Stella O'Malley

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Stella O'Malley
Stella O'Malley on CAN-SG.jpg
O'Malley in 2024
Born1973or1974(age 49–50) [1]
Dublin, Ireland [2]
Occupation(s)Psychotherapist and author
Known forPsychotherapy and mental health
Website www.stellaomalley.com

Stella O'Malley is an Irish psychotherapist and author, with three books on parenting and mental health. [3] [4] She is a regular contributor to Irish national newspapers, podcasts, and TV. She made a documentary about gender dysphoria in children for Channel 4, and is the founder of Genspect, a self-described gender critical organisation opposed to gender affirming care.

Contents

Early life

O'Malley is the third child in a family of four children, with one older sister and brother, and one younger brother. [5]

O'Malley grew up in Dublin in the late 1970s. In her documentary Trans Kids: It's Time to Talk she states that from the ages of 4 to 13 or 14, she insisted that she was a boy, that as puberty developed she felt there was no other option and stopped telling people she was a boy, and at 16 she became comfortable with herself as a woman. She believes that if she had been born 35 years later she would have insisted she was a trans boy and transitioned. [1] [6] During the 70s and 80s when she grew up, this was instead understood by those around her as her being a very eccentric, unusual kid, and she states, "I don't think [my parents] gave it much focus." [7]

Published works

Books

O'Malley has written several books, all of which were on the Irish best sellers list. [8] [9] [10] [11]

Film

In 2018 her Channel 4 documentary Trans Kids: It's Time To Talk [13] [14] aired. The documentary addressed transgender children and their gender dysphoria, expressing concerns that too many children were transitioning and doing so too young. In the documentary, she interviewed transgender children and adults as well as a detransitioned woman, all of whom said they didn't regret their decision to medically transition. Transgender groups and charities she approached had refused to speak to her; she said they accused her of questioning whether transgender children exist. She was criticised for interviewing James Caspian and "trans-critical" feminists who oppose the right of transgender people to self-identify, one of whom asserted there is no scientific evidence anyone is "born in the wrong body". In the film, O'Malley states that she had called herself a boy until puberty, which she retroactively considers gender dysphoria and believes would have led her to transition if born later, but felt comfortable as a girl after puberty. [15] [6] [1] [16]

Some critics praised the documentary, others criticised it for uneven coverage, asking if children and adolescents are being "groomed" into believing they're trans, and O'Malley's conclusion that transgender children "are lost and are being led". [15] [6] [1] [16] Dr Helen Webberley, a UK based GP and gender specialist who had declined to participate in the film, criticised it for not including any trans adults who had transitioned as children. [6] Sarah Carson concluded in her review that "a film like this that tries to prove that to be transgender can be "a phase" – with few statistics and not enough concrete evidence – could do more harm than good". [15]

TV

She has been the resident psychotherapist for two TV programmes, Raised by the Village, [17] on Irish TV channel RTÉ1, and on a TG4 parenting show in Irish, Cad Faoi Na Tuismitheoirí. [18]

Podcasts

Exploratory therapy, Genspect and SEGM

O'Malley advocates for "exploratory therapy" in support of gender dysphoria and has written and testified about how some conversion therapy bills also risk limiting access to exploratory therapy. [19] [20] [21] On 9 August 2021, O'Malley co-authored an opinion letter titled "Bill to ban conversion therapy poses problems for therapists" alongside psychologist Jacky Grainer and GP Madeleine Ní Dhailigh for the Irish Times in reference to the Prohibition of Conversion Therapies Bill 2018. In the letter, she criticized the inclusion of "suppression of gender identity" in the bill's definition of conversion therapy. [20] The Union of Students in Ireland subsequently announced that it was boycotting the Irish Times until it apologised for the article. [22] The Trans Writers Union also announced a boycott of the paper due to what they characterised as advocating conversion therapy and a pattern of transphobic behavior. [23] [24] In an interview with O'Malley in Undark Magazine published in April 2022, O'Malley stated that she opposes all medical treatment for teens under 18. [25]

