Kenneth J. Zucker (/ˈkɛnɪθ ˈdʒeɪ ˈzʊkər/; born 1950) is an American-Canadian psychologist and sexologist known for the living in your own skin model, a form of conversion therapy aimed at preventing pre-pubertal children from growing up transgender by modifying their gender identity and expression.
[4][not verified in body] He was psychologist-in-chief at Toronto's Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH)[5] and head of its Gender Identity Service until December 2015.
[9][10] Zucker collaborated with Susan Bradley, collecting clinical and research data over a period of twenty years and became an international authority on gender dysphoria in children (GDC) and adolescents.
[14] Zucker's graduate work in developmental psychology resulted in his master's thesis on normative gender identity development in children.
[15] Zucker collaborated with Susan Bradley, collecting clinical and research data over a period of twenty years and became an authority on gender dysphoria in children (GDC) and adolescents.
[20][21][22] Zucker saw preventing children from becoming trans adults as justifiable in part due to the perceived difficulties posed by gender transition.
"[29] Kuhl and Martino cite a case history published in this 1995 work as evidence that Zucker and Bradley engaged in conversion therapy practices aimed at preventing homosexuality, and that they referred clinicians to the approaches of Masters and Johnson, and Joseph Nicolosi.
[29] In 2020, Zucker stated “there is little evidence that treatment of children with GD alters their eventual sexual orientation“, citing the work of Richard Green.
[8] For several years prior to the publication of the DSM-5, LGBTQ activists strongly opposed Zucker's 2008 appointment to chair the DSM-5 working group on Gender and Sexual Identity Disorders.
[36] In January 2015, Zucker was the psychologist-in-chief at Toronto's Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) and head of its Gender Identity Service.
[7] In March 2015, the Ontario Provincial Parliament introduced the Affirming Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Act, aimed at banning conversion therapy practices.
[39][38] The law made LGBT conversion therapy illegal to provide to minors, and removed it from public health insurance coverage for adults.
Kwame McKenzie, medical director of CAMH's child, youth, and family services, said "We want to apologize for the fact that not all of the practices in our childhood gender identity clinic are in step with the latest thinking".
Prior to the review, stated "that's not what we're supposed to be doing" in response to Zuckers comment in the National Post that the goal of his therapy was to prevent children growing up transgender.
[7][44][45] Conservative media figures argued that the closure of the clinic and Zucker's firing were evidence that "trans militants" were censoring scientists.
[3] In October 18, CAMH settled with Zucker for $586,000 in damages, legal fees, and interest and released an apology for the report falsely stating he called a patient a "hairy little vermin".
[46][8][47] When the settlement was announced, CAMH stated that it "stands by its decision to close the child and youth gender identity clinic following an external review which concluded the clinic was not meeting the needs of gender-expansive and trans children and their families", adding that "We believe our modernized approach to delivering services to youth better supports diverse patients through best practice and timely care.