obsessional OCD thoughts. As you’ll hear, he is brilliant, articulate, and compelling. But in his teens and young adult life, he forced his big personality into submission. He was terrified of the truth: that he was gay. Internalized shame, body hatred, and extreme isolation only fed into his OCD.In the throes of all this, he found an online forum about gender dysphoria, and everything changed in an instant, as Ritchie had a new goal and a new OCD obsession. In this interview, he delivers a moving and powerful account of what happened next. And keep in mind, this is the story of a vulnerable adult, well over 18, but still the victim of a system that missed red flags over and over again. In 2018, after much coaxing from the profe
30/09/2022 • 1 hour 11 minutes 49 seconds
88 - Gender: Philosophy, Institutions, and Policy with Leor Sapir
If you’ve ever asked yourself: how is this happening? How are so many institutions completely captured by contemporary gender beliefs? How are medical bodies, educational institutions, and courts operating in ways that seem crazy? Well, then you really need to listen to this insightful and clarifying discussion with Leor Sapir. Leor is a fellow at the Manhattan Institute. A driven researcher with a Ph.D. in Political Science from Boston College, Dr. Sapir previously completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the Program on Constitutional Government at Harvard University. His academic work, including his dissertation on the Obama Administration’s Title IX regulations, has investigated how America’s political culture and constitutional government shape public policy on matters of civil rights.Similarly, at the Manhattan Institute, Dr. Sapir will apply his knowledge of political theory and American government to policy issues, homing in, particularly on issues of
23/09/2022 • 1 hour 11 minutes 17 seconds
87 — Medical Technology & Ethics w Jennifer Lahl
Jennifer Lahl is the founder andpresident of The Center for Bioethics and Culture Network. She has 25years of experience as a pediatric critical care nurse, hospitaladministrator, and senior-level nursing manager, and more recently,she’s also become a successful filmmaker. In 2010, she made herwriting, producing, and directing debut producing the documentaryfilmEggsploitation,which has been awarded Best Documentary by the California IndependentFilm Festival and has sold in more than 30 countries. She is also theDirector, Executive Producer, and co-writer of AnonymousF
16/09/2022 • 1 hour 7 minutes 16 seconds
86 - Hormones & Identity with Bob Ostertag
Bob Ostertag published his book, Sex Science Self: A Social History of Estrogen, Testosterone, and Identity in 2016. At the time, few people took much notice. Six years later, however, this book is causing a stir among gender critical circles and provoking considerable thought and discussion.Today, Bob Ostertag expands on the book, which explores the way pharmaceutical companies have been marketing testosterone as the essence of manhood and estrogen as the essence of womanhood. Pioneering physicians have also been looking long and hard for a condition, even if they have to fabricate one, for which these hormones offer a solution. Bob’s work raises important questions about the beliefs people hold about these substances and what those substances mean for their personal identity. And of course, these beliefs are changing rapidly as society expands its understanding of gender identity, for better or worse.Bob also reminds us that no aspect of history s
09/09/2022 • 1 hour 14 minutes 11 seconds
85 — Mother-Daughter Story: "I Didn’t Want to be Yours Anymore" w/ Dr. Maggie Goldsmith
Dr. Maggy Goldsmith was working as anindependent contractor at the psychological and counseling service ofa small, progressive, liberal arts college when her 16-year-olddaughter announced that she identified as trans-masculine andrequired he/him pronouns. Unable to find appropriate help for herdaughter who was intensifying her demands for cross-sex hormonetreatment as she approached her 18th birthday, Maggy embarked withher on a trip to their ancestral homeland. While there, Maggy wroteabout her experiences as a clinician and parent of agender-questioning adolescent. In her first PITT Substack essaytitled, “To my daughter’s therapist: you were wrong,” Maggywrote about her daughter’s process of shedding transgenderidentification as she worked to build a more flexible and resilientsense of self. That essay got over 20,000 reads within the firstthree months of its publication
02/09/2022 • 1 hour 8 minutes 46 seconds
84 — Denise From 4thWaveNow: The View From Behind the Scenes
Denise is the founder of 4th wave now, the very first parent blog in the U.S. exposing the dangers and madness of the gender affirmative model of care for minors. In 2014, Denise seemed to be an ordinary U.S. mother who happened to work in healthcare, when her then 17-year-old daughter, out of the blue, texted her a link to a gender doctor’s website who claims he approves hormones and surgery for trans people.Denise refers to herself as a “good liberal” who didn’t know anything about this but was willing to investigate, so she made phone calls. She soon became puzzled by the response of the gender affirmative clinicians and decided she needed to do her own research. As it turns out Denise is quite extraordinary. Always a maverick and a deep thinker, found herself accidentally starting the groundbreaking website, 4thWaveNow, which grew to play a huge role in careful analysis and documentation of the psychological and medical harms being done to young people in the name of gend
26/08/2022 • 1 hour 13 minutes 2 seconds
83 — Trans Widow: Off the Grid with Shannon Thrace
Shannon Thrace is a writer, IT professional, and devotee of farm-to-table restaurants, summer festivals, all-night conversations, and lifelong learning. She’s passionate about unplugging, getting outside, and traveling the world. She’s also a trans widow who has written a memoir, soon to be published.Today Shannon tells about first meeting her husband, Jaime. She fell in love and married a man who was creative and artistic, with an eclectic but grungy style. He was down for anything, fun to be around, and spontaneous. They moved from the city to the country. This was a young open-minded couple that enjoyed a playfulness in their relationship. So when Jamie stumbled across trans porn and developed an interest in cross-dressing, Shannon was more curious than distressed. But then things took a weird turn. As Jamie started to spend more time in online spaces, and less time in the real world, his interest in cross-dressing changed from a fun activity to a real struggle with gender
19/08/2022 • 1 hour 5 minutes 32 seconds
82 - ASD & Gender: Who am I? with Dr. Tony Attwood
Professor Tony Attwood has specialized in Autism Spectrum Disorders since he qualified as a clinical psychologist in England in 1975. He has written two books: Asperger’s Syndrome: A Guide for Parents and Professionals and The Complete Guide to Asperger’s Syndrome. Between the two, they’ve sold over 800,000 copies and have been translated into dozens of languages.He has been a keynote speaker at many Australian and International Conferences and he presents workshops and runs training courses for parents, professionals, and individuals with Asperger’s syndrome all over the world.Today, Dr. Attwood helps us to better understand autistic traits in the gender-questioning teens we see today. We covered this topic in Episode 17 but felt there were things we missed and wanted to clarify. As Dr. Atwood informed us before we hit record, his expertise is in Autism, and he may not be as well versed in the intricacies of contemporary gender identity ac
12/08/2022 • 1 hour 4 minutes 53 seconds
81 - An Unlikely Court Case w/ Maya Forstater
Maya Forstater is a researcher, writer, and advisor working on business and sustainable development. She is one of the founders of Sex Matters, the UK-based, not-for-profit organization that seeks to re-establish that sex matters in rules, laws, policies, language, and culture.In 2019, she lost her job after tweeting and writing about sex and gender. She had begun talking and tweeting about news articles that she felt espoused bizarre new beliefs about gender and what the implications may be. For example, while building a campaign to combat overly-sex-segregated toys for children, called Let Toys be Toys, Maya observed that society had shifted from fighting sex stereotypes to claiming that some children were neither girls nor boys. It was fascinating to learn that even when researching tax policy, Maya found herself calling out unrealistic, utopian ideas and ruffling feathers among her liberal peers. In this conversation, Maya also reflects on her unlikely position in her lan
05/08/2022 • 1 hour 10 minutes 51 seconds
80 — Desistance Part II — Advice for Parents
Following on from the first episode on desistance (77), Sasha and Stella address a common question they get from parents of gender-questioning children: Could my child be desisting, and if so, how should I respond? The episode begins with a description of how it might look if a child is desisting or developing more psychological flexibility around gender. Then, they explore the many different responses parents can have when they suspect their child is in a desistance process. Commonalities among parents of desisted kids are discussed, and Sasha and Stella offer some practical advice for parents who may be confused by conflicting information from both affirmative practitioners and gender-critical commentators alike.Links:Wider Lens Renewal Retreat — Arizona 2022:https://www.eventbrite.com/e/wider-lens-renew
