Peaked

Róisín Michaux
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A podcast about gender identity ideology, women's rights, and free speech in the EU. peaked.substack.com

  1. 4d ago ·  Video

    "They hadn't read the room in Northern Ireland"

    A backlash and a breakthrough: behind the scenes in Belfast with Nora Calder.   Show notes (AI generated) In this episode of Peaked, Róisín Michaux speaks with Nora Calder, one of the women involved in running the Women's Rights Network Northern Ireland, about the extraordinary events surrounding the cancellation of the organisation's planned panel at Féile an Phobail in Belfast. The conversation traces the story from the original application for a panel on women's rights, sex-based rights, single-sex spaces and women's sport, through the panel's acceptance, the subsequent social-media controversy, the cancellation by Féile, and the legal and political fallout that followed. Nora explains what happened behind the scenes as the Women's Rights Network sought to have the event reinstated, including the organisation's attempts to engage with Féile, the legal process, the support that came from women around the world, and the decision ultimately to organise an alternative event. The discussion then moves beyond Féile to the wider political situation in Northern Ireland, including the Equality Commission's judicial review, the UK Supreme Court's ruling in For Women Scotland v Scottish Ministers, Sarah Morrison's case, BBC coverage of the controversy, engagement with Justice Minister Naomi Long, and the forthcoming Northern Ireland election. Featured Topics Women's Rights Network Northern Ireland Féile an Phobail The cancelled "Respect, Rights & Reality" panel The original Féile application Sex-based rights Single-sex spaces Women's sport The UK Supreme Court's For Women Scotland ruling The online campaign surrounding the Féile panel The cancellation of the event J.K. Rowling's offer of legal support The legal challenge against Féile The alternative event in Belfast Sex Matters Fiona McAnena Athena Forum Gaels for Fair Play Women's rights activism in Northern Ireland The political divisions of Northern Ireland The Equality Commission for Northern Ireland Article 2 of the Windsor Framework Sarah Morrison BBC Spotlight Nolan Investigates Stonewall Naomi Long The Alliance Party Northern Ireland's prisons and women's services The March 2027 Northern Ireland election The 2025 Féile event was titled "Whose Victory Is It Anyway? Why the UK Supreme Court Ruling Is Not a Victory for the Feminist Movement" and was organised by Féile's Debates and Discussions Committee. The event argued that the Supreme Court ruling was regressive for feminism. (Féile an Phobail) Féile 2025: Whose Victory Is It Anyway? The Women's Rights Network Northern Ireland The Women's Rights Network is a UK-wide organisation campaigning around the rights and interests of women and girls. Nora discusses the work of the Northern Ireland branch, including political engagement, campaigning, Freedom of Information requests, judicial reviews and public events. She explains that the Northern Ireland branch works both independently and with the wider WRN network, sharing information and research between regional groups. Women's Rights Network Women's Rights Network on YouTube Women's Rights Network YouTube channel The Planned Panel The planned event was titled: Respect, Rights & Reality: Women's Voices from Ireland and Europe The panel was intended to bring together women from Northern Ireland, Ireland and Europe to discuss sex-based rights and the legal and political questions surrounding them. Among the organisations and speakers discussed were: Women's Rights Network Athena Forum Gaels for Fair Play Sex Matters Fiona McAnena from Sex Matters subsequently agreed to participate. Nora describes the excitement among the organisers after the event was accepted and speakers began agreeing to take part. Sex Matters The Cancellation On 21 July 2026, Féile an Phobail cancelled the WRN Northern Ireland event. Féile said it had been unaware from the initial submission that the event would "promote campaigns against rights for the Transgender community" and said the event was being withdrawn from the programme. WRN Northern Ireland responded that the event was explicitly a discussion about women's sex-based rights and that this had been made clear in the original application. The organisation said it was shocked and disappointed by the cancellation. (Belfast Media Group) The cancellation became the central controversy around the festival, with media coverage, political debate and an increasingly intense online response. Gript: Rights group says 'women will not be silenced' as Féile cancels BBC News NI: Organisation 'shocked' after Féile cancels event J.K. Rowling & The Legal Challenge J.K. Rowling's X account BBC Coverage of the Controversy BBC Radio Ulster / BBC Audio coverage Sex Matters: BBC Northern Ireland's coverage of the cancellation of WRN NI's panel The Legal Dispute and the Alternative Event Newsletter: Women's Rights Network event goes ahead in Belfast after Féile cancellation Video A video connected with the Féile controversy and WRN Northern Ireland: Watch the video Women's Rights Network & The Broader Political Picture The conversation moves from the Féile controversy to the wider political landscape in Northern Ireland. Nora discusses attempts to engage senior politicians and her meeting with Naomi Long, the Justice Minister and leader of the Alliance Party. She describes repeatedly asking Long to meet with WRN before eventually securing a meeting, where they discussed prisons, policing, intimate searches and women's services. Naomi Long / Alliance Party Further Reading & Listening Féile Cancellation Gript: Rights group says 'women will not be silenced' as Féile cancels BBC News NI: Organisation 'shocked' after Féile cancels event Sex Matters: BBC Northern Ireland's coverage of the cancellation of WRN NI's panel The Replacement Event Newsletter: Women's Rights Network event goes ahead in Belfast after Féile cancellation Féile Féile an Phobail 2025 Féile panel on the Supreme Court ruling BBC Audio BBC Radio Ulster / BBC Audio Video Watch the Nora Calder / WRN-related video Guest Links Nora Calder Instagram X / Twitter Women's Rights Network Official Website YouTube Channel Host Róisín Michaux X https://x.com/RoisinMichaux Substack Peaked A newsletter about women, free speech, and institutional capture with a special focus on Europe. By Róisín Michaux Listen & Subscribe 🎧 Peaked is available on Substack and major podcast platforms. Substack peaked.news Apple Podcasts

