Members have also claimed that being transgender can only be caused by a social contagion via the discredited "rapid onset gender dysphoria", repressed homosexuality or the results of autism, ADHD, or a fetish.
"[28] Genspect, along with other gender critical organizations in Europe including Cry For Recognition, Kirjo, Ypomini, Transteens Sorge Berechtigt, Genitori (De)generi, GenderIdentity Challenge Norway and GenderIdentity Challenge Sweden signed a petition created by the AMANDA Association which called for the European Union to ban all medical transition for minors as a response to what they called "rapid-onset gender dysphoria", which is not recognized as a valid mental health diagnosis by any major professional association.
[29] In 2023, leaked chat logs from a community Discord server operated by Genspect, revealed founder Stella O'Malley saying that she believes porn causes children to identify as trans, and that her ultimate goal is to completely end all gender transitions for minors with no exceptions.
[30][31][32] In 2023, leaked chat logs from a community Discord server operated by Genspect, revealed members discussing how people can stop their kids from identifying as trans and how to find them a conversion therapists.
[33] The Trans Writers Union, with 1,400 signatories, and Trinity News also announced a boycott of the paper due to what they characterized as advocating conversion therapy and a pattern of transphobic behavior.
[44] Stella O'Malley, founder and executive director of Genspect, said the proposed law was a "terrible error" and predicted that it may cause an increase in people regretting transition.
"[16] In response to a chapter on eunuchs who "may seek castration to better align their bodies with their gender identity", O'Malley warned of "a new sacred ideology emerging that you cannot criticise" and, drawing a comparison with the Catholic Church, said "this will inevitably attract some bad-faith actors".
[49] Genspect has published 9 booklets addressed to parents, schools, universities, psychotherapists, and pediatricians, which promote an approach inconsistent with the recognized standards, paradigms, and models of the scientific communities referenced.
They selectively and strategically rely on publications in magazines without peer review and essays written by experts in science communication not generally involved in scientific research.
[1] While Genspect positions itself as a "moderate, evidence-based coalition of concerned parents and clinicians", leaked chat logs from a community Discord server operated by Genspect revealed members openly using far-right language such as calling trans people "groomers", "pedophiles" and "a cult" and promoting conspiracy theories such as claiming that being transgender is caused by using social media, watching porn, watching anime and participating in cosplay as well as voicing support for Jennifer Bilek, an influential anti-trans activist in the U.K. who believes Jewish billionaires are funding trans-affirming surgery worldwide as part of a "transhumanist project to abandon the body entirely".
Members were also caught comparing gender-affirming care to lobotomies and opioids as well as saying that the transgender movement is operated by "autogynephilic and pedophilic men" who are taking advantage of "changes in society that suit the pursuit of their fetishes".
[50][51] In response to attempts by legislators in Alabama and Texas to ban gender affirming care for minors a report was written by a law professor and six physicians and psychologists who work with trans children and teenagers.
[15] Genspect has worked with right-wing anti-LGBT groups such as the Alliance Defending Freedom,[2] which is classified by the SPLC as a hate group,[55] and "stands in full solidarity" with Our Duty, a proponent of anti-trans conversion therapy which has called for an "immediate moratorium" on anyone under 25 transitioning as well as public funding for transition at any age, and recommended "swift desistance from transgender ideation" as the "stated goal of any treatment regime" for transgender youth.
[2] Them describes the organization as "an advocacy group that is known for its anti-trans stances" and stated they have "gone on the record as referring to 18-25 year olds as 'adolescents', and claiming that this bracket should also be denied gender-affirmative care, and subjected to conversion therapy, despite being legal adults in the wake of this event.
[15] Jamie Bowman, an educator and advocate for families of transgender youth, stated Genspect uses "propaganda and scare-tactics to convince parents to not support their children".
[13] In June 2024, the Southern Poverty Law Center released their annual 2023 report and designated Genspect and SEGM as anti-LGBTQ hate groups, saying that they propagate "anti-LGBTQ+ pseudoscience, especially regarding transgender healthcare".
[18][19][20][21] Founder Stella O'Malley co-authored a letter which criticized the inclusion of "suppression of gender identity" in the Irish Prohibition of Conversion Therapies Bill 2018.
[33] The Trans Writers Union, with 1,400 signatories, and Trinity News also announced a boycott of the paper due to what they characterised as advocating conversion therapy and a pattern of transphobic behavior.
[34][11] In response to attempts by legislators in Alabama and Texas to ban gender affirming care for minors a report was written by a law professor and six physicians and psychologists who work with trans children and teenagers.
[69][70] In March 2022, O'Malley would have appeared at an NHS conference on gender dysphoria at Great Ormond Street Hospital, alongside paediatrician Hilary Cass, journalist Helen Joyce, CEO of Mermaids Susie Green, and Genspect advisors Stephanie Davies-Arai, the founder of Transgender Trend, and Lisa Littman.
The event was cancelled following complaints by NHS whistleblowers, researchers, and transgender rights activists, who accused a majority of the speakers as having a "record of extreme prejudice towards trans people".
[9][71] In response to criticism of the event, Genspect said it "would have centred on moderate and well-informed voices at a pivotal moment in the UK, as the interim Cass Report seeks to establish a more coherent treatment model for young people who are questioning their gender.
"[71] OpenDemocracy wrote an article in response to the cancelled NHS event which describes Genspect as "an international alliance of so-called ‘gender-critical’ parents, counsellors, educators and activists" that work with proponents of anti-trans conversion therapy, which is the pseudo-scientific practice of attempting to change sexual orientation or gender identity.
[72] An NHS worker who spoke to Open Democracy stated some speakers "had no experience looking after trans kids" and "were very publicly connected to anti-trans advocacy or promoted discredited theories".
[72] Guides produced by Genspect say there is "no evidence showing that social or medical transition reduces the risk of suicide among young people with gender dysphoria".
Schevers told the Observer that "It was disappointing and infuriating to see her disregard our warnings and now to learn that her article is being used as evidence to stop trans youth from accessing healthcare.
Ky Schevers was quoted stating: "The NYT just platformed a group made up of transphobic parents & conversion therapists who've written about how they have the same end goals as hardline trans eliminationists but moderate their views to try to break into the mainstream.
Sunny Moraine accused the article of "sanitizing wildly transphobic talking points", while instructor Alejandra Caraballo of Harvard Law School described it as having "only just further opened the door for eliminationist policies".