29/07/2022 • 1 hour 1 minute 22 seconds
79 - Gender Identity: Literally False, Metaphorically True with Dr. Bret Alderman
Bret Alderman is a writer and life coach who works with gender-questioning teens and their parents. He received his Ph.D. in Depth Psychology from the Pacifica Graduate Institute in 2012. His book Symptom, Symbol, and the Other of Language: A Jungian Interpretation of the Linguistic Turn, is an attempt to understand postmodernism, specifically its intense preoccupation with language, from a perspective informed by the work of Carl Jung. This work, in turn, has led him to an interest in Queer Theory and its relation to earlier, first-generation postmodernist thinkers.Bret’s insight into postmodernist and poststructuralist thinking provides a rich platform onwhich to get to grips with gender ideology. In this fascinating discussion, he explains the “linguistic turn” and the Jungian concepts such as ideological possession and other important archetypes. Perhaps most importantly, Bret tells us why a statement can be literally false and yet remain metaphorically tr
21/07/2022 • 1 hour 7 minutes 1 second
78 — Affirming Reality for Kids with Stephanie Davies-Arai
Stephanie Davies-Arai is the founder and director of Transgender Trend, the leading UK organization calling for evidence-based healthcare for gender dysphoric children and young people and fact-based teaching in schools. She was shortlisted for the John Maddox Prize 2018 for the school’s guide, “Supporting gender diverse and trans-identified students in schools.” She is a communication skills expert, teacher trainer, parent coach, and author of Communicating with Kids. Stephanie was an intervener in the High Court in support of Keira Bell and Mrs. A, who brought a landmark case against the Tavistock Gender Identity Development Service. They claim that under-18s are not old enough to consent to treatment with puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones. Stephanie was awarded the British Empire Medal as founder of Transgender Trend for services to children in the Queen’s Jubilee Birthday Honours list.In this discussion, we talk about how adults have always attempted to str
15/07/2022 • 1 hour 9 minutes 48 seconds
77 — Desistance Pt 1 — Accepting Reality: Now vs Then
This is Part 1 of a 2-part series on desistance. The difference between desistance and detransition is quite stark and in this episode, Sasha and Stella focus on the complex experience of desistance. How might a child come to desist? What facilitates or hinders this process, and what complicated feelings go along with this experience? Sasha and Stella also discuss the changes that have arisen in recent years and how compared to previous generations, society today responds very differently to children with gender dysphoria. In the next episode on desistance, EP 80, Sasha and Stella will help answer the question: How can I tell if my ROGD child may be desisting?Links:Cantor’s analysis of the desistance literature: http://www.sexologytoday.org/2016/01/do-trans-kids-stay-trans-when-they-grow_99.html </
08/07/2022 • 58 minutes 25 seconds
76 — Detransition Part II — The Emerging Picture in Research
In this second episode on detransition (following from EP 74), Sasha and Stella dig into several pieces of research on detransition experiences. They discuss surveys and case studies and analyze the data which is forming a picture of why detransition happens and what appropriate therapeutic care might look like for this vulnerable group. Themes emerge such as misattributing distress to the body’s sex, unprocessed grief and trauma, medical complications, and dissatisfaction with medical transition.Links:Genspect Analysis of detrans Reddit survey: https://genspect.org/analysis-of-reddit-detrans-survey/Pablo Exposito-Campos Detransition Paper: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/0092623X.2020.1869126</
01/07/2022 • 1 hour 4 minutes 42 seconds
75 - Borderline Personality: Distorted Attempts to Integrate - A Conversation w/ Lisa Duval
Lisa Duval is a licensed clinical psychologist who has worked with children, teens, and families for over 30 years. She is also the mother of a “fiercely gender-questioning” 18-year-old daughter, who has been male-identified for the last 5 years. She works with ROGD teens in an exploratory, empowering, feminist, and body-positive way, affirming their beautiful, complicated selves but not simply their trans identities. We start with Lisa describing the old DSM multiaxial system, which was actually discarded in the current version, version 5. In Axis 2, we had cognitive and personality disorders, including borderline personality disorder. Listeners often ask me and Stella about potential links between borderline personality constellations and gender issues, so we were really excited to speak with Lisa about this. For starters, Lisa shares why borderline personality disorder should rarely ever be diagnosed in teens, though sometimes you might hear psychiatrists say a
24/06/2022 • 1 hour 9 minutes 23 seconds
74 - Detransition - Part 1: Going Back & Moving Forward
In today’s episode, Stella and I begin our discussion of detransition. This is an incredibly rich, important, and complex topic, and we certainly don’t think we can lift up EVERY aspect of it. But in this episode, and episode 76 (the one after next), we’ll begin to explore detransition. Today, you’ll hear our initial observations and some random musings. We touch on some of the patterns and dynamics we’ve observed and how things have evolved in the world of detransition over the last several years. We highlight the vast differences between people’s experiences of detransition and how sometimes, the pathway into a trans identity may impact the pathway out. In episode 76, we’ll start diving into the literature and research we now have about detransition. We’ll look at a few important papers, surveys, and studies and what they can tell us about this growing population. Links:Detrans Voices:<a href="https://www.detransvoices.org/" rel=
17/06/2022 • 1 hour 6 minutes 19 seconds
73 - Shame, Narcissism, and the Transition Fantasy w/ Joe Burgo
Joe Burgo is a clinical psychologist and psychoanalyst who’s been in practice for almost 40 years. He also writes books for a popular audience mostly focused on shame and narcissism. In this episode Joe explains how a sense of shame can be a root cause of gender dysphoria and how gender transition can be idealized as a “cure” for all kinds of shame – gay shame, outsider shame, survivor of sexual abuse shame, feeling weird or different shame, and so on. The impact of the medical model on society is also lifted up as Joe describes how his depth-approach to psychological pain is often dismissed in a world seeking a solution for every problem and a pill for every ill. Resources Joe’s blog: http://www.afterpsychotherapy.com/ Joe’s books: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Why-Do-That-Psychological-Mechanisms/dp/0988443120" rel="noo
10/06/2022 • 58 minutes 31 seconds
72 - Disenchanted by Transition
This episode was made especially for anybody who might feel a sense of regret or anxiety about their medical transition. This does not mean they should necessarily detransition. Rather, it means that they are undergoing a reckoning with themselves. While some people choose to detransition, others are deeply ambivalent about transition but may feel they are “at a point of no return” and choose to remain in a trans identity. Others may find the detransition process too difficult and disappointing and decide to retransition. Sasha and Stella explore the blurry lines between terms like “transition” “detransition” and “transition regret” and hope to help listeners feel hopeful and find healing beyond these narrow concepts.Links:What I wish I’d known when I was 19 and had sex reassignment surgery, Corinna Cohn: <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2022/04/11/i-was-too-young-to-decide-about-transgender-surgery-at-nineteen/" rel="noopene
03/06/2022 • 1 hour 1 minute 49 seconds
71 - Gender: The American State of Affairs with Jesse Singal
Jesse Singal was instrumental in shining a light on the defamation of Dr. Ken Zucker in 2016. Then, two years later, he became even more widely known in the gender world for his seminal, long-form piece in the Atlantic, “When a Child Says She’s Trans.” In this conversation, we discuss flaws in the science of gender dysphoria treatment and the misrepresentation of research findings in the media. We also look at the recent pronouncements from the Biden Administration, new state legislation, and Health and Human Services proposals. We discuss how all of this impacts our understanding of complex issues and shapes the American political landscape around gender today.Links:Jesse’s Recent book: The Quick Fix: Why Fad Psychology Can’t Cure our Social Ills https://amzn.to/3yIVwpn Researchers Found Puberty Blockers And Hormones Didn’t Improve Trans Kids’