  2. Aug 7 ·  Video

    "I'll tell you my solution to this problem"

    There's no weekly newsletter this week because I've been travelling to Belfast and Amsterdam for TERF-related activities (see below), so here's an interview I did with one of Germany's fiercest warriors against the forces of gender irrationality, Rona Duwe. Rona was sued by a psychotherapist called Sabine Maur because she shared a video in which Maur could be seen telling fellow mental health professionals how to fiddle with insurance forms so that 'gender-affirming' mastectomies get reimbursed for women claiming to be 'non-binary'. While female-to-male breast removal is considered totally sane in Germany, breast removal for female-to-non-binary is not, which is bizarre, to be fair, because neither of these things is actually real. The Maur video was not originally shared by Rona, but she did share it once it was already online. Rona also made comments on Maur's dubious practices. Because she is a known (and much-hated) entity in German feminist/queer circles, Rona was the one who was pursued in court for this already-public video. In the interview we get into the details of what went down during the legal proceedings, and we also talked about Rona's strategy of being gloriously defiant. Like a growing number of women being hounded over this trans nonsense, Rona has decided to take on her detractors rather than slinking away in fear and silence. You love to see it. "Did you consider coming out in defence of those women?" Meanwhile, I spent 24 hours in Belfast on Tuesday in order to cover the Women's Rights Network Northern Ireland non-reinstated Féile and Phobail event. If you missed all that and you have no idea what I'm talking about, I recommend you read this article by Helen Joyce and my running thread of the conference content. Bonus: enjoy this awkward confrontation between myself and Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald, neo-Laundry Nun Ailbhe Smyth (prolific Irish prawn sandwich brigadier feminist), and even the brand new Lord Mayor of Belfast.   @sinnfeinireland) about the exclusion of Women's Rights Network Northern Ireland from this year's Féile festival in West Belfast. @ni_wrn ","username":"RoisinMichaux","name":"Róisín Michaux","profile_image_url":"https://pbs.substack.com/profile_images/2057428507693666304/Bb4VKDB3_normal.jpg","date":"2026-08-05T00:53:26.000Z","photos":[{"img_url":"https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!065p!,w_1028,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:best,fl_progressive:steep/l_play_button_usfui2,w_88,e_colorize:0/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F__ss-rehost__tw-video-preview-13_2084804026932031488.jpg","link_url":"https://t.co/uH2IDd4q41"}],"quoted_tweet":{},"reply_count":299,"retweet_count":457,"like_count":1963,"impression_count":344492,"expanded_url":null,"video_url":"https://video.twimg.com/amplify_video/2084804026932031488/vid/avc1/720x1280/Vm5-XdHYNqSBsIOt.mp4","video_preview_media_key":"13_2084804026932031488","belowTheFold":false}"> Róisín Michaux@RoisinMichaux "Did you consider coming out in defence of those women, at all?" I asked Mary Lou McDonald and the Lord Mayor of Belfast (both of @sinnfeinireland) about the exclusion of Women's Rights Network Northern Ireland from this year's Féile festival in West Belfast. @ni_wrn   2:53 AM · Aug 5, 2026 · 344K Views 299 Replies · 457 Reposts · 1.96K Likes   After a whirlwind few hours in Belfast, I had an hour or two's worth of kip on Dublin Airport floor before heading to Amsterdam to attend (incognito) the World Pride Human Rights Conference 2026. The event confirmed all my priors: it was never about gays, and always about AIDS, and you can tell because thanks to funding cuts, gay activism is going back to being about public health. It will be less and less about the warm-and-fuzzy human rights as the funding pot shrinks. One UNDP attendee accused the Global Fund of abandoning 'the community' to become more like a "commodities fund" (the commodities being HIV drugs and medical infrastructure). This was inevitable. Also, gay is trans in the places in the world where HIV is worst, which is why western countries who invest in AIDS work are so desperate to 'affirm' the homophobic 'third genders' in these places. If that's confusing, listen to my interview about it with Stephanie Winn from a few weeks back. I asked a Pakistani 'trans woman' point-blank: if it was ok to be a gay man in Pakistan, would there be fewer Hijras or whatever these men are called over there? Oh yeah, he said emphatically, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. Then I asked a senior Dutch diplomat if he could see how reinforcing these 'half man' identities is just a different kind of homophobia, and that by celebrating all these third genders — as part of Western donors' effort not to appear all colonial — they could perhaps be making things worse? He literally did a massive shrug and wished me a good day. Finally, I spoke to Luke Sheehan for the Irish podcast Cassandra Voices a few weeks back and the episode has just gone online. I did a lot of hyperactive waffling about how the EU works, and we also talked about Irish culture generally and why we're so susceptible to woke cultism. Podcast: On Europe, Gender and Sh*tposting with Róisín Michaux I'll be publishing a backlog of podcast episodes over the next week or two, and some other bits and pieces. If you like/appreciate my work, I can only keep going with your support. Please share this newsletter with someone you think might like it, upgrade to a paid subscription if you're on a gratos plan, or donate to my PayPal below. Every little helps. Thanks bud.     Make a donation Show notes (AI generated) In this episode of Peaked, Róisín Michaux speaks with German feminist activist Rona Duwe about Germany's rapidly changing gender identity landscape, her legal battle involving psychotherapist Sabine Maur, and the wider implications for women's rights, medical ethics, freedom of expression, and public policy. The discussion examines Germany's conversion therapy legislation, gender medicine for minors, the role of the German Psychotherapists Chamber, health insurance reimbursement for gender-related treatments, freedom of speech, investigative journalism, self-identification laws, prison policies, and feminist activism. Rona also discusses her ongoing projects documenting gender-related cases across Germany, her legal victories, and how public support for gender-critical voices has evolved in recent years. Featured Topics Germany's Self-Determination Act Conversion Therapy Ban Sabine Maur legal case German Psychotherapists Chamber Gender medicine for minors Health insurance reimbursement Non-binary medical interventions Medical ethics Freedom of expression Investigative journalism Women's rights under Article 3 of the German Constitution Women's prisons Public activism in Germany Sabine Maur Former Vice President of the German Psychotherapists Chamber. Instagram The episode centers on legal proceedings following Rona's criticism of Maur's role in developing treatment guidelines for minors and allegations relating to a webinar discussing insurance reimbursement for non-binary medical interventions. Alice Schwarzer Germany's best-known feminist and founder of Emma Magazine. Official Website https://www.emma.de/ Genevieve Gluck Investigative journalist for Reduxx, referenced during the discussion of Germany's historical relationship with gender ideology. Reduxx https://reduxx.info/ Magnus Hirschfeld German physician and sexologist whose early work on sexuality and transgender medicine is discussed in relation to Germany's historical background. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magnus_Hirschfeld Günter Wallraff Germany's most famous undercover investigative journalist. Referenced when discussing how the court compared Rona's reporting to investigative journalism conducted in the public interest. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/G%C3%BCnter_Wallraff Marie-Luise Vollbrecht German biologist referenced while discussing the changing public atmosphere surrounding gender-critical speech in Germany. https://cne.news/article/3976-conservative-biologist-wins-court-case-over-gender-view Frauenheldinnen Women's rights organization supporting legal campaigns and crowdfunding related to Rona's case. https://frauenheldinnen.de/ Was ist eine Frau? Campaign website documenting gender-related cases across Germany. Website https://was-ist-eine-frau.de/ Interactive Case Map https://was-ist-eine-frau.de/nur-ein-einzelfall/ WPATH World Professional Association for Transgender Health. Referenced during discussion of international treatment guidelines. https://www.wpath.org/ Emma Magazine German feminist magazine founded by Alice Schwarzer. https://www.emma.de/ Laws & Policies German Self-Determination Act Germany's legislation allowing legal change of sex without previous legal requirements. https://www.bmj.de/ German Conversion Therapy Ban Discussed throughout the episode in relation to psychotherapy and gender identity treatment. https://www.bundesgesundheitsministerium.de/ Article 3 — German Basic Law The discussion covers proposals to include "sexual identity" alongside sex protections in Germany's Constitution. English text https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/englisch_gg/ Medical Topics Johns Hopkins – Metoidioplasty https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/treatment-tests-and-therapies/metoidioplasty-for-gender-affirming-care Cleveland Clinic – Phalloplasty https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/procedures/21585-phalloplasty Companies Discussed GenderGP Referenced during discussion of cross-border hormone prescribing. https://www.gendergp.com/ Imago Referenced during discussion of online European hormone services. https://i

