This week, Jamie and Lauren are joined by three guests pushing back against ideological capture in law, psychology, and education. Cori will be back next week.

🏛️ SCOTUS: Mirabelli v. Bonta

The Supreme Court issued an emergency order vacating the Ninth Circuit’s stay of a district court injunction — protecting parents from California’s gender-identity nondisclosure policies in schools. Justice Barrett’s concurrence noted the Ninth Circuit had demonstrably misconstrued the Court’s recent holding in Mahmoud v. Taylor. A major win for parental rights.

Cert Watch A decision on whether to grant cert in Littlejohn has been postponed. Foote v. Ludlow School Committee remains pending — a decision could come soon.

Recommended Reading “The Emergency Docket’s Critics Have It Backwards” — Stephanie Barclay, SCOTUSblog (March 6, 2026) 🔗 Read it here

Guests

Laura Powell — Mother, attorney, investigator, and founder of Californians for Good Governance, a nonpartisan organization advocating for civil liberties and government accountability. Her work has earned national media coverage, been cited in federal investigations, and contributed to the repeal of an unconstitutional state law. She recently testified before Congress on violations of parents’ rights in California schools. 🔗 X: @LauraPowellEsq | @CA4Governance

Kevin Waldman — Classical liberal, gay man, clinical researcher, mental health professional, and founder of psychFORM Research Lab, which conducts independent research into human development free from ideological bias. psychFORM has established IRB approval for a five-university study surveying approximately 2,500 undergraduates on professorial influence and Western cultural perspectives. psychFORM.com | X: @KevWaldman | Substack

Ben Appel — Author of Cis White Gay: The Making of a Gender Heretic (Bombardier, 2025), a memoir tracing his journey from a Christian covenant community to LGBT activism to Columbia University — where he encountered a new kind of orthodoxy. His recent piece in The Atlantic, “In Defense of Effeminate Boys,” is out now. benappelwrites.com| X: @benappel | Substack

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Informed Dissent

February 28, 2026

This week on Informed Dissent, Cori, Jamie, and Lauren break down Jesse Singal’s recent opinion piece in the New York Times and review some of the comments furiously written in the short window available.

We also discuss what is happening in the state of Kansas regarding the implementation of the new sex-based driver’s license law.

This Week’s Guest

Dan Zaksheske is a reporter at OutKick and has covered trans-identified athletes in women’s sports for about 2.5 years. He has appeared on Fox News and FoxNews.com, and his reporting has been cited in congressional correspondence to the U.S. Secretary of Defense. He has traveled across the country to tell the stories of girls affected when males enter women’s sports and spaces, reporting on the rules and policy shifts shaping competition and what they mean for fairness, safety, and opportunity for women and girls.

🔗 Read Dan’s work at OutKick:https://www.outkick.com/person/z/dan-zaksheske

📺 Subscribe to his YouTube channel:https://www.youtube.com/@UncontrolledNarrativewithDanZ

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Our free weekly content happens because of the volunteers at the LGB Courage Coalition and from the support of listeners like you!

Tarot card decks and fan mail can be sent to:

LGB Courage Coalition PO Box 150114 St Louis MO 63151

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This week on Informed Dissent, Jamie, Lauren, and Cori step into the breach — with guest Jennifer Sey.

Jennifer Sey

Jennifer Sey is an American author, filmmaker, business executive, and retired National Champion gymnast.

She was the 1986 U.S. Women’s National Champion and 7x National Team member. She was the first gymnast to speak out about the abuses in the sport in her 2008 memoir, Chalked Up.

Sey went on to produce the 2020 Emmy-award winning documentary film, Athlete A on Netflix, exposing the crimes of Larry Nassar and the abuse of athletes rampant in the Olympic movement.

Sey began working at Levi Strauss & Co. in 1999, rising to Chief Marketing Officer and then Brand President.

In 2020, she was the only C-suite executive to speak out against covid lockdowns and school closures.

She is now the founder and CEO of her own clothing brand, XX-XY Athletics – the only athletic brand to stand up for women’s sports and female athletes.

https://xx-xyathletics.com

🔎 Stories Discussed

🇬🇧 UK Pauses PATHWAYS Puberty Blocker Trial

The UK government has paused the PATHWAYS clinical trial into puberty blockers for minors after regulators raised safety concerns.

