Gender: A Wider Lens

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 real problems these students faced, and it was not benefiting them. He shares his reflections on the school getting caught up in gender-related matters, while the root issues of students' mental health were being overlooked. This led him to team up with Genspect for a different approach, of which he reflects with Sasha & Stella, ultimately resulted in a “culture of desistance” unfolding. His exploration for an alternate approach was not widely embraced by all of his professional colleagues and respected clinical peers, despite his extensive qualifications and proven commitment to supporting wholeness and wellness for his students. We hope this episode offers other professionals and leaders out there, struggling to speak up about their concerns about the negative implications of the affirmative approach, an empowered sense of confidence and comfort in setting the tone for a more flexible, less rigid approach to identity exploration.

The Charlton School is a nonprofit therapeutic learning community providing 24/7 evidence-based clinical support and an onsite New York State Education Department approved high school for young women. Charlton serves young women and families experiencing mental health challenges including depression, anxiety, low self esteem, self-injurious behavior, among others.

Founded in 1895, Charlton serves a 100% voluntary enrolled individualized approach in a non-traditional environment. Charlton provides students with smaller class sizes to support their academic progress, as well as multiple forms of therapy to aid with the improvement of their mental health. Their residential and day students are supported with collaborative treatment plans that include Equine Therapy, Social Emotional Learning, Art Therapy, Psychiatric Nursing Services, Family Therapy, and more on a scenic 275 acre campus located in southern Saratoga County. 

The entire treatment and educational teams remain committed to the integrity of their 360 degree approach to students and their families and its proven success. The school believes in honoring evidence based outcomes as means for measuring the success of its program. And while their numbers are small due to the limited nature of their capacity, their model is designed and proven to thrive on the intimate nature of their individualized, family-focused approach.

Links:

Learn more about The Charlton School

www.thecharltonschool.org

https://linktr.ee/charltonschool

A Clinical Guide for Therapists Working with Gender-Questioning Youth

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.widerlenspod.com

Sasha and Stella continue the conversation with Calvin Lunt by asking him “how do you talk about gender issues in real life?” Calvin shares how far he’s come in his ability to speak fearlessly about this issue, based on his own experience.

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 identity. At the age of 25, Calvin took a surprising turn in his journey by embracing gender transition. Two years later, influenced by his pursuit of sobriety and a realization that certain aspects of his identity were founded on falsehoods, he chose to detransition. Presently, Calvin works as a wellness coach, drawing from his encounters with spiritual practitioners across different parts of the world and his personal journey of recovery and healing. His training encompasses a diverse range of experiences and perspectives. And his story illuminates the profound journey of self-discovery, transformation, and healing.

Links:

Find Calvin on Instagram @calvinlunt

Becoming A Woman to Become A Man (Calvin’s Podcast)

https://open.spotify.com/show/5SYWRgcEvFnO0IHw5PBLFW?si=ed7578460935453d 

Beauty School Cop Outs (MTV Show)

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3364728/ 

Pete Burns’ Life in Pictures

https://www.adelaidenow.com.au/entertainment/celebrity/pete-burns-life-in-pictures/image-gallery/36584e9eb07297799204e00637e87a11

If you liked this episode, more episodes you might find interesting:

Episode 3 - Feminine Boy to Gay Man: A conversation with Arty Morty

https://gender-a-wider-lens.captivate.fm/episode/feminine-boy-to-gay-man-a-conversation-with-arty-morty 

Episode 8  - TransGenerational Wisdom: a Conversation with Buck Angel

https://gender-a-wider-lens.captivate.fm/episode/8-transgenerational-wisdom-a-conversation-with-buck-angel 

Episode 12 - Identity vs. Role Confusion in Adolescence

https://gender-a-wider-lens.captivate.fm/episode/12-identity-vs-role-confusion-in-adolescence 

Episode 73 - Shame Narcissism and the Transition Fantasy w Joe Burgo

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.widerlenspod.com

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 "When Kids Say They're Trans: A Guide for Thoughtful 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 on the perceptions of what “trans” is and what it means and how it can impact children differently in different stages of life, so no matter what your situation (young children, teens, young adults), there will be something that resonates for you. 

ROGD and social contagion, sexuality, queer theory, pornography, social transition, medical transition, real life stories from parents, informative side bars from field experts and researchers, sample dialogue for communicating with school professionals, family dynamics, managing conflict, self-care for parents, desistance and detransition, growth & development…they briefly touch on each chapter, covering so many important concepts. And they even suggest the value this book has to offer to the different kinds of professionals encountering gender expansive kids. So while it was written specifically for parents, therapists, teachers, school counselors, and the many other kinds of professionals impacted by gender are encouraged to consider reading it too.