  3. Jul 6 ·  Video

    The predator as victim: Sweden's perverted priorities

    🎙️ Peaked — Episode 16 Host: Róisín Michaux Guest: Angeliqa Episode Overview In this episode of Peaked, Róisín Michaux speaks with Angeliqa, a Swedish-American mother who was convicted of defamation after warning parents in her local community about a man exposed by the Swedish watchdog organization Dumpen. The conversation explores Sweden's defamation laws, freedom of expression, child protection, media responsibility, and the tension between protecting reputations and protecting children. Angeliqa recounts two incidents that shaped her decision to speak publicly, including an earlier case involving a suspected child predator near her child's preschool and a later case that resulted in criminal prosecution after she shared information in local Facebook groups. The discussion also examines Sweden's migration policies, political culture, public attitudes toward controversial issues, the work of Dumpen, and the ongoing debate over whether Sweden's legal framework adequately protects children from sexual predators.     Angeliqa's Case Angeliqa was convicted of defamation after sharing information in two private Facebook groups warning local parents about a man who had been exposed by Dumpen through online sting operations. Although the evidence presented by Dumpen included chat logs, phone calls and images, Swedish courts ruled that a private citizen could not redistribute that information. Following her conviction, public fundraising rapidly covered her legal costs and her case became part of a wider national debate about Swedish defamation law, child protection, and freedom of speech. Relevant Resources SVT Interview https://www.svt.se/nyheter/lokalt/stockholm/smabarnsmamman-angeliqa-atalas-for-fortal-viktigast-att-skydda-barnen The Telegraph https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/06/22/woman-taking-on-lax-swedish-paedophile-laws/     Dumpen Official Website https://dumpen.se Dumpen is a Swedish investigative media organization founded in 2021 that conducts online sting operations targeting adults seeking sexual contact with minors. Investigators pose as children in online chat rooms, arrange meetings with suspects, confront them, and publish the evidence through their publishing platform. Throughout the episode, Angeliqa credits Dumpen's investigation with alerting local families to the man living in her neighbourhood and argues that their work exposed gaps in Sweden's child protection system. Related Resources About Dumpen https://dumpen.se/om-dumpen     Swedish Defamation Law A central theme of the episode is Sweden's longstanding defamation law (Förtal). Angeliqa argues that while the law was originally intended to protect innocent people from false accusations, it now discourages parents from warning others about individuals they believe pose a risk to children. The conversation contrasts the legal protections afforded to media publishers such as Dumpen with the restrictions placed on private citizens who share the same information. Official Resources Swedish Parliament https://www.riksdagen.se/en/ Government of Sweden https://www.government.se/     Sweden's Migration Debate The discussion begins with Sweden's political transformation following the 2015 migration crisis. Angeliqa argues that Sweden admitted large numbers of asylum seekers without adequate planning for housing, employment or integration, while Róisín compares Sweden's experience with developments in Ireland and Belgium. The conversation also explores the rise of the Sweden Democrats and changing public attitudes toward migration. Relevant Resources Reuters https://www.reuters.com/article/world/europe/refugee-consensus-crumbling-in-sweden-europes-most-generous-host-idUSKCN0SE1L3/ Swedish Migration Agency https://www.migrationsverket.se/English.html     Fredrik Reinfeldt Former Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt is referenced during the discussion about Sweden's response to the 2015 migration crisis, particularly his well-known appeal for Swedes to "Open your hearts" to refugees. Relevant Resources Biography https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fredrik_Reinfeldt Reuters https://www.reuters.com/article/world/europe/refugee-consensus-crumbling-in-sweden-europes-most-generous-host-idUSKCN0SE1L3/     Sweden Democrats The Sweden Democrats are discussed in relation to Sweden's migration policy and current proposals to strengthen child protection laws. Angeliqa argues that they have been one of the few political parties willing to engage publicly with Dumpen's work and advocate legislative reform. Official Website https://sd.se     Host — Róisín Michaux 🔗 X (Twitter) https://x.com/RoisinMichaux 🔗 Apple Podcasts — Peaked https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peaked/id1734814641       Listen & Subscribe 🎧 Peaked is available on Substack and major podcast platforms. 🔗 https://peaked.substack.com/