27/05/2022 • 59 minutes 53 seconds
70 - We're Back! — Parents Lost in a Medical Scandal
We’re back! Sasha and Stella update listeners with how they’ve spent their six-week break and jump right into discussing the plight of parents whose kids are experiencing gender distress. The first-ever in-person Wider Lens retreat for parents was held in Maryland in March 2022. This was a profound experience for the attendees and also for Sasha and Stella, who reflect today upon the common themes picked up at the retreat. These include medical negligence, parental guilt, and the transformative and comforting power of connection that emerged between parents who truly understand each other. Forthcoming plans for Season Two are also highlighted in this episode.Extended NotesProof the mental health lesson of “take a break” can have a positive effect.Stella describes how she spent her time away from the podcast.Struggling with writing, Sasha found inspiration in Patricia Goodson’s book, Becoming an Academic Writer.Sasha is
We have completed eleven interviews and today we analyze the second half of our Pioneers Series. Stella and I discuss the psychological and emotional impact of some recent interviews. We review the shocking discussions we’ve had with several of our guests and reflect on the flawed Dutch Protocol, which is often held up as the gold standard in childhood dysphoria medical treatment. Dr. Anne Lawrence’s reflections on Autogynephilia and the extreme measures she feels some might take are discussed in the context of the Dutch researcher’s interview. We also think back about the role Az Hakeem’s groups will play when we examine this period in hindsight, years down the line. Perhaps Susan Bradley is right about ASD being a large explanatory factor in understanding gender dysphoria more broadly. We also look at the Samoan Prime Minister’s response to the Olympic Weightlifting competition: arguably the leaders of integrating male femininity into their society, the Samonas had sharp words for
01/04/2022 • 1 hour 5 minutes 49 seconds
68 - Pioneers Series: Cultural Misunderstandings with Paul L. Vasey
This is the last episode in our pioneers series and the second interview with Dr. Paul Vasey. If you haven’t heard our conversation with Paul in episode 57, I recommend you go back and listen to that one first, as we build upon many of the ideas we introduced there. Today we continue reflecting on the way Western activism interacts with research and the interpretation of the fa’afafine, the muxe, and other third-gender individuals from different countries. We talk about the implications of the fact that the fa’afafine, for example, don’t try to identify as women and whether there are conflicting rights issues in Samoa. Paul also explains how Western funding organizations can end up imposing foreign concepts onto other cultures. We even touch on the implications for things like puberty blockers and early medical intervention. It was a real pleasure to wrap up our series with Paul and we hope you’ll enjoy this interview and stick around next week for the post-series
25/03/2022 • 1 hour 3 minutes 21 seconds
67 - Pioneers Series: Men Trapped in Men’s Bodies, with Anne Lawrence
Dr. Anne Lawrence is a physician, sex researcher, and academic writer. She is also a postoperative male-to-female transsexual who underwent gender transition in 1996. Since early childhood, she had experienced an intense desire to have a female body, but she had been unable to find any scientific or popular descriptions of transsexualism that spoke to her experience. This changed in the early 1990s when she discovered Dr. Ray Blanchard’s writings about the concept of autogynephilia, which he defined as “a male's propensity to be sexually aroused by the thought or image of himself as a female.” Blanchard’s revolutionary concept gave Dr. Lawrence an essential insight into the meaning of her desire for sex reassignment, and it helped her find the courage to undergo gender transition. Dr. Lawrence subsequently began to research and write extensively about transsexualism and associated issues, both in academic journals and on her website, “Transsexual Women’s Resources
18/03/2022 • 1 hour 15 minutes 40 seconds
66 - Pioneers Series: Where It All Started - The Dutch Researchers Steensma & De Vries
The reason this interview is so important is bc the concept of puberty blockers originated with these two researchers (along w/ cohen kettenis.) We talk about patient zero and the 22 year follow up w/ this person. We get into the nitty gritty details about the 2 studies on which all puberty blocker treatment is based: we ask why they selected certain methods, talked about eligibility criteria, and the 15 participants who didn’t make it into the final study. We even touch on Jazz Jennings, social media, ROGD and detransition. This conversation felt, to us at least, like we barely scratched the surface: we were frankly left with more questions than answers, which we are so eager to talk about in our post series analysis. You’ll probably notice the vast differences between the perspectives of these researchers and of myself and Stella, but nonetheless it was a productive and fascinating conversation. Bio: Steensma Thomas
11/03/2022 • 1 hour 25 minutes 26 seconds
65 - Pioneers Series: Gender - The Big Picture with Susan Bradley
Susan Bradley is Professor Emerita at the University of Toronto. She graduated with her medical degree in 1966 and completed her residency in Psychiatry U of Toronto from 1968 to 1972. In 1975 she became the Founder of Gender Identity Clinic for Children and Adolescents at Clarke Institute of Psychiatry. In 1985 dr bradley handed over the head position to Dr Kenneth Zucker (who we interviewed in ep 59). She is the author or co-author of over 50 articles on various forms of psychopathology including gender identity disorders in children and adolescents. After stepping down as Psychiatrist-in-Chief at HSC spent almost 20 years consulting to Children’s Mental Health Agencies around the Greater Toronto Area with a special interest in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder who are high functioning. Dr Bradley retired in 2010. This conversation was an incredible opportunity to hear Susan give her extremely informed long-term perspective on gender nonconforming chi
04/03/2022 • 1 hour 2 minutes 39 seconds
64 - Pioneers Series: Psychotherapy Pre- and Post-Transition with Az Hakeem
Dr. Az Hakeem was born and brought up in North Wales and has lived and worked in London since studying medicine. He is a Consultant Psychiatrist who previously trained in forensic Psychotherapy, Mentalization-Based Therapy and is a Group Analyst. He previously worked within the NHS in Forensic Psychotherapy specializing in Analytic Psychotherapy for conditions relating to sex, gender, sexual perversion, and violence at The Portman Clinic, part of The Tavistock & Portman Clinics. Dr. Az Hakeem is unique in that he is the only consultant psychiatrist in psychotherapy who specializes in the specialist application of exploratory psychotherapy to persons suffering from gender dysphoria. He set up and ran the only specialist psychotherapy service for adults with gender dysphoria in the UK in the NHS and is the author of TRANS: Exploring Gender Identity and Gender Dysphoria. After over 15 years working in the NHS, Dr. Hakeem now works excl
25/02/2022 • 1 hour 5 minutes 34 seconds
63 - Pioneers: Mid-Series Analysis
Sasha and Stella sit down to discuss their thoughts and reflections on the Pioneer interviews they’ve conducted so far in the series. This analysis attempts to synthesize what they’ve learned, what differences in perspective they hold compared to their previous guests, and reiterate the importance of these discussions within the wider context of childhood transition, scientific inquiry, and deep exploration of all things gender. Links:Butch Identity DevelopmentExtended NotesSasha and Stella give a mid-series update on some of the thoughts they have had so far and talk about the range of guests they've had on.This series started with a bang with Dr. Paul Vasey and his research in Samoa.Is it more acceptable now for women to socially transition?Our society is obsessed with femininity. Sasha explores wh
18/02/2022 • 1 hour 3 minutes 45 seconds
62 - Pioneers Series: Adolescent Identity with Riittakerttu Kaltiala
Riittakerttu Kaltiala, M.D., Ph.D., BSc, is a professor of adolescent psychiatry in Tampere University and chief psychiatrist in the Department of Adolescent Psychiatry at Tampere University Hospital. She is a specialist in psychiatry, adolescent psychiatry, and forensic psychiatry. She has been clinically involved in carrying out research on adolescent gender identity issues since 2011 when one of the two nationally centralized gender identity services for minors was opened in Finland, in Tampere University Hospital. She has been actively involved in service development, continuing education, and scientific writing and collaboration nationally and internationally, and in her home country she has been invited as a member of major national initiatives related to transgender treatment guidelines and legislation. She has published numerous scientific articles on adolescent mental health epidemiology, psychiatric health services research, and clinical adolescent psychiatry.
