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Lisa Selin Davis is a woman who will need no introduction to most of you, but did you know she’s published two novels in addition to her two non-fiction books, Tomboy and Housewife? Now you do! She’s also a critically-acclaimed essayist and journalist whose work has appeared in the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, the Washington Post, Time, The Free Press, and many others. Lisa’s research and reporting on gender ideology have demonstrated what objective journalism looks like — or at least that’s my opinion; hers is that she’s “never been objective!” We discuss the weirdness of watching the simplest, most obvious facts be tortured into a bizarre and incoherent litmus test for belonging. Also, the surprising clarity and doggedness that might be the upside of social isolation. Lisa is a talented and driven chronicler of this fraught human drama we’re all struggling to bring to a close; and I’m delighted to have her here. Links: Lisa’s Substack, BROADview, and the post we discuss: A few of the many LSD essays that I wish were mine: What the Gender Issue Needs in 2026 (BROADview, 12/31/25) A Chance to Depoliticize Gender-Affirming Care (Washington Post OpEd 12/8/25) Gender-Affirming Care Is to Democrats as Gun Control Is to Republicans (BROADview, 12/17/25) Women Ruined Everything. Now It’s Men’s Turn to Ruin Everything. (BROADview, 10/29/25 Be Lisa’s 11, 091st follower on X! Be my 108th follower on X! Credits: Theme music by William A. Ferguson UnMuted logo art by Anne Gibbons This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jennypoyerackerman.substack.com

Andrew Hartz is the Founder, President, and Executive Director of the Open Therapy Institute, or OTI, whose mission, quoting from its website, is “to address socio-political bias in mental health care.” Andrew is also a practicing clinical psychologist and was formerly a professor in the clinical psychology doctoral program at Long Island University, where he completed his own Ph.D. He did a clinical internship at Columbia University Medical Center, and he’s written about the problem of politics in mental health for the Wall Street Journal, City Journal, the Federalist, The Free Press, Heterodox Academy, the New York Post, the New York Times, and Quillette. If you’re still not impressed, he’s even been a guest on Dr. Phil, who described him as “a beacon of hope!” All that, and now UnMuted. We discuss the “masculinity crisis” that was the topic of Andrew’s talk, along with Ben Appel and Rob Henderson, at an event I enjoyed last month. Others are talking about it too, including Bill Maher with Scott Galloway last Friday on Real Time. Also: artificial barriers to trust between men and women; the discomfiting subversion of social signifiers or “idioms”; the downsides of Sharia law (lol), the upsides of being ‘damaged,’ and where to look for a therapist who gets you, so you can stop self-censoring and get it all out in the open. Links: Open Therapy Institute’s website has tons of articles, a podcast series, links to Andrew’s Dr. Phil appearances (yes, more than one) and help finding a therapist who’s not preoccupied with woke performativity. And if you’re that therapist, go there to join their network. Subscribe to OTI on Substack Be OTI’s 737th follower on X Be my 101st follower on X! (Yep, you’re reading a triple-digit TwiX sensation right now— crazy, right? I haven’t changed though.) Credits: Theme music by William A. Ferguson UnMuted logo art by Anne Gibbons This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jennypoyerackerman.substack.com

My guest today, Stephanie Winn, is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist who will probably be familiar to most of the parents out there. Her podcast, You Must Be Some Kind of Therapist, is, in her words, “openly and unapologetically critical of gender ideology and the intrusion of wokeness into the counseling profession” — yet in my words, the tone of the podcast is the opposite of combative. It’s consistently calm, reassuring and above all, informative. The word “consistently” does a lot of work here, as there are 185 episodes to its credit to date. According to its web page, You Must Be Some Kind of Therapist ranks in the top 1% of podcasts globally, so I’m humbled and honored to host her here in my little boutique. If that intro made it sound like we’re going to spend an hour talking about podcasting, clear your mind of that expectation, as this guest has much more to offer. Links: Stephanie’s podcast, You Must Be Some Kind of Therapist, on YouTube (scroll down to view Episode 184 featuring Repair Bot) ROGD Repair Course for parents: use discount code UNMUTED Be Stephanie’s 33,043rd follower on X! Be my 97th follower on X! (That’s me, closing in on triple digits!) Credits: Theme music by William A. Ferguson UnMuted logo art by Anne Gibbons This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jennypoyerackerman.substack.com

