After a decade living as transgender and suffering serious health issues from DIY hormones, Victoria shares her powerful story of detransition. She speaks out about the overlap between gender ideology and fetish subcultures, the exploitation of autistic women, and a phenomenon she calls "empathy hijacking"—where predators pose as victims to gain trust. With her striking style and rainbow cane, Victoria offers a rare insider's view of these overlapping worlds.

Full show notes: https://stellaomalley.substack.com/p/the-dark-side-of-gender-ideology

Developmental psychologist J.D. Haltigan joins Stella O'Malley and Mia Hughes to expose how activist ideology has captured the field of psychology. From the collapse of scientific standards to the rise of “pathology normalization,” Haltigan reveals how political pressure is reshaping mental health — with serious consequences for vulnerable children.The conversation covers the feminisation of psychology, the erosion of diagnostic categories, and the disturbing effects of growing up online. Haltigan also shares how leaving academia opened the door to genuine intellectual freedom — and unexpected collaborations.

What happens when a child never experiences puberty? James Linehan knows firsthand. Born with hypogonadism, a condition that prevented his body from naturally maturing, he remained physically and emotionally childlike while his peers grew into adulthood. Now, as modern medicine deliberately blocks puberty in gender-questioning youth, his experience serves as a stark warning about the lifelong consequences they may face.Linehan shares how puberty suppression left him vulnerable to manipulation, emotionally stunted, and socially isolated, with long-term health impacts that continue decades later. He challenges the claim that puberty blockers are reversible, exposing the irreversible fertility risks and developmental delays associated with them. His insights offer a chilling look at the unprecedented human experiment being conducted on today’s children.

Carrie Clark, Director of Genspect UK, joins Stella O'Malley and Mia Hughes to expose the alarming details of the NHS’s proposed Pathways study on puberty blockers. Despite the Cass Review uncovering major failings at the now-closed Tavistock clinic, the NHS is pushing forward with a new trial that risks repeating the same devastating mistakes on a massive scale.Clark reveals how this £10 million study ignores evidence of harm, fails to include detransitioners, and manipulates scientific data to justify medicalizing vulnerable children. The conversation explores the flawed Dutch Protocol, the suppressed Early Intervention Study, and the NHS’s refusal to follow up on the 9,000 children who passed through GIDS.

Novelist Lionel Shriver joins Stella O'Malley and Mia Hughes to discuss how transgender ideology took over Western institutions and why some people resist social contagions. She explores cancel culture, humor censorship, and the political consequences of identity-based governance.Shriver, known for We Need to Talk About Kevin and Mania, shares her insights on ideological movements, COVID lockdowns, and the fate of social manias.

Full show notes: https://stellaomalley.substack.com/p/this-ideology-took-over-the-west

Keira Bell is best known for her landmark legal case against the UK's Tavistock clinic, challenging its treatment of gender-questioning youth. Prescribed puberty blockers at 16 and testosterone at 18, she later detransitioned and took the clinic to court, exposing its reckless approach to minors. Though her initial victory was overturned on appeal, the Tavistock clinic ultimately closed in 2024 following the Cass Review. Her case helped shape policy changes worldwide.In this episode, Keira speaks with Stella O'Malley and Bret Alderman about her journey, the impact of her case, and the broader implications for youth gender medicine.
Read the full show notes: https://stellaomalley.substack.com/p/the-dark-reality-behind-gender-affirming

Beyond Gender - Episode 1: Why Smart People Believe Stupid ThingsGurwinder Bhogal is a writer and cultural commentator known for his sharp take on misinformation, identity politics, and how narratives shape society. He's also one of our favorite Substack bloggers, best known for his article, "Why Smart People Believe Stupid Things," which was adapted into an animated story by After Skool. In this episode, we take a deep dive into why intelligence can actually make people more susceptible to self-delusion, how social media fuels tribalism, and why academia and media incentivize misinformation.

Gurwinder's Journey: From Tech Analysis to Cultural UnderstandingOriginally working at Microsoft as a behavioral analyst studying how people use the internet, Gurwinder's journey took an unexpected turn when his interest shifted from technological bugs to examining the "bugs in human psychology." As a former web developer who has studied both information systems and extremist ideologies, he brings a unique perspective to understanding how technology and psychology intersect to shape beliefs. Through his writing on his Substack ⁠The Prism,⁠ he works to unweave popular narratives into their constituent elements, revealing the delusions, biases, and agendas that drive today's most compelling stories—including the ones we tell ourselves. His work focuses particularly on how technology and psychology conspire to fool us, and how we can withstand what he calls "the covert assault on our senses" in the digital age.

In this first episode of Beyond Gender, hosts Stella O’Malley, Mia Hughes, and Bret Alderman discuss why they launched the podcast and explore how beliefs about gender have changed over time. They examine why so many young people are questioning their identity, the role of media and medicine, and the difficulty of standing up for basic truths in today’s world.

How Our Hosts Got Here

Each host of Beyond Gender describes distinct moments that drew them into these complex debates:

Stella O'Malley

As a psychotherapist who experienced extreme gender issues as a child, Stella had always kept an eye on trans issues. In 2017, reading about Cyril Doty, a non-binary parent seeking a "U" gender marker for their baby, sparked her to write for Ireland's Sunday Independent - her first article requiring legal review. This led to her presenting the documentary Trans Kids: It's Time to Talk.

Another pivotal moment came when she read Janice Turner's article about Tara Wolf, "a 27-year-old male" who punched "Maria MacLachlan in the face," which she shared with a radio producer, calling it "the most insane article I've ever read in my life."

Mia Hughes

J.K. Rowling's December 19, 2019 tweet supporting Maya Forstater marked Mia's awakening, as she saw "absolute mayhem" and people "losing their minds" when Rowling supported "basic facts about humanity."

This led to her first viral thread in 2021 about "peaking" her woke Canadian friends with evidence about autogynephilia, homophobia in trans activism, and what she calls "the greatest medical scandal in the history of modern medicine."

Bret Alderman

Bret's understanding emerged through his academic work examining postmodernism and language in his book Eternal Youth and the Myth of Deconstruction, research he was conducting before recognizing its connection to gender ideology.

His moment of realization came in 2016 with the Caitlyn Jenner Vanity Fair cover and pronouns controversy, followed by Jordan Peterson's stance on compelled speech.

Next Episode

Why Smart People Believe Stupid Things with Gurwinder Bhogal
Premieres Friday, February 21 | 6:00 AM EST

Full show notes.

Stella O’Malley, Mia Hughes, and Bret Alderman discuss how beliefs about gender have changed over time, the media’s role, and why so many young people are questioning their identity.

Gurwinder Bhogal is a writer and cultural commentator known for his sharp take on misinformation, identity politics, and how narratives shape society.He’s also one of our favorite Substack bloggers, best known for his article, Why Smart People Believe Stupid Things, which was adapted into an animated story by @AfterSkool.In this episode, we take a deep dive into why intelligence can actually make people more susceptible to self-delusion, how social media fuels tribalism, and why academia and media incentivize misinformation.