  4. Jun 29

    Man-woman, top-bottom, resilient-vulnerable

    Show notes (AI generated) Episode Overview In this episode of Peaked, Róisín Michaux speaks with sociologist, writer, and editor Ashley Frawley about therapeutic culture, social conformity, identity politics, family life, citizenship, and the social dynamics underlying contemporary gender ideology. Drawing on her work in sociology, social problems theory, and the medicalisation of social life, Frawley examines how particular ideas become dominant within institutions and public culture, how social movements emerge and evolve, and why certain forms of identity and vulnerability have become culturally privileged in contemporary Western societies. The conversation explores the "Brussels consensus" inside European institutions, the changing relationship between capitalism and family life, therapeutic models of citizenship, historical moral panics, social contagion, the rise of gender identity ideology, and the social conditions that make particular belief systems culturally persuasive. Throughout the discussion, Frawley argues that contemporary social conflicts cannot be understood purely through biology or psychology, but must also be understood as products of wider historical, cultural, political, and institutional processes. Ashley Frawley Twitter ðŸ"—https://x.com/AshleyAFrawley Patreon ðŸ"— https://www.patreon.com/AshleyAFrawley ðŸ"— Compact Magazine https://www.compactmag.com/contributor/ashley-frawley/ Frawley serves as Senior Editor at Compact, a publication focused on politics, culture, economics, and contemporary social debates. ðŸ"— Bloomsbury Author Page https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/author/ashley-frawley/ Significant Emotions: Rhetoric and Social Problems in a Vulnerable Age ðŸ"— Bloomsbury https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/significant-emotions-9781350026810/ ðŸ"— Google Scholar https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=1q-G24wAAAAJ Ashley Frawley is a sociologist, author, and editor whose work focuses on social problems, therapeutic culture, wellbeing discourse, family policy, emotions, and contemporary political culture. She is Senior Editor at Compact Magazine, Visiting Research Fellow at the University of Kent, and Visiting Research Fellow at MCC Brussels. Organizations & Institutions MCC Brussels ðŸ"— Official Website https://brussels.mcc.hu/ Jonathan Haidt ðŸ"— Official Website https://jonathanhaidt.com/ Referenced during a discussion about social science, moral psychology, and the replication crisis. Daniel Kahneman ðŸ"— Nobel Prize Biography https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/economic-sciences/2002/kahneman/facts/ Referenced in relation to behavioural science and contemporary psychology. ðŸ"— Michelle Remembers https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michelle_Remembers https://www.amazon.com/Michelle-Remembers-Smith/dp/0722179588 The Replication Crisis ðŸ"— Nature Overview https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michelle_Remembers https://www.nature.com/articles/533452a The discussion examines methodological and reproducibility problems affecting psychology and related social sciences. The Communist Manifesto ðŸ"— Full Text https://www.marxists.org/archive/marx/works/1848/communist-manifesto/ Referenced during discussions about family structures, labour mobility, and capitalism. David Goodhart — The Road to Somewhere ðŸ"— Publisher Page https://www.hurstpublishers.com/book/the-road-to-somewhere/ Referenced during discussion of "Somewheres" and "Anywheres", mobility, local attachment, and identity. John Stuart Mill — The Subjection of Women ðŸ"— Full Text https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/27083 Referenced during discussion of women's citizenship, reason, education, and public life. Historical Parallels & Social Contagion The Satanic Panic ðŸ"— Encyclopaedia Britannica https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Satanic_panic ðŸ"— Repressed Memory https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8935987/ Ian Hacking ðŸ"— Encyclopaedia Britannica Gender, Citizenship & Vulnerability How Society Got a Sex Change ðŸ"— Compact Magazine https://www.compactmag.com/article/how-society-got-a-sex-change/ Frawley references her essay examining changing social ideals surrounding sex, gender, citizenship, and identity. Topics discussed include: • stereotypical femininity • vulnerability as a social ideal • masculinity and socialization • changing gender norms • citizenship and identity The "Women Are Wonderful" Effect ðŸ"— APA Record https://psycnet.apa.org/record/1994-33384-001 Discussed in relation to cultural expectations surrounding femininity, morality, accommodation, and vulnerability. Host Róisín Michaux ðŸ"— X (Twitter) https://x.com/RoisinMichaux ðŸ"— Apple Podcasts — Peaked Listen & Subscribe 🎧 Peaked is available on Substack and major podcast platforms. ðŸ"— Peaked A newsletter about women, free speech, and institutional capture with a special focus on Europe. By Róisín Michaux

  5. Jun 16 ·  Video

    A project proposal failed the experts' evaluation. The EU funded it anyway.

