Informed Dissent

LGB Courage Coalition

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You Have Permission to Question, Scrutinize, Push Back, and Dissent! Jamie Reed, Cori Cohn, and Lauren Leggieri report on their adventures and misadventures trying to explain and mitigate the gender culture wars. We will publish most weeks, focusing some on the news and some on important topics from social transition to lawsuits to what the heck the word “gender” means. informeddissentpodcast.substack.com

6 DAGE SIDEN

Strong Language Ahead (We Blame Reddit)

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

1 t. 44 min.
31. JAN.

Speaking Up: Dr. Karla Solheim

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. 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

1 t. 45 min.
17. JAN.

Skilled Incompetence: Becoming love and joy

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

1 t. 47 min.
10. JAN.

Doc Martens: The Great Equalizer

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

1 t. 51 min.
3. JAN.

What Washington State Is Telling the Rest of the Country

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. 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

2 t. 21 min.
20.12.2025

Escalating Federal Involvement

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

2 t. 16 min.
13.12.2025

When Health Changes with Guest Alasdair Gunn

Informed Dissent — This Week’s Episode This week on Informed Dissent, we’re joined by Alasdair Gunn and Harrison Tinsley for a wide-ranging and deeply human conversation about health, survival, fatherhood, civic responsibility, and what it means to protect children in a culture that often resists restraint. We discuss how lived experience—serious illness, custody battles, and advocacy—reshapes moral clarity, and why real compassion requires honesty, boundaries, and the courage to act when institutions fail. Guests Alasdair GunnX: @ngusdairAlasdair Gunn is a long-time gender-critical writer and commentator who was early to recognize the harms being done to boys and young men in gender medicine. In this conversation, Alasdair reflects on how surviving a life-threatening cancer diagnosis clarified his understanding of consent, care, and health—especially when supporting people who are deeply vulnerable and suffering. Harrison TinsleyX: @HarrisontinzHarrison Tinsley is a father who successfully fought for custody of his son, in part over concerns related to gender ideology. Harrison joins the show to discuss fatherhood, the legal realities parents face when protecting their children, and why supporting others matters—especially when the stakes are this high. Please note: Informed Dissent will take a brief break the week of December 27. The news never seems to stop, but our underpaid—and often unpaid—volunteers have officially demanded one day off this year. We honor the request. Please enjoy an episode from our back catalogue that day, or you can always revisit the Mariah Carey 1994 Christmas album. Thanks for listening to Informed Dissent! Thank You Thank you to Harrison and Alasdair for joining us, and to our listeners for continuing to engage thoughtfully and respectfully. If you have a guest suggestions for 2026 please drop it in the comments below. As always, please like, subscribe, share, and leave a comment—it helps more than you know. 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

1 t. 49 min.
06.12.2025

Following the Money with Ben Ryan

Informed Dissent News for the Week December 6, 2025 Segment One — Conversation with Glenna Goldis We open the episode with Glenna Goldis and a breakdown of the week’s biggest stories: * The New York Times piece on the secretly recorded surgery consultation * Chase Strangio, taking one for the team with a public-facing optimism that change is possible within current advocacy structures — and why that message feels (because it is) another kind of fake believe. Glenna provides legally grounded analysis, highlighting how weak or ideologically driven legal defense strategies can create long-term consequences for everyone — eroding public trust, distorting precedent, and reshaping the legal landscape in ways that harm both patients and professionals. Her critique underscores how fragile the rule of law becomes when institutions abandon rigor. Segment Two — Interview with Journalist Ben Ryan Next, we sit down with journalist Ben Ryan for an in-depth historical and cultural discussion of the HIV landscape: * The origins and development of AIDS Service Organizations (ASOs) * How these organizations became federally funded and what that funding structure meant for their long-term mission and operations * The history, promise, and limitations of PrEP, including how it reshaped the HIV prevention paradigm * How medical interventions, public-health messaging, and funding priorities can influence — and sometimes transform — community culture, norms, and expectations Ben offers rich historical context and a nuanced understanding of how institutions evolve, how public-health decisions ripple outward, and how medicine can shape a community’s identity and trajectory. Our Guest: Journalist Ben Ryan Ben Ryan is an independent journalist specializing in science and health care coverage. You can find more here: http://www.benryan.net/bio.html Bluesky: @benryanwriter Twitter: @benryanwriter Substack: Hazard Ratio Additional Notes: Guest Glenna Goldis Here’s her 2024 piece on Chase Strangio that quotes her saying gender identity isn’t real, etc. - Glenna on X: https://x.com/glennagoldis Thank you for joining us this week. Please subscribe (it’s free!) wherever you get your podcasts, and don’t forget to like, rate, review, and share — it truly helps the show grow. As always:Stay informed, and stay ready to dissent. Thanks for listening to Informed 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

1 t. 56 min.

You Have Permission to Question, Scrutinize, Push Back, and Dissent! Jamie Reed, Cori Cohn, and Lauren Leggieri report on their adventures and misadventures trying to explain and mitigate the gender culture wars. We will publish most weeks, focusing some on the news and some on important topics from social transition to lawsuits to what the heck the word “gender” means. informeddissentpodcast.substack.com

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LGB Courage Coalition
Aktive år

2024 - 2026
Episoder

55
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Anstødeligt
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© Informed Dissent Podcast
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