11/02/2022 • 1 hour 17 minutes 34 seconds
61 - Pioneers Series: Autogynephilia: Myth and Meaning with Ray Blanchard
Ray Blanchard was the psychologist in the Adult Gender Identity Clinic at the Clarke Institute of Psychiatry 1980–1995. Much of his research in those 15 years concerned transsexualism and milder forms of gender identity disorders. In 1995, he was appointed Head of the newly created Clinical Sexology Services at the CAMH. This unit comprised the Adult Gender Identity Clinic and the Kurt Freund Laboratory, the latter being the oldest laboratory in North America for the psychophysiological assessment of erotic interests in sexual offenders and other men with problematic sexual behavior. Blanchard retired from the CAMH in 2010. Since his retirement, he has continued to be active in research on human sexuality, often in collaboration with former students, colleagues, and their students. Today, Ray tells us how he got into the field, as he was primarily interested in conducting sex research. And then he found himself in a gender identity clinic. He got interested in boi
04/02/2022 • 1 hour 11 minutes 39 seconds
60 - Pioneers Series: We Contain Multitudes with Stephen Levine
Dr. Steve Levine is Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine. He is the sole author of several books: Sex Is Not Simple in 1989 (translated to German in 1992 and reissued in English in 1997 as Solving Common Sexual Problems); Sexual Life: A clinician’s Guide in 1992; Sexuality in Mid-Life in 1998 and Demystifying Love: Plain Talk for the Mental Health Professional in 2006; Barriers to Loving: A Clinician’s Perspective in 2013; Psychotherapeutic Approaches to Sexual Problems: An Essential Guide for Mental Health Professionals in 2020. Dr. Levine is also the Senior Editor of the first (2003), second (2010), and third (2016) editions of the Handbook of Clinical Sexuality for Mental Health Professionals. He has been teaching, providing clinical care, and writing since 1973 and has generated original research, invited papers, commentaries, cha
28/01/2022 • 1 hour 18 minutes 29 seconds
59 - Pioneers Series: 46 Years of Treating GD in Kids with Kenneth Zucker
Dr. Zucker is a registered clinical psychologist in Ontario. He received his Ph.D. at the University of Toronto in Developmental Psychology in 1982. He is a Professor (Status Only) in the Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, and in private practice. He was the Chair of the 2013 DSM-5 Work Group on Sexual and Gender Identity Disorders. He is a past President of the International Academy of Sex Research and has been the Editor of Archives of Sexual Behavior since 2002. Since 1976, Dr. Zucker has worked clinically with children and adolescents with gender dysphoria and their families. His research spans a variety of areas, including epidemiology, diagnosis, and assessment, associated mental health challenges, causal mechanisms, and long-term follow-up. In our discussion, Ken describes the early years of working with childhood gender issues starting in the 1970s. We talk about the changes he’s seen in the kinds of kids, families, and therapists in the fiel
21/01/2022 • 1 hour 24 minutes 6 seconds
58 - Pioneers Series: Male Sexuality with Michael J. Bailey
Dr. Michael Bailey is an American psychologist, behavioral geneticist, and professor at Northwestern University best known for his work on the etiology, or origins, of sexual orientation. He maintains that sexual orientation is heavily influenced by biology and male homosexuality is m
14/01/2022 • 1 hour 4 seconds
57 — Pioneers Series: Male Femininity w/Paul L. Vasey
Recent theories about gender often describe “third gender” categories found in other cultures. Prof Paul Vasey is one of the world’s leading academic experts on the Fa’fafine. These individuals are feminine males who live “in the manner of a woman” in Samoa. Sasha and Stella have a spellbinding discussion with Paul about how our Western constructs can sometimes completely misinterpret well-researched phenomena in other societies. This conversation actually highlights the universal truths of sex difference between male and female and helps us understand the organic, naturally emerging trait of femininity in androphilic (or same-sex-attracted) males. Links:“What can the Samoan ‘Fa’afafine’ teach us about the Western concept of gender identity disorder in childhood?” by Paul Vasey and Nancy Bartlett (2007). Pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17951883Extended Notes
07/01/2022 • 1 hour 6 minutes 9 seconds
56 - New Year’s Resolutions & Introducing the “Pioneers Series”
For Sasha and Stella’s last episode of the year, they introduce a very exciting series that will be coming up in 2022. In the “Pioneers Series,” they will be interviewing experienced clinicians, researchers, and other professionals whose contributions to our understanding of gender dysphoria and sexuality are foundational. Consider this a back-to-basics 101 course on gender and sexuality. Stella and Sasha also talk about their own personal goals and priorities for the new year. They offer up 10 resolutions that listeners might focus on along with them as we all move into 2022. Links:100 days of walking: 100daysofwalking.com/FAQBrideshead revisited Goodreads.com/book/show/30933.Brideshead_RevisitedIdentity Crisis: <a href
31/12/2021 • 1 hour 2 minutes 31 seconds
55 - Who Gets to Decide What's Normal: A Conversation w/ Lisa Selin Davis
Lisa Selin Davis is the essayist, journalist, and author of Tomboy: The Surprising History and Future of Girls Who Dare to Be Different. Like many other open-minded, liberal Americans, she has undergone a familiar arc in her understanding of gender issues. She has experienced, first-hand, the current trend of silencing those who seek a deeper understanding of childhood gender nonconformity. In this conversation, Lisa describes how she came to write her book, examines the current state of journalism, and recounts how our understanding of gender rebels has evolved in society. Lisa reminds us that we are not done learning, and we must keep the conversation going on how to best support those who question their gender or exhibit gender nonconformity.Links:Tomboy: The Surprising History and Future of Girls Who Dare to Be Different <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Tomboy-Surprising-History-Future-Different/dp/0316458317" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_bla
24/12/2021 • 1 hour 10 minutes 32 seconds
54 - Finding a Therapist for Your Gender-Questioning Teen: A Conversation W/ Lisa Marchiano
In this conversation, Lisa joins the show to talk about the difficult task of finding appropriate therapy for a gender-questioning teen or loved one. What is it like working with indoctrinated clients or those under the influence of a partner, belief system, or ideology? Lisa highlights the parental expectations of what therapy should look like, contrasted against the complex and subtle relational dynamics between therapist and client. Stella, Sasha, and Lisa examine some of the common traps therapists fall into: either being too affirming or too challenging before sufficient rapport and exploration have taken place. The three also make an exciting announcement about GETA, a new Gender Exploratory Therapy Association.Links:Jonathan Shedler on This Jungian Life: Podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/does-
17/12/2021 • 1 hour 8 minutes 9 seconds
53 - You Affirmed Your Child's Gender... How to Roll Back
Sometimes parents come to realize that the affirmative approach hasn’t worked out for their gender-distressed child and they could benefit from alternative approaches. In this episode, Sasha and Stella discuss the many complicated reasons some parents reluctantly affirm their child’s gender and how difficult and brave it can be to rethink the strategy. Parenting styles are explored, and Sasha and Stella point out the importance of finding your confident voice and parenting authority. They also offer tips and suggestions for steering the ship in a better direction once a family has gathered more information and observed an unfavorable outcome of the affirmative approach. These strategies include mitigating powerful influences on your child, broadening the family’s perspective on what overall well-being looks like, and modeling that it’s OK to change your mind once you get better information.Links:High Warmth, High Expectations lead to the best outcomes: <a href="https:/
10/12/2021 • 1 hour 3 minutes 47 seconds
52 - Gender Dysphoria & Detransition Research: A Conversation W/ Dr. Lisa Littman
Dr. Lisa Littman coined Rapid Onset Gender Dysphoria (ROGD) in her seminal 2018 parental report survey. ROGD is a descriptive term for the phenomenon of young people suddenly announcing a transgender identity and experiencing gender dysphoria for the first time around adolescence. Dr. Littman’s latest ground-breaking study on the experience of 100 detransitioners was published in the last few weeks and we reflect on some of the most astonishing findings. In this conversation, Lisa also reflects on what she’s learned since getting embroiled in a controversy she wasn’t expecting. She shares some possible reasons why the topic of affirmative medical care has become so polarized. Lisa points out that patients get hurt when clinicians pledge an allegiance to a particular approach rather than prioritizing the well-being of dysphoric people.Links:Dr. Littman’s Website:Littmanresearch.com</
03/12/2021 • 1 hour 3 minutes 11 seconds
51 - Clearing of the Pink Mist: A Conversation w/ Debbie Hayton
UK transwoman Debbie Hayton discusses how she came to the decision to medically transition when she was a 44-year-old father of 3 children. We discuss Debbie’s appearance in Stella’s film, Trans Kids: It’s Time to Talk and the intense public reaction to her story. Male sexuality, shame, and autogynephilia are explored openly in a bid to gain a deeper understanding of the complicated mosaic of traits that encompass MtF transition. She also shares how she became disillusioned with transgender ideology and coined the phrase, “trans women are men. Get over it.” Links:Critically Examining the Doctrine of Gender Identity with Rebecca Reilly-Cooper: Youtube.com/watch?v=QPVNxYkawaoMagdalen Berns on Alex Drummond:Youtube.com/watch?v=JkK7zisjoDk</p