Read more:👉 https://www.theguardian.com/science/2026/feb/20/uk-clinical-trial-into-puberty-blockers-paused-after-medicines-regulator-raises-concerns

⚖️ AAP & Endocrine Society Sue the FTC

The American Academy of Pediatrics and the Endocrine Society have filed suit against the U.S. Federal Trade Commission over investigations related to gender-affirming care guidance.

Read the Reuters coverage:👉 https://www.reuters.com/legal/government/pediatricians-group-sues-over-us-ftc-launching-gender-affirming-care-probe-2026-02-17/

If you value these conversations, please subscribe for free, like this episode, and share it with others who care about evidence, ethics, and open dialogue. Your support helps us continue this work and grow the conversation.

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Informed Dissent — Week of February 14, 2026

With Jamie Reed, Lauren Leggieri, and Cori CohnGuest: Dr. Patrick Hunter

This week on Informed Dissent, Jamie, Lauren, and Cori go back to the Detransitioner lawsuit trying to parse a standard of care when the whole field went off the rails. They discuss weekly headlines and are then joined by Dr. Patrick Hunter for a wide-ranging conversation on pediatric care, standards of practice, and medical ethics.

From Helen Lewis’s piece : “that she’d had her breasts removed at 16, only 11 months after first identifying as male. She had also been diagnosed with autism and had struggled with an eating disorder and anxiety.”

Ben Ryan’s coverage American Society Plastic Surgeons: New York Sun

Ben Ryan’s coverage American Society Plastic Surgeons: Hazard Ratio Substack

Guest Interview — Dr. Patrick Hunter

This week’s guest is Dr. Patrick Hunter, who joins the show for a detailed conversation about clinical practice, pediatric care, and evolving standards in youth gender medicine. You can follow Dr. Hunter on X @PatrickHunterMD

The discussion covers:

* Dr. Hunter’s professional background and clinical experience

* The role of pediatricians and primary care providers in evaluating distress in children

* Why a cautious, slow-moving approach has historically been standard in pediatric medicine

* The importance of careful assessment, watchful waiting, and risk–benefit evaluation when treating minors

* How physicians navigate standards of care amid changing evidence, institutional guidance, and public pressure

* The ethical responsibilities of clinicians working with children, including questions of informed consent, risk, and medical decision-making for minors

* The tension between urgency, patient distress, and the duty to avoid harm in pediatric care

The conversation also introduces key ethical questions surrounding pediatric medicine and clinical responsibility. Because of the importance and complexity of these issues, Dr. Hunter will return to Informed Dissent for a future episode focused specifically on medical ethics and standards of care.

Please like, subscribe, and share to help more listeners find these conversations.

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Informed Dissent — Show Notes

This week, Lauren, Jamie, and Cori break down a cascade of developments that unfolded in rapid succession: a New York jury malpractice verdict and major medical organizations reversing course on youth gender surgeries.

We also take a brief look at patient-facing spaces like Reddit to see whether families are already reporting canceled or delayed surgeries, noting that while anecdotal, these discussions often surface institutional shifts before they appear in official statements.

https://www.reddit.com/r/TopSurgery/comments/1qw9l00/comment/o3nyajn/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button

Taken together, the legal, medical, and cultural signals suggest a consensus once treated as untouchable is now beginning to fracture.

Joining us this week is Gabe Walters, an attorney with the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE). We discuss the DIAG case, the free speech and civil liberties issues it raises.

We also touch on FIRE’s recent victory defending a Washington State professor investigated for parodying a university land acknowledgment.

Thanks for reading Informed Dissent! This post is public so feel free to share it.

Relevant links:

* FIRE (Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression):

https://www.thefire.org/

* DIAG v. Alexi Giannoulias (case page): https://www.thefire.org/cases/democrats-informed-approach-gender-v-alexi-giannoulias/

* FIRE victory in the University of Washington land acknowledgment case:https://www.thefire.org/news/victory-court-vindicates-professor-investigated-parodying-universitys-land-acknowledgment/

If you appreciate this episode, please like, subscribe, and share—and stay informed, and ready to dissent.

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit informeddissentpodcast.substack.com/subscribe

This week on Informed Dissent, Jamie, Lauren, and Cori reflect on a week of unexpected moments — travel, testimony, and the decision to speak up when staying quiet would have been easier.