In February 2020, O'Malley tweeted "I hate the phrase gender critical but I am making a list! A large number of people contact me seeking help and I don't know enough Irish therapists who can provide compassionate and nuanced therapy." This was described as compiling a list of Irish gender critical therapists, which some Twitter users equated with conversion therapy. [26]

In June 2021, O'Malley founded Genspect. [27] [28] Genspect has supported numerous legal complaints against clinicians and has supported parents trying to prevent children from socially transitioning at school without full parental support. Genspect also "stands in full solidarity" with Our Duty, an organisation that advocates an immediate moratorium on gender-affirming healthcare for anyone under 25 and public funding for gender-affirming healthcare at any age. The group recommends talk therapies where the stated goal of any treatment regimen must be "swift desistance from transgender ideation". Genspect has advised parents against using trans children's chosen names and pronouns, recommended that schools ban "tucking" and "binding", as well as use "biologically accurate language in all cases" and not punish students for misgendering other students. Genspect also stated that "acceptance of the reality of their biological sex" should be the first treatment for gender variant children. [29] Jenn Burleton, Executive Director of TransActive, described Genspect as "an anti-trans, 'gender critical' organization ideologically affiliated with TERFism, ROGD [Rapid Onset Gender Dysphoria], and Alliance Defending Freedom". [30]

O'Malley is a clinical advisor to the Society for Evidence-Based Gender Medicine (SEGM). [31] She also helped found the International Association of Therapists for Desisters and Detransitioners (IATDD) and the Gender Dysphoria Support Network (GDSN) in 2020. [19] [31] [32]

In March 2022, O'Malley would have appeared at an NHS conference on gender dysphoria at Great Ormond Street Hospital, alongside paediatrician Hilary Cass, journalist Helen Joyce, CEO of Mermaids, Susie Green, and fellow Genspect advisors Sinéad Watson, Stephanie Davies-Arai, and Lisa Littman. The event was cancelled following complaints by NHS whistleblowers, researchers, and trans rights activists, who accused a majority of the speakers as having a "record of extreme prejudice towards trans people". In particular, opposing inclusion of protections for trans people under the UK conversion therapy ban, intervening in a court case in Arizona in defense of the state's Medicaid ban on trans healthcare, and arguing gender-affirming care for transgender youth is "abusive". [29]

On 6 May 2022, Gay Community News (Dublin) published an article about concerns people raised over O'Malley being invited to address an Education and Training Boards Ireland (ETBI) conference on managing gender issues in schools. In the article, O'Malley was characterised as an anti-trans conversion therapy advocate whose views were misinformation. [23] On 10 May 2022, TD Mick Barry raised issue with O'Malley's invitation to the conference, referring to a Twitter Spaces conversion in which she stated "I don't think you need to give empathy at all, none, zero. I think I should because I'm trying to understand them" when asked why woman should have sympathy for who they describe as autogynephiles. [33] [34] LGBTQIA+ activist Izzy Kamikaze also shared link to the released audio. O'Malley has sent a legal letter to Barry accusing him of defamation and sent similar language to Kamikaze for sharing the link. [35]

Personal life

O’Malley lives in Birr, County Offaly with her husband and two children. [2] [12]

Related Research Articles

Conversion therapy is the pseudoscientific practice of attempting to change an individual's sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression to align with heterosexual and cisgender norms. Methods that have been used to this end include forms of brain surgery, surgical or hormonal castration, aversive treatments such as electric shocks, nausea-inducing drugs, hypnosis, counseling, spiritual interventions, visualization, psychoanalysis, and arousal reconditioning.

Gender dysphoria (GD) is the distress a person experiences due to a mismatch between their gender identity—their personal sense of their own gender—and their sex assigned at birth. The term replaced the previous diagnostic label of gender identity disorder (GID) in 2013 with the release of the diagnostic manual DSM-5. The condition was renamed to remove the stigma associated with the term disorder. The International Classification of Diseases uses the term gender incongruence instead of gender dysphoria, defined as a marked and persistent mismatch between gender identity and assigned gender, regardless of distress or impairment.