26/11/2021 • 1 hour 7 minutes 52 seconds
50 - When Gender Hits the Holidays
The holiday season is often associated with big expectations and high hopes. It can be fraught for families, whether they are going through challenging times with a child’s gender identity. Sasha and Stella discuss the meaning of extended family, big celebrations, and how to keep the stakes low and reasonable during the holidays. They also discuss the holidays as a time some young people try to ‘come out,’ while others feel hesitant to reconnect with loved ones who haven’t yet seen their new ‘gender presentation.’ Sasha and Stella also provide practical strategies that families can use to recruit loving trusted adults who also have the child’s best interests in mind. Links: What happened in LeRoy https://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/11/magazine/teenage-girls-twitching-le-roy.html Stop That! It
19/11/2021 • 1 hour 1 minute 52 seconds
49 - Archives of an Epidemic: A conversation w/ Benjamin Boyce
Over the last number of years, Benjamin Boyce has become known for his prolific and powerful video content on the impact of social justice. Among his most-watched content is a huge series of conversations about sex, gender, identity, and transition. He was among the first to platform detransitioners’ stories and investigate the issue of childhood transition. In this episode, we delve deep into Benjamin’s childhood and find out why he has committed to exposing the underlying problems associated with identity politics. Links: Benjamin’s YouTube: Youtube.com/channel/UCm13xHVNFVwzHzK3QHSaZ3Q Benjamin on Apple Podcasts: Podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/calmversations/id1447774150 <
12/11/2021 • 1 hour 9 minutes 54 seconds
48 - When an Adult You Love Transitions
When an adult comes out as trans, it might be a liberating moment in their lives that has felt long overdue. Sometimes, however, the sudden nature of the identity change can feel destabilizing to their loved ones. In this episode, Sasha and Stella discuss the many complex factors in adult transition. Are there elements of liberation, freedom, and independence, or might indoctrination or identity crisis be playing a role? And how can families try to stay connected if the adult begins throwing up rigid barriers which create distance and estrangement?Links:Love Lives Here: A Story of Thriving in a Transgender Family, by Amanda Jette Knox <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Love-Lives-Here-Thriving-Transgender-ebook/dp/B07L2HK8D9/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=love+lives+here+knox&qid=1634062673&s=books&sr=
05/11/2021 • 1 hour 1 minute 15 seconds
47 - When Parents Disagree
When parents are trying to help their teenager through a difficult time, ideally they work together as a team to strategize, plan, and collaborate. But for many families facing important parenting decisions around their child’s gender struggle, disagreement and conflict can arise. Sasha and Stella discuss a range of family dynamics from low-level disagreements to all out custody battles. What happens when one parent wants to intervene and the other wants to “go with the flow?” They also offer some reflections on what underlying issues might have predated the child’s gender distress and suggest strategies for parents to think big-picture and face the difficulties in their relationships. Q&A Clips: Therapists are not Parental Substitutes: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a88t_LaxKs0 The Time In Between:
29/10/2021 • 1 hour 1 minute 35 seconds
46 - Helena Part II: Advice for Parents from a Former Trans Kid
Our conversation with Helena continues and takes a personal, intimate turn. She reflects that her desire to transition was actually an attempt to meet a deep relational need. She sought to garner a kind of engagement and recognition from her parents. Unfortunately, the way they responded triggered a doubling-down and sense of urgency for medical intervention. Helena offers some insights into better ways parents can react to their gender-questioning child in the hopes of helping families avoid the dissolution hers experienced. This vulnerable conversation confronts the challenges of family relations with both emotional honesty and courage.Links:Helena on Twitter:Twitter.com/lacroicsz Extended Notes:Trans kids are worried about how their parents will receive their trans letter. What’s going through their minds when they’re about to come out to their
22/10/2021 • 1 hour 5 minutes 58 seconds
45 - Helena Part 1: Social Justice, Fandoms & FtM Gay Boys
This is Part 1 of a two-part conversation with Helena. She is a 23-year-old detransitioned woman, well-known on Twitter and YouTube for her insights into the FtM trans kid mindset. The self-described “gender apostate” shares her thoughts on ROGD’s relationship with critical social justice, fandom culture, “shipping,” and the extraordinary fascination many teenage girls have with young gay men.Links:Helena on Twitter: Twitter.com/lacroicsz Extended Notes:Helena is a detransitioned woman. She identified as a transgender man at 15, but by 19, she wanted to become a woman again.A little bit about Helena and her detransition journey.Before Helena started testosterone, she had this fantasy that not being female would be amazing. Helena was very isolated in her journey. Her ex, also a trans person, was against her detransitioning.<
15/10/2021 • 1 hour 5 minutes 7 seconds
44 - Multiple Meanings of Gender Dysphoria: A Conversation with Aaron Terrell
Aaron Terrell transitioned female-to-male in 2011. He wasn’t involved in social media or the trans community until roughly 2017 when he noticed some unusual anomalies involving the new cohort of females identifying as trans men and undergoing medical transitioning. Then, earlier this year, Aaron read J. K. Rowling’s essay and everything changed.Links:Aaron’s blog: Aaronterrell.substack.comAaron on Twitter:Twitter.com/elegationvainGender Dysphoria Alliance:Twitter.com/gd_alliance?lang=enDysphoria is not one thing:<a href="https://4thwavenow.com/2017/12/07/gender-dysphoria-is-not-one-thing/" rel="noopener noreferr
08/10/2021 • 1 hour 10 minutes 46 seconds
43 - Sasha & Stella Answer Your Questions: Part 3
The listeners’ questions continue to absorb our interest and influence our discussion. The issue of power struggles between parents and children has been raised along with a special focus on knowing when to hold ’em and when to fold ’em. The script that trans-identified teenagers often use to declare their trans identification is outlined and Sasha & Stella discuss a kind of counter script for parents. Finally, we suggest a liberal parents’ guide to explaining your child’s gender-related distress with friends, neighbors, and the wider community.Links:Sasha’s Video: Effects of Affirmation: Gender Identity vs Sexual Orientation:Youtube.com/watch?v=Zjv-eDaZNH0&feature=emb_title Motherhood: Facing and Finding Yourself, by Lisa Marchiano:<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Motherhood-Finding-Yourself
01/10/2021 • 1 hour 6 minutes 32 seconds
42 - ROGD and the Struggle to Grow Up
Many children with ROGD seem reluctant to grow up. Sometimes this is related to the difficulties of an early puberty or the hyper-sexualization of children. Other times the gap between the Disneyfied wonder of childhood and the grim hard reality of adulthood feels unsurmountable. Sasha and Stella delve into the psychology of the fear of growing up and how elements of both transition and transgender activist dogma may further infantilize and stunt development.Links:Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals, by Oliver Burkeman: Amazon.com/Four-Thousand-Weeks-Management-Mortals/dp/0374159122“Trans Kids May Reject Family, Not the Other Way Around” Transgendertrend.com/trans-kids-r
24/09/2021 • 1 hour 3 minutes 2 seconds
41 — Trans: A Conversation with Helen Joyce
The New York Times describes Helen Joyce’s book, Trans: When Ideology Meets Reality, as “an intelligent, thorough rejoinder to an idea that has swept across much of the liberal world seemingly overnight.” Joyce reminds us that her book is not about trans people, but rather, it is about the idea “that people should count as men or women according to how they feel and what they declare, instead of their biology.” Helen explains the ways it’s more acceptable for men to “give up some privilege” and strategies women in other cultures have used to opt out of unfavorable circumstances. Perhaps denying sex leads to a perfectly clear demonstration of just how different men and women can be. We also reflect on the differences between American’s tendency to double-down on bad policy and the hopefulness Helen feels with the unfolding UK reckoning with gender self-ID. In this episode, we discuss the many ramifications of “you are exactly who you say you are.”Links:<p
17/09/2021 • 1 hour 11 minutes 52 seconds
40 — Social Transition: A Powerful Psychosocial Intervention
Social transition is often the first recommended intervention when a young person begins questioning his or her gender identity. It entails changing one’s name, pronouns, appearance, and other identity markers to match the desired gender. In very recent years, schools, led by the current gender identity affirmative approach, have taken it upon themselves to support and sometimes encourage students with social transition. Families often feel pressured by professionals to make these powerful changes despite little evidence supporting these interventions. At times, living in another identity can create more problems than it resolves. In this episode Sasha and Stella do a deep dive into the many challenges that arise with social transition.Links:Michael Biggs on Puberty Blockers:Youtube.com/watch?v=9VHlkE40cFk&feature=youtu.beHow Trans
10/09/2021 • 1 hour 6 minutes 40 seconds
39 - Nonbinary Identities
With the invention of the term “nonbinary,” we’ve seen an unprecedented number of young people claiming to feel like neither a man nor a woman. Today, we explore Ian Hacking’s concept of “making people up” and the creation of new classifications and “types” of people. Several questions also arise: does a non-binary identification require medicalization? What personality traits may correlate with this identity and is it different in males and females? For parents, how might one respond when a timid child quietly says “No” to the “gender binary?” And what role does non-binary label play as individuals step in and step out of trans identification?Links:Gender Census: Gendercensus.com/results/2021-worldwide/#pronounsKori and Searyl Doty: <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2020/jul/08/parent-raising-gender-free-child" rel="noopener noreferr