    🎙️ Peaked — Episode A project proposal failed the experts' evaluation. The EU funded it anyway. Host: Róisín Michaux Guest: Romeo Kodra Episode Overview Róisín Michaux speaks with former European Commission expert evaluator Romeo Kodra about how a LinkedIn post evolved into years of complaints, correspondence, and investigation. What began as confidence in the European arts funding system changed after Romeo says he discovered that a project he had evaluated below the funding threshold later appeared on the list of successful applicants. The conversation explores trust, accountability, institutional transparency, and the question at the heart of the episode: Who gets the money?     Romeo Kodra The conversation began after Róisín came across Romeo's LinkedIn article describing his experience as an EU expert evaluator. 🔗 LinkedIn Article https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/anyone-considering-working-eu-expert-european-commission-romeo-kodra-zqsef 🔗 LinkedIn Profile https://www.linkedin.com/in/romeo-kodra/     European Creative Rooftop Network The project at the centre of Romeo's concerns. "It's the project number 616805." 🔗 Creative Europe Project Results 🔗 ecrn.city     The Transparent Elephant Rule Romeo repeatedly refers to an unpublished book project that grew out of his investigation. "It will be about a book called... The Transparent Elephant Rule." No public manuscript or publication could be located.     European Ombudsman Romeo describes escalating his concerns through the Ombudsman's office. 🔗 European Ombudsman https://www.ombudsman.europa.eu/ 🔗 Emily O'Reilly https://www.ombudsman.europa.eu/en/emily-oreilly     European Court of Auditors Referenced by Romeo as part of his efforts to seek accountability. 🔗 https://www.ombudsman.europa.eu/en/office/staff/en/50733     OLAF The European Anti-Fraud Office. 🔗 https://anti-fraud.ec.europa.eu/     European Public Prosecutor's Office (EPPO) Referenced during discussion of prosecutors and referrals. 🔗 https://www.eppo.europa.eu/     Franz Kafka 🔗 Franz Kafka https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Franz_Kafka 🔗 The Trial https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Trial     Jacques Derrida Referenced during discussion of culture, power, and colonisation. 🔗 All Culture Is Originally Colonial: Derrida, Algeria and the Latin Empire https://mideast.wisc.edu/event/all-culture-is-originally-colonial-derrida-algeria-and-the-latin-empire/     Paolo Virno 🔗 Paolo Virno https://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/author/V/P/au26274433.html     Host Róisín Michaux 🔗 X https://x.com/RoisinMichaux 🔗 Peaked Substack https://peaked.substack.com/ 🔗 Apple Podcasts https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peaked/id1734814641     Guest Romeo Kodra 🔗 LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/romeo-kodra/     Listen & Subscribe 🎧 Peaked is available on Substack and major podcast platforms. 🔗 https://peaked.substack.com/