Kenneth J. Zucker is an American-Canadian psychologist and sexologist known for the living in your own skin model, a form of conversion therapy aimed at preventing pre-pubertal chidren from growing up transgender by modifying their gender identity and expression.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Transgender youth</span> Children and adolescents who are transgender

Transgender youth are children or adolescents who do not identify with the sex they were assigned at birth. Because transgender youth are usually dependent on their parents for care, shelter, financial support, and other needs, they face different challenges compared to adults. According to the World Professional Association for Transgender Health, the American Psychological Association, and the American Academy of Pediatrics, appropriate care for transgender youth may include supportive mental health care, social transition, and/or puberty blockers, which delay puberty and the development of secondary sex characteristics to allow children more time to explore their gender identity.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LGBTQ rights in Florida</span>

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Gender-affirming hormone therapy (GAHT), also called hormone replacement therapy (HRT) or transgender hormone therapy, is a form of hormone therapy in which sex hormones and other hormonal medications are administered to transgender or gender nonconforming individuals for the purpose of more closely aligning their secondary sexual characteristics with their gender identity. This form of hormone therapy is given as one of two types, based on whether the goal of treatment is masculinization or feminization:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Leelah Alcorn</span> American transgender girl (1997–2014)

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Irreversible Damage: The Transgender Craze Seducing Our Daughters is a 2020 book by Abigail Shrier, published by Regnery Publishing, which endorses the controversial concept of rapid-onset gender dysphoria (ROGD). ROGD is not recognized as a medical diagnosis by any major professional institution nor is it backed by credible scientific evidence.

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Transgender Trend is an anti-trans British pressure group, which describes itself as a group of parents, professionals and academics who are concerned about the number of children diagnosed with gender dysphoria. It was founded in 2015 by Stephanie Davies-Arai.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Genspect</span> Organization opposing transgender rights

Genspect is an international group founded in June 2021 by psychotherapist Stella O'Malley that has been described as gender-critical. Genspect opposes gender-affirming care, as well as social and medical transition for transgender people. Genspect opposes allowing transgender people under 25 years old to transition, and opposes laws that would ban conversion therapy on the basis of gender identity. Genspect also endorses the unproven concept of rapid-onset gender dysphoria (ROGD), which proposes a subclass of gender dysphoria caused by peer influence and social contagion. ROGD has been rejected by major medical organisations due to its lack of evidence and likelihood to cause harm by stigmatizing gender-affirming care.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Society for Evidence-Based Gender Medicine</span> Group opposing gender-affirming care

The Society For Evidence-Based Gender Medicine (SEGM) is a non-profit organization that is known for its opposition to gender-affirming care for transgender youth and for engaging in political lobbying. The group routinely cites the unproven concept of rapid-onset gender dysphoria and mistakenly claimed that conversion therapy techniques are only practiced on the basis of sexual orientation rather than gender identity. SEGM is often cited in anti-transgender legislation and court cases, sometimes filing court briefs. It is not recognized as a scientific organization by the international medical community.

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Therapy First, originally named the Gender Exploratory Therapy Association (GETA), is a group created in 2021 by members of the Society for Evidence-Based Gender Medicine (SEGM) and Genspect to advocate gender exploratory therapy, which experts consider to be a form of conversion therapy.

The early 21st century saw a rise in and increasing organisation around anti-transgender sentiments in the United Kingdom, the most common strain being that of gender-critical feminism. This has led to some referring to the United Kingdom by the nickname "TERF Island".

The Memorandum of Understanding on Conversion Therapy (MoU) is a joint publication by a coalition of mental and physical health organisations in the United Kingdom disavowing the practice of conversion therapy. It was initially published in 2015 and only condemned sexual orientation change efforts, before being updated to include gender identity change efforts in 2017. Signatories include the Royal College of Psychiatrists, British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy, NHS England, the British Psychoanalytic Council, and the Royal College of General Practitioners. The UK Council for Psychotherapy was a signatory to both editions, but withdrew in 2024 over the inclusion of protections for transgender children.