Our deep dive includes a behind-the-scenes conversation about recent legislative hearings and welcoming new voices into the movement.

We’re joined by Dr. Karla Solheim, a board-certified OB/GYN living and practicing in Northeast Iowa. Dr. Solheim is married to her wife of 12 years, and together they are raising three children. She began writing to support and empower other OB/GYNs practicing in rural settings, before turning her attention to the growing influence of gender medicine.

In this episode, Dr. Solheim speaks about professional integrity, medical accountability, and what happens when clinicians decide to speak honestly — even when they hadn’t planned to.

You can read Dr. Solheim’s writing on Substack here:

If you appreciate this podcast, please like, share, and subscribe. These conversations matter, and they only grow when people pass them on.

Stay informed — and stay ready to dissent.

Informed Dissent is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support our work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

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Informed Dissent — January 17, 2026

News of the Week & Deep Dive

This week’s episode moves from state-level political turmoil to Supreme Court oral arguments, with a few unexpected cultural and intellectual detours along the way.

Segment One — New Jersey at a Crossroads

We open with the unfolding conflict inside New Jersey’s political and advocacy landscape, where a proposed “gender health care shield law” failed to pass before the close of the legislative session. That story, and the broader institutional turmoil at Garden State Equality, set the stage for a deeper conversation about how organizations respond to internal contradiction, external pressure, and reputational risk.

Along the way, we take a few side roads:

* What a zombie apocalypse in World War Z can teach us about cascading institutional failure.

* Why Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring still matters when thinking about how societies respond to environmental and systemic risk.

* Chris Argyris’ Overcoming Organizational Defenses and how organizations protect themselves from information they do not want to hear.

* A brief discussion of Jennifer Bilek’s reporting on networked advocacy influence in the gender policy space.

If you want the full written breakdown of the New Jersey story, we covered it here:

Segment Two — Supreme Court Sports Cases

In the second half, returning guest Glenna Goldis lawyer and author of Bad Facts

joins us for legal analysis of the two cases argued this week at the U.S. Supreme Court:

* Little v. Hecox (Idaho)

* West Virginia v. B.P.J.

We unpack the constitutional questions before the Court, Title IX implications, standards of review, and what oral argument signals about where the justices may be headed. We also discuss how these cases fit into the wider national strategy around sex-based protections in law and sport.

Closing Reflections

As always, we wrap by reflecting on the growing community around this show, the people showing up in real life at hearings and rallies, and the many listeners quietly processing complex family and cultural conflicts alongside us each week.

If you enjoyed this episode, please like, subscribe, and share Informed Dissent. Independent media only works when listeners help build the audience and the impact.

And as always — stay informed, and stay ready to dissent.

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit informeddissentpodcast.substack.com/subscribe

This week on Informed Dissent we tackle the New York Times, men in women’s sports, Trans News Network, and the 37th Annual GLAAD Media Award nominees.

We also discuss shoe sizes (is a women’s 11½ an outlier?), the independent media nominees all being either trans, queer, or aligned with that side of the movement, and why Jamie can’t pronoun Brad Polumbo’s name.

In our second segment we were joined by guest Ben Appel.

Ben Appel is the author of Cis White Gay: The Making of a Gender Heretic. He’s written for the Wall Street Journal, the New York Post, Newsweek, UnHerd, and many other publications.

Links:

Cis White Gay:

https://www.amazon.com/Cis-White-Gay-Making-Heretic-ebook/dp/B0FJ2PVZCP

X: https://x.com/benappel

Substack:

Website:

https://www.benappelwrites.com/

Like, subscribe, share, and comment.

Independent media only works if we share it and support it—and since we’ll probably never win a GLAAD Award, tell us in the comments who you think should be nominated for an independent media award.

As always, stay informed and ready to dissent.

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit informeddissentpodcast.substack.com/subscribe

Informed Dissent — This Week for January 3, 2026

This week’s episode marks our return after the holiday break and focuses on Washington State, where sports policy, media framing, parental rights, and direct democracy are converging in real time.

Jamie, Cori, and Lauren are together for the full episode, opening with a wide-ranging first segment before turning to an interview from Washington State.