  6. Jun 2

    The Fired TERF Movement

    🎙️ Peaked — Episode The Fired TERF Movement Host: Róisín Michaux Guest: Alexa Faucher     Episode Overview In this episode of Peaked, Róisín Michaux speaks with Alexa, a former chief of staff to a Communist mayor in the Paris suburbs who says she lost her political role following her public feminist and gender-critical views online. The conversation explores ideological conformity within left-wing political culture, institutional responses to gender-critical speech, tensions between feminism and gender identity ideology, and the psychological experience of becoming socially and professionally ostracized as a "TERF." Drawing from experiences in French municipal politics, feminism, psychiatry, Covid-era social compliance, and online political culture, the discussion examines broader themes including class politics, secularism, postmodernism, collective rights versus individual identity, institutional capture, social conformity, and the cultural influence of American identity politics on Europe. Alexa also reflects on French republican secularism, anti-racism politics, feminism, social welfare, and the contradictions she sees within contemporary left-wing movements around religion, sex-based rights, and gender ideology.     Key Topics Discussed Alexa Faucher's dismissal from Chevilly-Larue  Jérôme Martin's online denunciation campaign  French public-sector contracts and "devoir de réserve"  "Fired TERFs" and institutional retaliation  Helen Joyce and UK legal developments  Covid-era conformity and institutional obedience  Didier Raoult and anti-establishment scientific dissent  Finland's reassessment of youth gender medicine  Keira Bell and the Tavistock case  French secular feminism and laïcité  Planning Familial and "men can get pregnant" activism  Marguerite Stern, Dora Moutot, and French feminist fracture  Identity politics vs materialist feminism  "Women with penises" and compelled language  Surrogacy and commodification of women's bodies  National gender-critical figures across Europe      French Political & Institutional Context Stéphanie Daumin — PCF Mayor of Chevilly-Larue Website: ville-chevilly-larue.fr Alexa explains that she served as directrice de cabinet for Stéphanie Daumin, the Communist mayor of Chevilly-Larue, a historically left-wing suburb in the Paris "Red Belt."  The political context matters because the episode repeatedly contrasts: older class-based Communist politics, with:  newer activist and identity-centered ideological frameworks inside the contemporary left.      Jérôme Martin's denunciation campaign against Alexa Faucher Website: x.com Referenced in relation to the activist campaign that followed Alexa Faucher's tweet asserting the immutability of biological sex.  Jérôme Martin publicly denounced Faucher online, helping escalate the controversy surrounding her employment. Follow-up thread: https://x.com/Merome_Jardin/status/1953575235707613470 The episode repeatedly returns to: online activist escalation,  public denunciation,  and institutional pressure campaigns following ideological dissent.      Chevilly-Larue cabinet dismissal controversy Website: frontieresmedia.fr One of the primary French-language reports documenting the controversy surrounding Alexa Faucher's dismissal after her tweet regarding biological sex.      The Tweet Referenced in the Episode The controversy centered around Alexa Faucher's reply concerning biological sex and legal identity changes: « Votre sexe n'a jamais été, n'est pas, et ne sera jamais féminin. Les stéréotypes de genre que vous choisissez, et qui nous sont imposés, si. Bisous. » The tweet became widely circulated in activist and political networks following Jérôme Martin's denunciation campaign.      UK Gender Politics & Institutional Conflict Helen Joyce discussing the UK Supreme Court ruling Website: youtube.com Referenced when Róisín discusses listening to Helen Joyce following the UK Supreme Court ruling on sex-based legal protections.  The ruling is discussed less as a narrow legal issue and more as: a test of institutional compliance,  ideological capture,  and whether public bodies will obey legal definitions of biological sex.      Keira Bell and the Tavistock case Website: wikipedia.org Referenced during discussion of safeguarding concerns surrounding youth medical transition.  The Bell case became internationally significant because it challenged whether minors could meaningfully consent to puberty blockers and medical transition pathways.     The Cass Review Website: cass.independent-review.uk Referenced in broader discussion of: evidence standards,  youth gender medicine,  and institutional reassessment of pediatric transition pathways.  The review became internationally influential after concluding that the evidence base for pediatric medical transition remained weak and underdeveloped.     Finnish study on psychiatric morbidity and youth gender services Website: onlinelibrary.wiley.com Referenced during discussion of the "Finnish study" mentioned by the speakers.  The April 2026 Finnish register study: Psychiatric Morbidity Among Adolescents and Young Adults Who Contacted Specialised Gender Identity Services in Finland in 1996–2019 was discussed as evidence of increasing institutional doubt emerging from inside youth gender medicine systems themselves. The speakers specifically emphasize that skepticism is now increasingly coming from: clinicians,  researchers,  and medical systems previously aligned with affirmation-based treatment models.      Covid, Conformity & Institutional Trust Didier Raoult and France's Covid divide Website: france24.com Referenced during discussion of: conformity,  institutional trust,  and scientific dissent during Covid.  For many French listeners, Didier Raoult became symbolic of: anti-establishment scientific dissent,  distrust of centralized expertise,  and collapse of institutional legitimacy during the pandemic.  The speakers use Covid primarily as: a psychological analogy for ideological compliance.      Retracted hydroxychloroquine study associated with Didier Raoult Website: pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov Referenced indirectly during discussion of: early contradictory Covid messaging,  institutional confusion,  and scientific authority.  The Raoult controversy became one of France's defining symbolic conflicts over: expertise,  media trust,  and anti-establishment dissent.      National Gender-Critical Figures Referenced The episode repeatedly returns to the idea that: "every country has one" meaning a nationally recognizable gender-critical feminist figure or activist.  Ireland — Laoise de Brún/Countess Website: laoisedebrun UK — Kelly-Jay Keen / Standing For Women Website: x.com UK — J.K. Rowling Website: x.com Germany — Rona Duwe Website: ronalyze.de Austria — Faika El-Nagashi Website: substack.com France — Marguerite Stern Website: wikipedia.org France — Dora Moutot Website: wikipedia.org These figures are discussed as examples of: feminist opposition to gender ideology,  online harassment campaigns,  institutional retaliation,  and ideological fracture across Europe.        Dora Moutot 🔗  X/Twitter: https://x.com/doramoutot  🔗 Co-author page / Book: Search "Transmania" on Éditions Magnus or Amazon.fr  🔗 Femelliste YouTube (joint): https://www.youtube.com/@femelliste Marguerite Stern 🔗 Personal website: https://www.margueritestern.com/  🔗 X/Twitter: https://x.com/MargueriteStern  🔗 English Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marguerite_Stern  🔗 French Wikipedia: https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marguerite_Stern Joint Work  🔗 Femelliste official: https://www.femelliste.com/  🔗 Transmania (book): Widely covered; see Wikipedia entry for details: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transmania       Organizations & Activism Act Up-Paris Website: actupparis.org Referenced because Jérôme Martin previously served as president of Act Up-Paris between 2003 and 2006.  The discussion repeatedly returns to: activist pressure,  public denunciation,  direct-action political culture,  and ideological enforcement mechanisms.      Planning Familial's "inclusive sexual health" campaign Website: planning-familial.org Referenced during discussion of ideological changes inside French feminist and reproductive-rights organizations.  The campaign became controversial among some French feminists because it adopted: gender-neutral reproductive language,  "inclusive" terminology,  and messaging interpreted by critics as replacing sex-based language around women's bodies.  Alexa contrasts this with earlier feminist traditions centered on: abortion rights,  material sex differences,  and secular feminism.      Guest — Alexa Faucher 🔗 X (Twitter) https://x.com/alexafaucher 🔗 LinkedIn https://fr.linkedin.com/in/alexafaucher 🔗 Novel — Puisqu'on a marché sur la lune https://www.amazon.fr/PUISQUON-MARCHE-LUNE-Alexa-Faucher/dp/2367951535 Alexa Faucher is a French law graduate, political communications professional, author, and materialist feminist.  She served as directrice de cabinet for the Communist mayor of Chevilly-Larue until July 2025 following controversy surrounding her tweet about biological sex. The episode also references her: public-sector communications background,  strategic political work,  feminist activism,  and experience inside French municipal political structures.  (Her X/Twitter account was reportedl