03/09/2021 • 1 hour 5 minutes 16 seconds
38 - DSDs and the “Sex Spectrum”: A conversation w/ Claire Graham
“Differences in Sexual Development” (DSDs) is an umbrella term encompassing a range of over 40 medical conditions that impact sexual development in humans. We speak with Claire Graham, an advocate for the organization, DSD Families and explore the intricacies of these complex conditions, which are often simplified and misunderstood. Claire also tells us how she became embroiled in heated debates about transgender advocacy and dispels common myths that are used to conflate “intersex” conditions with transgender issues. Links Claire’s Blog: https://mrkhvoice.com/index.php/2019/12/18/what-is-dignity/ DSD Families: https://dsdfamilies.org/
27/08/2021 • 1 hour 4 minutes 28 seconds
37 - Womanhood: A Conversation with Milli Hill
The founder of the Positive Birth Movement speaks to us about the birthing process and women’s health. A common theme of self-assertion and empowering women to speak up has characterised Milli’s work over the last decade. There were attempts to silence Milli last year when she said that the word “woman” has significance in relation to childbirth. Milli, however, decided to assert her boundaries and speak her truth; in this episode she explains why. Links: Milli Hill: https://www.millihill.co.uk/ I will not be silenced: https://www.millihill.co.uk/2021/07/10/i-will-not-be-silenced/ The Positive Birth Book by Milli Hill <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Positive-Birth-
20/08/2021 • 1 hour 14 minutes 32 seconds
36 - Talking Testosterone with Carole Hooven
Carole Hooven, Ph.D., is lecturer and co-director of undergraduate studies in the Department of Human Evolutionary Biology at Harvard University. She earned her Ph.D. at Harvard, studying sex differences and testosterone, and has taught there ever since. Hooven has received numerous teaching awards, and her popular Hormones and Behavior class was named one of the Harvard Crimson’s “top ten tried-and-true.”In this episode, Stella and Sasha talk to Carole about her new book, Testosterone, which explores the powerful impact this sex hormone has on the human body. This discussion revolves around a central theme: to make the world a better place, we must be willing to understand the harsh realities of our mammalian nature and take into account the biological drives behind our behavior.Links:Carole Hooven:Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/hoovlet?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_b
13/08/2021 • 1 hour 5 minutes
35 - Communicating About Gender: Translating Between Parent & Child
We invite parents and children to listen to this episode together. Stella and Sasha alternate between the perspectives of the parent and their dysphoric child and attempt to translate what each may be thinking and feeling when communicating about gender identity becomes difficult. Discussing the emotions, the inner motivations, and the thoughts parents and children might experience when gender related distress hits the family, we hope that this episode might begin to build bridges between parents and young people and foster more empathy in the parent-child dyad. Links Cat Stephens: Father and Son https://youtu.be/P6zaCV4niKk WB Yeats: The Mask http://www.online-literature.com/yeats/800/
06/08/2021 • 1 hour 21 seconds
34 - Gender Dysphoria & Suicide
Sasha and Stella tackle the complex subject of suicide. They reflect on the many emotional and relational difficulties involved and parse out the differences between suicide risk and suicidal ideation. While terrifying, it sometimes offers an escape fantasy and desire for control, making suicide an existential issue. Furthermore, they point to the stark lack of data available relating to gender dysphoria and suicidality and discuss how the fear of suicide is used against families wishing to safeguard their children. If you wish to speak to someone about any issues that arose during this please contact the Samaritans https://www.samaritans.org/ireland/how-we-can-help/contact-samaritan/ Links:Assist Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training: <a href="https://www.youth.ie/training/asist-applied-
30/07/2021 • 57 minutes 46 seconds
33 - Beyond the ‘Gifted’ Label: A Conversation w/ Jessie Mannisto
Stella and Sasha sit down with Jessie Mannisto, the Editor in Chief of Third Factor Magazine, a publication for and about uncommon people and their uncommon paths through life. Jessie expands on the many overlapping experiences of gifted, creative, intense, and gender dysphoric individuals. They explore some critiques and uses of terms like ‘queer’ and ‘asexual.’ Stella and Sasha ask Jessie about androgyny, loneliness, ordinariness, and exceptionalism in dysphoria people. And what’s up with anime and fan fiction amongst gender-questioning youth? Links:Jessie Mannisto on Sasha’s YouTube Channel Disintegration as an Opportunity for Growth: Part 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rGBcqT6h0Pw&t=1081s Part 2:<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mFKpuoR9-zg&t=2s" rel="noopener noreferrer" targ
23/07/2021 • 1 hour 12 minutes 24 seconds
32 - Stereotypes
Are stereotypes always harmful? Should we use stereotypes to predict and impose behaviors and preferences onto others? Some people believe transgender identities defy stereotypes while others believe they reify them. And where does stereotyping come from? This is a mental shortcut with complex roots and crucial implications for the gender debates.Links:Carole Hooven: Testosterone: The Story of the Hormone that dominates and Divides Us Noam Shpancer: Stereotype Accuracy: A displeasing truth Extended NotesThere are so many stereotypes in this space. What’s the right definition of gender dysphoria? The
16/07/2021 • 1 hour 4 seconds
31 - Silencing Thought: A Conversation with Heather Brunskell-Evans
Heather Brunskell-Evans is a philosopher and sociologist who studies the intersection of medicine and culture. She joins us today to trace the ways in which queer theory evolved in academia and moved into the broader culture, including the Gender Identity Development Service (GIDS) in the UK. Explaining how a social justice angle is key to the ‘affirmative model’ of care for gender dysphoria, Heather recounts a few key moments when she realized there were authoritarian elements at play in silencing thought and conversation around the topic of transgender, even for parents trying to protect their children.Links:Heather’s Website http://www.heather-brunskell-evans.co.uk/ Transgender Children and Young People: Born in Your Own Body <a href="https://www.cambridgescholars.com/product/978-1-5275-0398-4" rel="noopener noreferrer"
09/07/2021 • 1 hour 10 minutes 28 seconds
30 — Sasha & Stella Answer Your Questions: Part 2
Sasha and Stella answer listener questions… again! They start by highlighting recent episodes inspired by listener feedback. Next, they discuss the financial implications and complexities involved in adult children using their parents’ medical insurance. They reflect on the different roles that can emerge between mothers and fathers of gender dysphoric youth. Other questions address the similarities between body dysmorphia, gender dysphoria, OCD, and other ruminative anxieties.Links:Activist Perspective on Body Dysmorphia & Gender Dysphoria Austenhartke.com/blog/2015/5/19/o08szlrrhc8jaasya9s285qenydpy6 Homosexual OCD: Centerforanxietydisorders.com/treatmen
02/07/2021 • 1 hour 40 seconds
29 - Conversion Therapy: A Conversation with Bob Withers
Jungian Analyst Bob Withers joins us to discuss the differences between gay conversion therapy and gender identity conversion therapy. We examine the possibility of misinformed therapists “transing the gay away” and suggest that perhaps the dark history of conversion therapy may not be over. Bob delves into his view of psychosomatic symptoms and draws on his background in philosophy and medical history to understand our current fixation with one’s subjective sense of identity. Bob also defines what he calls “detrans-phobic” responses to the experiences of detransitioners.Links:Winnicott: http://web-facstaff.sas.upenn.edu/~cavitch/pdf-library/Winnicott_PsycheSoma.pdf Dr Az Hakeem: http://www.drazhakeem.com
25/06/2021 • 59 minutes 55 seconds
28 - Behind the Curtain: Wrapping Up Gender Exploratory Therapy
As they wrap up their initial Behind the Curtain series , Sasha and Stella discuss important issues surrounding the termination of therapy. How do we know when the therapeutic process should end? Does a resolution of gender dysphoria mean it’s time to end the therapeutic relationship? Does the start of a medical transition indicate a good time to end? And how can therapists leave the door open for a client who may want to return at a later date? Extended Notes● When a long-term client leaves. It can be a bittersweet moment.● If the therapy process is working well, the client should be proactive in how they’re building new connections.● Therapy is a lot like riding a bike. You are a little wobbling and then, next thing you know, your training wheels are off!● What do you do when you have a client who has resolved their issues around gender identity, yet other issues are cropping up?● Upon the discovery of certain deeper iss
18/06/2021 • 1 hour 2 minutes 8 seconds
27 - Behind the Curtain: Psychotherapy for Gender Dysphoria with Sue and Marcus Evans
Marcus and Sue Evans both worked as clinicians in the Tavistock Centre in London for many years. Noticing red flags since the early 2000s, Sue was the first whistle-blower in the Tavistock Centre and Marcus resigned as its governor because the concerns raised by therapists, parents, and managers were systematically dismissed. Marcus and Sue have recently released their book Gender Dysphoria: A Therapeutic Model for Working with Children, Adolescents and Young Adults. They join us to discuss the tasks of adolescents, family dynamics, and how important it is to explore questions about gender dysphoria as part of a more holistic approach to clinical care because nobody yet has all the final answers.Links:Gender Dysphoria: A Therapeutic Model for Working with Children, Adolescents and Young AdultsAuthors: Susan Evans and Marcus Evans</p