LINKS:

When Kids Say They're Trans: A Guide for Parents

www.whenkidssaythyretrans.com

GETA Directory

https://www.genderexploratory.com/find/ 

Beyond Trans Directory

https://beyondtrans.org/therapists/ 

Open Therapy Institute

https://www.opentherapyinstitute.org 

What Could a Name Change Represent for Your Gender-Questioning Teen?

https://youtu.be/pgVL7ENmwFE

Info about Sasha’s Parent Coaching Membership Group:

https://youtu.be/hVyPCXk-uEw

Stella on YouTube

www.youtube.com/@stellaomalleypsychotherapist 

Info about Stella’s Parent Coaching Membership Group:

http://www.stellaomalley.com/parent-coaching 

Wider Lens Consulting

Details coming soon about plans for the 2023 Parent Renewal Retreat

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 effort to defend the integrity of the research. He also shares about his plans for future research, as well fundamental question key for continued pursuit of knowledge and understanding of this complex phenomenon.

The article remains accessible for review and we highly encourage our listeners to check it out!

Rapid Onset Gender Dysphoria: Parent Reports on 1655 Possible Cases, Diaz, S., Bailey, J.M. RETRACTED ARTICLE: Rapid Onset Gender Dysphoria: Parent Reports on 1655 Possible Cases. Arch Sex Behav 52, 1031–1043 (2023). 

https://doi.org/10.1007/s10508-023-02576-9 

My Research on Gender Dysphoria Was Censored. But I Won’t Be.

Trans activists forced the retraction of my paper. Their efforts have redoubled my commitment to the truth. By Michael Bailey

https://www.thefp.com/p/trans-activists-killed-my-scientific-paper 

https://openinquirybehavio.wixsite.com/oibs/joibs 

http://www.parentsofrogdkids.com 

If you liked this episode, more episodes you might find interesting:

“Episode 2 - Rapid Onset Gender Dysphoria”

https://gender-a-wider-lens.captivate.fm/episode/rapid-onset-gender-dysphoria 

“Episode 52 - Gender Dysphoria & Detransition Research: A Conversation W/ Dr. Lisa Littman”

https://gender-a-wider-lens.captivate.fm/episode/52-gender-dysphoria-detransition-research-a-conversation-w-dr-lisa-littman 

“Episode 59 - Pioneers Series: 46 Years of Treating GD in Kids with Kenneth Zucker”

https://gender-a-wider-lens.captivate.fm/episode/59-pioneers-series-48-years-of-treating-gd-in-kids-with-kenneth-zucker 

“Episode 65 - Pioneers Series: Gender - The Big Picture with Susan Bradley”

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.widerlenspod.com

Episode 121 - Practical Advice for Managing Gender Identity in Schools with Dr. Kate Goonan

In 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 advising parents on how to manage their specialists, psychologists, and schools. Now fully retired, Kate continues to advise families on their strategies with schools and caregivers. She leads Genspect’s team developing model school policies and educational resources for school personnel and parents. Her goal is to apply her skills and expertise to ensuring parents and schools approach gender non-conforming children with a fully informed and open-minded approach. 

Her extensive background serves her work with Genspect well, as Dr. Goonan spent time serving as medical director overseeing medical policy and quality for Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts. She has also authored two books on quality in health care and was appointed as a judge for the U.S. presidential award for performance excellence in business, health care, and education (Baldrige Performance Excellence Award 1999-2002). Kate grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area in a family affected by another dysphoria: anorexia.

Links:

Comprehensive Gender Identity School Policy - USA 

https://genspect.org/comprehensive-gender-identity-school-policy-usa/ 

Transparency in Education Newsletter

https://transparencyineducation.net/

Dr. Goonan’s Advocacy Work w/ Genspect

https://genspect.org/advocacy 

[email protected] 

[email protected]

Rapid Onset Gender Dysphoria: Parent Reports on 1655 Possible Cases, Diaz, S., Bailey, J.M. RETRACTED ARTICLE: Rapid Onset Gender Dysphoria: Parent Reports on 1655 Possible Cases. Arch Sex Behav 52, 1031–1043 (2023). 

https://doi.org/10.1007/s10508-023-02576-9 

Please note: this episode was recorded prior to the June 2023 retraction of the above cited paper (referenced in the discussion). We discuss this paper and the context of threats for its potential retraction with one of the paper’s authors, Mike Bailey, directly in Episode 116. And we have him back again to follow up in response to the retraction announcement in a future episode (scheduled to be released mid July 2023).

If you liked this episode, more episodes you might find interesting:

Episode 80...

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.widerlenspod.com