  7. Jun 1 ·  Video

    Kindred in Chaos

    🎙️ Peaked — Episode Kindred in Chaos Host: Róisín Michaux Guests: Tonje Gjevjon & Alison Ellis     Episode Overview In this episode of Peaked, Róisín Michaux speaks with Norwegian lesbian activist and artist Tonje Gjevjon and British lesbian commentator Alison Ellis about their collaborative book project Kindred in Chaos, a collection of first-person testimonies from 19 young lesbians navigating contemporary gender identity politics. The discussion explores lesbian identity, youth alienation, puberty, online trans-identification, institutional LGBT culture, social conformity, detransition narratives, online radicalization, lesbian erasure, activist networks, puberty dysphoria, and the broader political and psychological dynamics surrounding gender identity ideology in Europe. Drawing from personal experience, online activism, lesbian organizing, Scandinavian politics, youth LGBT groups, social media culture, feminism, and gender-critical organizing, the conversation examines why some young lesbians resist trans-identification pathways while others become absorbed into them. The episode also situates Kindred in Chaos within a wider international network of lesbian, feminist, and gender-critical activism across the UK and Europe.     The Book — Kindred in Chaos The central focus of the episode is Kindred in Chaos, a collaborative collection of testimonies from 19 young lesbians discussing their experiences navigating contemporary LGBT culture, gender identity ideology, social isolation, and lesbian identity.     Julie Bindel 🔗 Official Website https://juliebindel.substack.com/ 🔗 X/Twitter https://x.com/bindelj 🔗 Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Julie_Bindel Tonje Gjevjon references feminist writer and activist Julie Bindel as one of the earliest figures who alerted her to ideological shifts inside progressive politics. Specifically discussed: Bindel's criticism of surrogacy and prostitution controversies surrounding feminist speech cancellation campaigns inside left-wing political spaces feminist dissent within LGBT organizations Gjevjon describes noticing ideological changes after seeing Bindel disinvited or attacked inside activist environments around 2016–2017.     Magdalen Berns 🔗 YouTube Archive https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=magdalen+berns 🔗 Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magdalen_Berns Magdalen Berns is repeatedly referenced as a major influence on Alison Ellis. Ellis describes discovering Berns' videos after searching online for the term "TERF" and realizing: she was not alone in her views other lesbians shared similar concerns factual/direct language resonated more strongly than identity-centered discourse The episode frames Berns as an important early online gender-critical voice, particularly among young lesbians.     Organizations & Activist Networks LGB Alliance 🔗 Official Website https://lgballiance.org.uk/ 🔗 Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LGB_Alliance The organization is discussed extensively throughout the episode. Topics include: conference organizing lesbian panels youth lesbian networking community infrastructure book promotion gender-critical lesbian organizing Alison Ellis and Tonje Gjevjon discuss appearing at an LGB Alliance conference and participating in a panel connected to Kindred in Chaos. The speakers also describe seeing increasing participation from younger lesbians and gay people at recent events.     Women's Declaration International 🔗 Official Website https://www.womensdeclaration.com/ Referenced by Tonje Gjevjon while discussing the online ecosystem through which isolated lesbians find feminist and gender-critical communities. The organization advocates for sex-based legal protections and women's rights internationally.     Let Women Speak 🔗 Standing For Women / Let Women Speak https://www.standingforwomen.com/ Referenced in relation to public feminist activism, women's speech rights, and lesbian organizing.     Norway Legal Gender Recognition 🔗 Norwegian Government Information https://www.regjeringen.no/en/topics/families-and-children/equality-and-social-inclusion/innsiktsartikler/legal-gender-recognition/id2481746/ Norway's legal gender recognition framework allows individuals to legally change gender without surgical sterilization requirements. The law became an important reference point in broader European debates surrounding: self-identification youth transition administrative gender policy legal sex classification     Gender-Neutral Pronouns & Inclusive Language 🔗 Gender-Neutral Language Overview https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gender-neutral_language 🔗 Norwegian Language / "Hen" Pronoun Context https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norwegian_language The discussion references institutional language shifts including: gender-neutral terminology pronoun normalization "parent 1 / parent 2" style frameworks avoidance of sexed language in some institutional settings The speakers frame these changes as examples of top-down ideological restructuring.     The European Lesbian Conference (EL*C) 🔗 Official Website https://europeanlesbianconference.org/     Phalloplasty & Metoidioplasty Cleveland Clinic — Phalloplasty https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/procedures/21585-phalloplasty UCSF Gender Care https://transcare.ucsf.edu/guidelines/phalloplasty Johns Hopkins — Metoidioplasty https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/treatment-tests-and-therapies/metoidioplasty-for-gender-affirming-care The speakers reference two forms of gender-affirming genital surgery: Phalloplasty Construction of a penis using tissue grafts, often from the forearm, thigh, or abdomen. Metoidioplasty A procedure using hormonally enlarged clitoral tissue to construct male genitalia. Róisín Michaux specifically references observing extensive discussion around these surgeries inside online trans-masc communities, particularly in Belgium. The conversation frames breast removal as a central fixation among many young female transitioners.     Belgium & European Gender Clinics Ghent University Hospital Gender Team https://www.uzgent.be/patient/zoek-een-arts-of-dienst/centrum-voor-seksuologie-en-gender Belgium is referenced in relation to: European gender clinics transition pathways surgery prevalence online transition culture Ghent University Hospital is one of Europe's most recognized gender clinics and research centers. The speakers reference Belgium as an example of broader European gender medicine infrastructure.     The Swedish Documentary — The Trans Train Genspect Overview https://genspect.org/swedish-documentary-stopping-the-trans-train/ YouTube Playlist / Documentary Uploads https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLvATEhXWd8uF7dT3g-jXBmYY7PPfSQZSs     GB News Appearance GB News https://www.gbnews.com/ Tonje Gjevjon and Alison Ellis reference appearing on GB News to discuss Kindred in Chaos following their appearance at the LGB Alliance conference.     Guests Tonje Gjevjon 🔗 X/Twitter: https://x.com/tonjegjevjon 🔗 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tonjegjevjon/ 🔗 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kjendisgjevjon     Alison Ellis 🔗 TikTok: Alison Ellis   Host — Róisín Michaux 🔗 X (Twitter) https://x.com/RoisinMichaux 🔗 Apple Podcasts — Peaked https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peaked/id1734814641       Listen & Subscribe 🎧 Peaked is available on Substack and major podcast platforms. 🔗 https://peaked.substack.com/