11/06/2021 • 1 hour 8 minutes 2 seconds
26 - Behind the Curtain: Depth Work in Gender Exploratory Therapy - Part II
Sasha and Stella continue their series which peers behind the curtain of depth work with gender-questioning clients. Today, they weave in philosophy and psychology to discuss the importance of authenticity, happiness, and connectedness. They also explore the value of art in the slow evolving process of an emergent Self.Links:The Catcher in the Rye: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5107.The_Catcher_in_the_Rye The Bell Jar : https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6514.The_Bell_Jar Taxi Driver: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taxi_Driver The Scream: <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Scream"
04/06/2021 • 1 hour 3 minutes 21 seconds
25 - Behind the Curtain: Depth Work in Gender Exploratory Therapy
After the therapist has laid the foundations of therapy and established a trusting relationship, the process moves into the middle stage. This is the meat of the therapy! In this episode, Sasha and Stella explore the dynamics that can elicit change in the individual. They consider the curious vs. fixed client, self-esteem issues, broadening the client’s focus, and how to speak meaningfully about gender in therapy.Links:The Importance of an Unhappy Adolescence: Youtube.com/watch?v=zcUI1Hk0GRU&feature=emb_title Gender Care Consumer Advocacy Network: Gccan.org Extended NotesWhat’s the true job of a therapist when a parent brings their gender-questioning teen in for counseling?Timing is important when approaching
28/05/2021 • 1 hour 4 minutes 2 seconds
24 - Behind the Curtain: Getting Started In Gender Exploratory Therapy
This is the first episode in a short series which takes listeners behind the scenes of a gender exploratory therapy process. Although there has been plenty written about Gender Affirmative Therapy, very little has been written about a concept often described as Gender Exploratory Therapy. Sasha and Stella discuss the specifics of establishing a therapeutic alliance when a person is questioning their gender identity. They describe different strategies involving issues such as names, pronouns, clothes and hairstyles and reflect on the different stages of therapy, which they’ll discuss in subsequent series episodes. Anastassis Spiliadis: ‘Taking the lid off the box’: The value of extended clinical assessment for adolescents presenting with gender identity difficulties https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/
21/05/2021 • 1 hour 3 minutes 13 seconds
23 - Sasha & Stella Answer Your Questions
In today’s episode, we begin to answer some of the many questions sent to us by listeners.Can we be born in the wrong body? Do parental role models influence children to reject or seek transition? What is the impact of a trans partner on a teenagers’ sexuality? How do siblings of trans people experience these changes in the family?Listen in to see if your question was answered and how Sasha and Stella plan to explore these topics in future episodes.Links:TED Talks — “Own Your Face” Happiness isn’t found in your appearance: Youtube.com/watch?v=QbxinUJcLGg&feature=emb_logo“My Philosophy for a Happy Life”:Youtube.com/watch?v=36m1o-tM05g&t=1sMy Left Foot
14/05/2021 • 1 hour 11 minutes 14 seconds
22 — An Unexpected Gender Evolution: A Conversation with Lauren
“Lauren” is a 32-year-old lesbian who has moved with ease across the gender spectrum over the course of her lifetime. Lauren offers a positive story about how being gender non-normative and having a complicated gender experience can be a pleasant and interesting experience. Cautioning against the heavy and urgent discussions about medicalizing gender expression, Lauren wonders if we can become more playful and even joyful about gender?Links:Lauren’s Blog: Theanxiousskeptic.wordpress.com/ Extended NotesA little bit about Lauren and her experience with gender.The way our society is handling trans children is completely different from when Lauren grew up.Lauren feels a bit betrayed by the LGBTQ community.What was Lauren’s childhood like?How did Lauren’s family deal with her and her older sister’s masculine gend
07/05/2021 • 1 hour 4 minutes 18 seconds
21 - Gender Dysphoria in Boys: Part 2 — A Conversation with Angus Fox
Continuing the discussion about the new type of boy who is seeking to transition, we speak to Angus Fox, author of a series in Quillette. Angus explains why he thought it so important to earn the trust of parents who participate in clandestine meetings about their gender dysphoric sons. We discuss the role of systematic thinking in ROGD boys and the encouragement of their female friends to transition. Angus also provides his insights as a gay man remembering his own challenging boyhood.Links:Angus Fox (2021) — “When Sons Become Daughters: Parents of Transitioning Boys Speak Out on Their Own Suffering” Quillette.com/author/angus-fox/Angus Fox — Part II <a href="https://quillette.co
30/04/2021 • 1 hour 15 minutes 1 second
20 - Gender Dysphoria in Boys: Part 1
Many presume that ROGD only impacts girls, but there is a significant number of boys who appear to show the hallmark traits of Rapid-Onset Gender Dysphoria. Not quite fitting in with Ray Blanchard’s classification of homosexual transsexualism or autogynephilia, these boys tend to be softly spoken Mommy’s boys, highly intelligent and hyper-ruminative. Many prefer to remain safe at home in their bedrooms and become fixated on medical transition. In this first of two episodes, Stella and Sasha introduce some of the different ways that gender dysphoria can manifest in boys.Links:Ray Blanchard (1989). “The classification and labeling of nonhomosexual gender dysphorias.” Archives of Sexual Behavior. 18 (4): 315–334. doi:10.1007/bf01541951. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PMI
23/04/2021 • 1 hour 2 minutes 32 seconds
19 - ADHD & Gender Dysphoria
Hyper-active, inattentive, immature, and impulsivity are just some of the common traits associated with ADHD. These may not have an obvious link to Gender Dysphoria and yet gender variance is found to be 6.64 times more likely among individuals with ADHD. We discuss how ADHD manifests in girls and boys, how society responds to ADHD traits, and how this interaction can lead to gender-related issues.Links: ADHD and Gender DysphoriaSciencedaily.com/releases/2014/03/140312103102.htm Girls and ADHDVerywellmind.com/adhd-in-girls-symptoms-of-adhd-in-girls-20547 Travel Programs for Adolescents/Teens/Young Adults:<a href="http://adolesco.org/" rel="noopener noref
16/04/2021 • 50 minutes 26 seconds
18 - COVID, Dysphoria & Listener Shout-Outs
This last year of lockdown has been a strange and unsettling time for many. We have heard reports of gender issues escalating rapidly and we have also heard accounts of people leaving all thoughts of gender identity far behind. The impact of our restricted lifestyle on our mental health is explored and some strategies that might help in these difficult times are suggested. Stella and Sasha give listeners from around the globe shout-outs and audience members are invited to request future show topics and to share their burning gender questions.Links:Msnet thread: Mumsnet.com/Talk/womens_rights/3952739-The-effect-of-lockdown-on-transitioning-teen-girlsStella O’Malley, The Journal, “Young people have suffered so much this year — they need our support”: <a href="https://www.thejournal.ie/readme/wellness-s
09/04/2021 • 58 minutes 54 seconds
17 - Autism and Gender Dysphoria
The startling links between ASD and Gender Dysphoria are raising plenty of questions as clinicians wonder why children on the spectrum tend to struggle with gender. Also, which comes first: ASD or gender nonconformity? In this episode, we explore how autistic traits may cause youth to question their gender and become attached to identity labels. And we wonder if this has implications for the trans movement.Links:Far From the Tree: Parents, Children and the Search for Identity, by Andrew SolomonAmazon.com/Far-Tree-Parents-Children-Identity/dp/0743236726 NeuroTribes: The Legacy of Autism and the Future of Neurodiversity, by Steve SilbermanAmazon.com/Neuro
02/04/2021 • 59 minutes 50 seconds
16 - Gender Dysphoria: What It's Like For Parents
Loneliness, isolation and confusion often characterises the experience of parents of the gender dysphoric child. A parallel process emerges where the children are obsessed with transition and the parents become obsessed with ROGD. Trying to set loving boundaries is often misinterpreted by others as the parent being the last standing bigot. In this episode we try to empathise with parents who feel they’ve lost control over their child’s wellbeing Links:Gender Dysphoria Support Network: https://genderdysphoriasupportnetwork.com/ Sasha’s Parent Resource Page: https://www.subscribestar.com/sashalpc </stro
26/03/2021 • 1 hour 2 minutes 53 seconds
15 - One Detrans Voice: A Conversation with Carol
Carol is a 40-year-old detransitioned butch lesbian. She transitioned at 34 and is part of an often ignored group: adult lesbians turned trans men. Carol tells us about the initial highs of transition and how things took a turn for the worse…Links:Velvet Chronicle InterviewDetrans VoicesCarol’s TwitterDetrans Voices Interviews“Where Have all the Lesbians Go
19/03/2021 • 1 hour 3 minutes 5 seconds
14 - The REAL Ways to Manage Gender Dysphoria
The misinformed presumption that gender dysphoria can only be managed through medication and/or surgery is blown out of the water in this episode. Sasha and Stella emphasize that dysphoria is a type of human distress, like any other. They discuss many different ways to understand, manage, and reduce gender dysphoria.Links:“The Detransitioners” by Laura Dodsworth, The Sunday TimesAlternatives to Deal with Gender Dysphoria, by NelemilIllusory truth effectWilliam Glasser’s Emotional Needs<li
12/03/2021 • 1 hour 5 minutes 47 seconds
13 - Are Brilliant People More Likely Trans?