Segment One: Washington Post and NYT

The episode opens with a discussion about a young man in sports and takes a rather bizarre turn to STI’s and Bacterial Vaginosis.

* The conversation begins in Washington State and a recent Washington Post profile of a male athlete competing in girls’ track.🔗 Washington Post (live): “For young transgender runner, racing wasn’t the hardest thing”https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2025/12/28/transgender-female-athlete-competition-trump/🔗 Washington Post (archived):https://archive.is/2025.12.28-222636/https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2025/12/28/transgender-female-athlete-competition-trump/

* Jamie, Cori, and Lauren end discussing a recent New York Times article examining new research suggesting that bacterial vaginosis (BV) may be sexually transmitted, and why the story centers a trans identified woman. 🔗 NYT: “Bacterial Vaginosis May Be Sexually Transmitted, New Research Suggests”https://www.nytimes.com/2025/12/30/health/bacterial-vaginosis-sexually-transmitted-infection.html

This post is public so feel free to share it.

Segment Two: Ballot initiatives and direct democracy

In the second segment Lauren, Cori and Jamie are joined by Brian Heywood, from Let’s Go Washington. Brian can be found on X @bkheywood (That Damn Mormon)

Heywood discusses:

* Two Washington ballot initiatives—one restoring sex-based categories in school sports and another advancing parental notification and authority—that have surpassed signature thresholds for the 2026 ballot.

* The scale of volunteer participation statewide and the documented intimidation, harassment, and violence directed at signature gatherers.

* Why direct democracy has become necessary when institutional actors attempt to close debate rather than resolve it.

🔗 Let’s Go Washington: https://letsgowashington.com/

We are excited to announce the final counts:

IL26-001 Strengthen Communication Between Parents and Schools: 416,201

IL26-638 Protecting Fairness in Girls Sports: 445,187

Additional context and referenced voices

Throughout the episode, the hosts also reference:

* Reporting on Seattle-area schools administering gender-identity surveys to children and sharing data with third parties

If you found this episode valuable, please like, subscribe, and share.Your engagement helps more people find the show and keeps these conversations moving forward.

As always, thank you for listening. Stay informed—and stay ready to dissent.

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Informed Dissent — This Week for December 20, 2025

This week’s episode moved fast and covered a lot of ground. Cori and Jamie opened with a wide-angle look at where things actually stand right now—before turning to a guest conversation that tested the limits of dialogue across disagreement.

Policy, politics, and what’s winning

Cori and Jamie begin the episode by breaking down several developments shaping the current moment, while also taking a trip down memory holed land into the world of the AAP and Peanuts.

* A discussion of proposed rules from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services related to Medicaid, including what these changes could mean in practice and where leverage points may exist.

* An overview of House legislation introduced by Marjorie Taylor Greene and Dan Crenshaw, with attention to political signaling, strategy, and how these efforts fit into the broader legislative landscape.

* A grounded conversation between Cori and Jamie about what is winning right now—distinguishing institutional progress from rhetorical noise, and identifying where momentum is translating into real-world outcomes.

Guest: Dr. Laura Targownik

Dr. Laura Targownik is a gastroenterologist and clinician-researcher in the University of Toronto Department of Medicine. Dr. Targownik holds a Master of Science in Health Services from UCLA and is the author of more than 230 peer-reviewed publications. Dr. Targownik is internationally recognized for work in the epidemiology of inflammatory bowel disease and in health economics.

Four years ago, Dr. Targownik publicly shared a history of transition. Since that time, Dr. Targownik has become an advocate for trans rights, drawing on personal experience to present a vision of trans coexistence that emphasizes integration, civic participation, and contribution to the common good. Writing by Dr. Targownik has appeared in the The Globe and Mail and the Canadian Health Network.

X (Twitter): @datadriven_tdoc

Tweet of the Week:A satirical clip from Women Are Real that circulated widely this week and sparked discussion about how political conflict and cultural critique now travel through humor, shorthand, and viral media.

Programming note

We’ll be taking next week off for the holiday and will return the following week.

If you value this show—even when it’s imperfect—please like, subscribe, rate, and share. That support keeps these conversations going.

As always: stay informed—and stay ready to dissent.

Informed Dissent is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support our work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit informeddissentpodcast.substack.com/subscribe