  8. May 19

    Where Gender Therapy is a Crime

    🎙️ Peaked — Episode Where Gender Therapy is a Crime Host: Róisín Michaux Guest: Sarah     Episode Overview In this episode of Peaked, Róisín Michaux speaks with a Belgian child and adolescent mental health professional working with young people experiencing gender dysphoria in Belgium. The conversation explores the impact of Belgium's conversion therapy ban on psychiatric practice, the climate of fear among clinicians, ideological divisions within psychiatry, and the increasing number of adolescents presenting with gender-related distress following Covid and widespread social media exposure. The discussion also examines broader themes including anti-psychiatry movements, evidence-based medicine, social contagion, screen addiction, institutional pressure, activist influence in healthcare, and the cultural differences between Anglo and Francophone psychiatric traditions. Sarah also discusses the legal complaints made against her following public appearances criticizing gender-affirming approaches for minors, and explains why she ultimately decided to leave Belgium for Dubai.     Key Topics Discussed · Belgium's conversion therapy ban · Gender dysphoria in adolescents · Exploratory psychotherapy vs affirmation · Social contagion and online influence · Screen addiction and "screen detox" approaches · Covid-era increase in youth gender distress · Fear and self-censorship among clinicians · Evidence-based psychiatry vs ideology · Anti-psychiatry movements in Belgium and France · Postmodernism and institutional capture · Tavistock and youth gender medicine · Parent support networks in Belgium · Medical ethics and informed consent · Intersex surgery controversies · Police complaints and legal intimidation · Psychiatry, activism, and institutional pressure · Leaving Belgium for Dubai     Belgian Law & Political Context Belgium Conversion Therapy Ban https://www.ejustice.just.fgov.be/eli/loi/2023/07/31/2023043775/moniteur · Referenced throughout discussion of legal risks facing clinicians · Criminal penalties discussed in relation to exploratory therapy approaches Marie-Colline Leroy https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marie-Colline_Leroy · Belgian Secretary of State referenced during discussion of the conversion therapy legislation Sarah Schlitz https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarah_Schlitz · Former Belgian Secretary of State for Gender Equality and Equal Opportunities · Referenced during discussion of the development of the proposed legislation     Psychiatry, Mental Health & Ideology Evidence-Based Medicine https://www.bmj.com/content/312/7023/71 · Foundational BMJ paper referenced in discussion about scientific medicine vs ideology-driven practice Anti-Psychiatry Movement https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anti-psychiatry · Referenced during discussion of distrust toward psychiatric authority in Belgium and France Michel Foucault https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michel_Foucault · Relevant to discussion of institutional power, psychiatric labeling, and postmodern influence Psychoanalysis https://www.britannica.com/science/psychoanalysis · Discussed as a dominant influence within Francophone psychiatry Systemic Therapy https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Systemic_therapy_(psychotherapy) · Referenced repeatedly during discussion of family systems and adolescent mental health May 1968 (France) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/May_68 · Referenced in relation to anti-authoritarian intellectual movements influencing psychiatry and social theory     Gender Dysphoria, Youth Culture & Social Contagion Tavistock Gender Identity Development Service (GIDS) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gender_Identity_Development_Service · Referenced during discussion of same-sex attracted youth and transition pathways Cass Review https://cass.independent-review.uk/home/publications/final-report/ · Relevant to discussion of evidence standards and youth gender medicine Rapid-Onset Gender Dysphoria (ROGD) Study https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0202330 · Relevant to discussion of peer clustering, social contagion, and online influence The Anxious Generation — Jonathan Haidt https://www.anxiousgeneration.com/ · Relevant to Sarah's repeated emphasis on screens, social media exposure, and youth mental health decline NHS — Differences in Sex Development (DSD) https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/differences-in-sex-development/ · Relevant to discussion of intersex conditions, medical ethics, and informed consent Puberty Blockers & Youth Gender Services https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/children-and-young-peoples-gender-services-implementing-the-cass-review/ · Relevant to discussion of puberty blockers, placebo effects, and treatment pathways     Belgian Organizations & Activism Cry for Recognition https://genspect.org/a-cry-for-recognition/ · Belgian parent support initiative referenced directly in the episode Genspect https://genspect.org/ · International organization connected to exploratory approaches for gender-distressed youth TransKids Belgique https://www.facebook.com/TranskidsBelgique/ · Referenced during discussion of affirming parent groups and clinician trainings RTBF https://www.rtbf.be/ · Belgian state broadcaster referenced during discussion of intersex media coverage     Intersex, Medical Ethics & Legal Controversies History of Intersex Surgery https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_intersex_surgery · Relevant to discussion of childhood genital surgery and medical decision-making Intersex Medical Interventions https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intersex_medical_interventions · Referenced in relation to surgery, consent, and activist/legal debates American Medical Association — Informed Consent https://code-medical-ethics.ama-assn.org/ethics-opinions/informed-consent · Relevant to discussion comparing intersex surgery and youth gender medicine     Host — Róisín Michaux   🔗 Substack / Podcast Home https://peaked.substack.com/ 🔗 X (Twitter) https://x.com/RoisinMichaux 🔗 Apple Podcasts — Peaked https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peaked/id1734814641   Listen & Subscribe 🎧 Peaked is available on Substack and major podcast platforms. https://peaked.substack.com/

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About

A podcast about gender identity ideology, women's rights, and free speech in the EU. peaked.substack.com

Information

  • Creator
    Róisín Michaux
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    28
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Peaked srl
  • Show Website
    Peaked

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