Gifted and exceptional children seem more inclined to gender nonconformity and they represent a significant proportion of the ROGD teens discussed in Dr. Littman’s research. Sasha and Stella explore why there may be a link between brilliance and transgender identity.Links:“Overexcitability and the Gifted”, by Sharon Lind“Where Overexcitability and Gender Dysphoria Meet,” by Jessie Mannisto“Gender Identity and Overexcitability Profiles of Gifted College Students” Researchgate (2009)
05/03/2021 • 1 hour 2 minutes 23 seconds
12 - Identity vs Role Confusion in Adolescence
The psychologist Erik Erickson’s theory of psychosocial development makes some essential observations about the period of adolescence and identifies the questions at this phase of life as “Who Am I?” and “What can I Be?”. Sasha and Stella examine this developmental period and ask how the concept of gender identity lays atop the teenage struggle for belonging, individuation, sexual development, and autonomy.Links:The Adolescent Psyche: Jungian and Winnicottian Perspectives, by Richard Frankel Untangled: Guiding Teenage Girls Through the Seven Transitions into Adulthood,<
26/02/2021 • 1 hour 2 minutes 28 seconds
11 - Sex Therapy & Education: why are all the therapists 'affirming'?
Therapist Timothy Courtois pursued graduate education to deepen his knowledge of the role sexuality and intimacy play in our lives. He quickly came to feel that this program was using some of the same tactics of moralizing and indoctrination that he’d left behind after leaving a controlling religious community. We discuss the program's mixed-up understanding of sexuality, consent, and power dynamics in relationships. We set the stage for future conversations about a richer psychological and embodied view of sexuality.Links:Tim’s Quillette PieceQueer Theory Jeopardy with Derrick JensenAASECT<a href="https
19/02/2021 • 1 hour 6 minutes 56 seconds
10 - Queer Theory: Subverting Life's Categories
Few people are aware of how much the political discussion around gender and sexuality has been touched by queer theory. This philosophy questions how we know what we know and turns hierarchies on their heads. Sasha and Stella explore the “smashing of binaries” in their therapeutic work and personal lives and discuss the positive and negative outcomes of taking queer theory thinking to its limits.Links:Butler, Judith (2007). Gender Trouble: Feminism and the Subversion of Identity. Routledge.Jagose, Annamarie (1996). Queer Theory: An introduction (Reprint. ed.). New York: New York Univ. Press<a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007OLYPQI/ref=series_dp_rw_
12/02/2021 • 1 hour 3 minutes 42 seconds
9 - The Politicization of Gender
How and when did gender become such a heightened political issue? And what are the psychological implications for individuals and the collective? The origins of feminism, the LBG liberation movement, and the emerging transgender movement are explored within a psychological and cultural frameworkLinks:Books Beauvoir, Simone de (2009) [1949]. The Second Sex. Trans. Constance Borde and Sheila Malovany-Chevallier. Random House. Simone de Beauvoir wrote that "the first time we see a woman take up her pen in defense of her sex" was Christine de Pizan in Epitre au Dieu d'Amour (Epistle to the God of Love) in the 15th century. Friedan, Betty (1963). The Feminine Mystique. W.W.Norton & Company. French, Marilyn (1977) The Women’s Room. Simon & Schuster Stryker, Susan (2009-01-07). <a href="https://books.google.com/books?id=KLRuDgAAQ
05/02/2021 • 1 hour 5 minutes 10 seconds
8 - TransGenerational Wisdom: A conversation with Buck Angel
Buck Angel transitioned in 1994 and now lives happily as a 58-year-old transsexual man. Buck describes his rollercoaster with gender dysphoria and explains why he was willing to become a medical guinea pig when he first transitioned. Buck talks about the importance of owning his sexuality within a transsexual body and he also provides a critique of the modern flavor of the transgender movement.Links:Buckangel.com Twitter: @BuckAngelFacebook: Facebook.com/officialbuckangelInstagram: Instagram.com/buckangel/Extended NotesWho is Buck and wha
29/01/2021 • 1 hour 1 minute 53 seconds
7 - Collective Collusion
In therapy, collusion happens when the therapist (consciously or unconsciously) participates in a client’s bid to avoid an important issue instead of helping the client to gain a deeper understanding or take a more helpful perspective. In the collective, society has colluded with the fantasy of gender identity, much to the detriment of dysphoric and transgender people themselves. Sasha and Stella discuss what factors contribute to this kind of collusion and how individuals have the power to steer us towards a more truthful and thoughtful direction.Links:JK Rowling Essay: Jkrowling.com/opinions/j-k-rowling-writes-about-her-reasons-for-speaking-out-on-sex-and-gender-issues/Pluralistic Ignorance: “When no one believes, but everyone thinks that everyone believes.” <a href="http://sk.sagepub.
22/01/2021 • 1 hour 33 seconds
6 - Gender Intervention: Treatment or Experiments?
Quick Notes A whistle-stop tour through the history of psychological and medical approaches to sex and gender in the 20th century. This episode gives background and context to the formation of WPATH (World Professional Association for Transgender Health) and today’s “affirmative model of care” for gender issues. Extended NotesA little bit of history about gender transitions over the decades.The medical and psychological theories behind gender transition have always been controversial.Why would someone struggle with their gender?Which gender roles should you raise your children in? Sasha shares a case that happened with twin boys, and one transitioned into a girl in 1965.The outcome was not great. People played God on a child.In 1965, only 3% of surgeons took sex change requests seriously. However, by the 70s, these surgeries were commonplace.People push
15/01/2021 • 1 hour 1 minute 53 seconds
5 - Hormonal Interventions — from Fringe to Mainstream: A conversation with Dr. Will Malone
Quick NotesEndocrinologist Will Malone joins Sasha and Stella to discuss the pivotal position that endocrinologists have in the new practice of childhood transition. In this conversation, Will describes attending a conference in 2017 run by the Endocrine Society where suddenly everything related to trans healthcare appeared to shift, without any discussion or analysis.Extended Notes● A quick introduction about Dr. Will Malone.● How did Dr. Will get involved in this field?● Dr. Will was seeing small clusters of females declaring they were trans. What was going on?● Primary doctors were calling Dr. Will for help. They had never seen anything like this before.● Dr. Will explains what he’s been seeing in his practice when it comes to teens experiencing gender dysphoria.● &nb
08/01/2021 • 1 hour 14 minutes 26 seconds
4 - Why Do People Seek a New Identity?
Quick Notes: Why do people seek to change genders? What drives a person to curate a brand new identity? In this episode, Sasha and Stella look beyond a literal understanding of transitioning and explore the psychological power and vulnerability of attempting transformation.Links:Hacsi Horvath on Erin BrewerQueer in the CribGender Dysphoria is not One ThingExtended Notes:Why do people want to transition?Let’s clear up some misconceptions today about trans people.Why do little children between the ages of three and five h
01/01/2021 • 1 hour 5 minutes 55 seconds
3 - Feminine Boy to Gay Man: a Conversation With Arty Morty
Quick Notes: Arty Morty* found it very difficult to grow up as a feminine boy amongst his peers. In this episode he explains how difficulties in his social and family life shaped his identity development. Ultimately, he came to accept himself as a gay man and he touches upon the new concept of gender identity and how it might have impacted his identity had he been a teen today.*Arty Morty is a pseudonym Links: Arty Morty on TwitterArty Morty on YouTubeRupert Everett on Childhood Dysphoria <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Man-
25/12/2020 • 1 hour 4 minutes 24 seconds
2 - Rapid Onset Gender Dysphoria
Activists claim that ROGD is not a real thing yet some parents insist that ROGD perfectly describes something that they’re seeing in their teenagers. We explore this new phenomenon of adolescent-onset gender questioning, how it arises and how it impacts families. We also discuss our experience working with these adolescents and some of the common patterns of behaviour and other challenges they face. Socially mediated mental health phenomena from different generations and other parts of the world shed light on this controversial issue.Links: Lisa Marchiano: On Transgender Teens and Psychic Epidemics https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/00332925.2017.1350804 Lisa Littman: Parent reports of adolescents and young adults perceived to show signs of a rapid onset of gender dysphoria <a href="https://jo
18/12/2020 • 1 hour 1 minute 58 seconds
1 - Trans: Identity vs Dysphoria
A debate is raging between two schools of thought: are trans people suffering with gender dysphoria, mental health condition? Or do transgender individuals simply have a gender identity, like a gendered soul, that needs to be recognised? In this first episode Sasha and Stella discuss these two perspectives and the difficult consequences of taking a position on this polarised issue.Links: Criteria for a diagnosis of gender dysphoria in the DSM V: https://www.psychiatry.org/patients-families/gender-dysphoria/what-is-gender-dysphoria About WPATH: https://www.wpath.org/ About Harry Benjamin: <a href="https://zagria.blogspot.com/2012/10/harry-benjamin-part-2-rejuvenation_5.htm
18/12/2020 • 1 hour 50 seconds
Gender: A Wider Lens Trailer
Two therapists discuss the concepts of gender, identity, and transition from a psychological depth perspective.