References

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  3. ↑ Singh, Anita (21 November 2018). "Trans Kids: It's Time to Talk, review: a compassionate, if divisive, addition to the debate". The Daily Telegraph . Archived from the original on 11 July 2021. Retrieved 2 November 2021.
  4. ↑ Hayward, Eleanor (26 March 2022). "Gender event off after trans activists attack 'extreme' views" . The Times . Archived from the original on 29 March 2022. Retrieved 29 March 2022.
  5. ↑ O'Malley, Stella. "Trans Kids: It's Time to Talk - Stella O'Malley". The Ray D'Arcy Show (Interview). Interviewed by Ray D'Arcy. RTÉ.
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  12. 1 2 McCarthy, Mary (19 March 2023). "Stella O'Malley's bible for parents raising troubled teenagers". The Times . Retrieved 2 December 2023.
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  14. ↑ "Trans Kids: It's Time To Talk". Internet Archive. 24 November 2018. Retrieved 2 November 2021.
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  16. 1 2 Feay, Suzi (20 November 2018). "Trans Kids: It's Time to Talk, Channel 4 — a step in the right direction". Financial Times . Archived from the original on 2 November 2021. Retrieved 2 November 2021.
  17. ↑ "Raised by the Village". RTÉ. 19 September 2019. Archived from the original on 2 April 2022. Retrieved 2 April 2022. Under the guidance of one of Irelands top child psychotherapists, Stella O'Malley …
  18. ↑ "Cad Faoi na Tuismitheoirí?". RTÉ. 6 December 2021. Archived from the original on 19 June 2022. Retrieved 2 April 2022. The Cookes in Kerry benefit from guidance from our parenting expert Stella O Malley who helps them navigate …
  19. 1 2 "'Treat Youth With Gender Dysphoria as Individuals'". Medscape. Archived from the original on 22 June 2022. Retrieved 22 June 2022.
  20. 1 2 Grainger, Jacky; Ní Dhailigh, Madeleine; O’ Malley, Stella (9 June 2022). "Bill to ban conversion therapy poses problems for therapists". Irish Times. Archived from the original on 12 June 2022. Retrieved 18 June 2022.
  21. ↑ "Stella O'Malley's testimony at the Conversion Practices Prohibition Legislation Bill - 13 Oct 2021". YouTube. 13 October 2021. Archived from the original on 26 June 2022. Retrieved 26 June 2022.
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  23. 1 2 Schad, Saoirse (6 May 2022). "Irish education conference faces backlash for talk on "managing gender issues" in schools". Gay Community News (Dublin) . Archived from the original on 9 June 2022. Retrieved 19 June 2022.
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  28. ↑ Dixon, Hayley (3 August 2021). "Health Secretary intervenes over NHS guidance on transgender patients in hospitals". The Telegraph . Archived from the original on 27 September 2021. Retrieved 2 November 2021. Stella O'Malley, a psychotherapist who founded Genspect, a parental support group for those concerned about the treatment that their children are receiving for gender issues.
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  30. ↑ Rook, Erin (8 March 2022). "Women's group will hold conference to try to convince trans people to "detransition"". LGBTQ Nation. Archived from the original on 5 June 2022. Retrieved 19 June 2022.
  31. 1 2 Ault, Alicia (22 March 2022). "Doctors Have Failed Them, Say Those Who Regret Transitioning". WebMD Health News. Archived from the original on 18 June 2022. Retrieved 21 June 2022.
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  33. ↑ Clifford, Mick (22 May 2022). "Mick Clifford: Misuse of Dáil privilege in trans debate". The Irish Examiner. Archived from the original on 3 June 2022. Retrieved 15 June 2022.
  34. ↑ Leveille, Lee (2 April 2022). "Leaked audio confirms Genspect director as anti-trans conversion therapist targeting youth". Health Liberation Now. Retrieved 14 January 2023.
  35. ↑ Tighe, Mark. "Trans quote wrong, says woman 'defamed' by TD Mick Barry" . The Times . ISSN   0140-0460. Archived from the original on 21 June 2022. Retrieved 26 June 2022.
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