My guest is the author of a post I read on Substack last May that was so interesting and provocative I’ve been thinking about it ever since. Sarah Hartman-Caverly is a reference and instruction librarian with Penn State University Libraries. Her academic interests are privacy, intellectual freedom, and human autonomy. She co-moderates the Heterodox Libraries community of Heterodox Academy and contributes to its newsletter, Heterodoxy in the Stacks, which is where I discovered her writing. As soon as she started talking, I was so taken with her talent as a communicator that I abandoned my list of questions so I could focus on keeping up! The result is not super linear, but it felt to me like two shots in the arm —one for energy and one for courage— which happened to be exactly what I needed right now. Let me know what you think! Links: Purple-Haired People Eaters, an essay published 5/29/25 by Sarah Hartman-Caverly Heterodoxy in the Stacks, a Substack about intellectual freedom, library neutrality, and libraries in democracy Sarah’s analysis of Q-Anon, Truth Always Wins: Dispatches from the Culture War Credits: Theme music by William A. Ferguson UnMuted logo art by Anne Gibbons This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jennypoyerackerman.substack.com

My guest today is recently retired from an illustrious career with NPR, where she hosted high-profile shows including Weekend All Things Considered, Weekend Edition Sunday, and the independent documentary series Soundprint. She also brought us musical events such as the 2008 Inaugural Concert in Washington, D.C., concerts from the Aspen Music Festival, and Toast of the Nation, where she rang in the New Year live from Paris — as one does. A Google search returns photos of her in what look like couture gowns posing with the likes of Martin Scorcese, Placido Domingo and Rufus Wainwright. All of which reveals there is at least one truly glamorous job at NPR, and for decades it was held by the woman who might be my most famous guest thus far: Lisa Simeone. We discuss the barriers to honest reporting at NPR, the New York Times and traditional media as a whole. We vent our frustrations about all manner of frustrating people and things, and pay homage to the (mostly lesbian) women whose courage and confidence inspire us to keep talking. Links: Follow Lisa to get her insights and hot takes in your Substack feed The made-for-TV movie Lisa brought up: Normal, 2003 starring Jessica Lange We couldn’t find the viral video clip Lisa praised near the end of the conversation, but if anyone knows where to find it, please link in the comments — I want to see it! UPDATE: a listener named Jackie found the video clip on X and it’s definitely worth your 2 minutes. Thanks, Jackie! Credits: Theme music by William A. Ferguson UnMuted logo art by Anne Gibbons This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jennypoyerackerman.substack.com

Carol Dansereau is an attorney, author, and advocate who spent 25 years working in the non-profit sector. That sector, which she now calls the Nonprofit Industrial Complex, gets its share of criticism on her eponymous Substack. So does the Unitarian Universalist Church where she and her partner, Bruce Lesnick, were active members until their views on sex and ‘gender’ were deemed problematic. I’ve been following Carol’s Substack for a couple of years, and I finally had to reach out after listening to her audio post from Feb. 7th, 2024 titled “Speaking to My Family and Friends,” in which she explains the facts of gender ideology to her own inner circle in a measured way that communicates good faith as well as I’ve ever heard it done to an audience that may be hearing the truth for the first time. It made a powerful impression on me and I wanted to know how it was received, since I’ve been thinking hard about why and how we need to talk about ‘trans,’ even in polite company. Carol’s partner Bruce Lesnick is a talented songwriter and performer whose recordings on Spotify are my newest downloads. With his permission, I chose a track called “Bad Guys” as the outro for this episode. It’s from Bruce’s 2004 album, “Firestorm.” I’m now a fan of the whole couple and think you might be, too! Links: Subscribe to Carol’s Substack, where you’ll find the posts we discuss, including: Speaking to My Family and Friends Behold the Progressive Trans Ally School Boards: Grooming Kids for an Orwellian World Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Transgender Galaxy, Part 1 of 6 There’s a lot more good, provocative writing there to check out. Find more music by Bruce Lesnick on Spotify or on Apple Music Credits: ‘Moonlit Sky’ (intro music) by William A. Ferguson ‘Bad Guys’ by Bruce Lesnick UnMuted logo art by Anne Gibbons This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jennypoyerackerman.substack.com

Dr. Lauren Schwartz is a psychiatrist and psychotherapist in private practice in Oklahoma. Her recent advocacy centers on ‘gender-affirming care,’ and in just the last three years she’s made significant contributions to both the clinical and public understanding of the tradeoffs involved in the treatments. If you watched or listened to the remarkable July 9th ‘workshop’ proceedings at the US Federal Trade Commission, you will have heard Lauren speak on a panel titled “What Does the Science Actually Say About ‘Gender-Affirming Care.’ I’m delighted that she and I will both be speaking at the Genspect conference September 27-28 in Albuquerque, New Mexico. (Tickets selling fast - secure your seat now!) Note: the ‘outro’ music at the end is a full-length recording of “A Woman’s Work,” one of the great new tracks by William A. Ferguson, who also composed my intro, “Moonlit Sky.” The lyrics of “Women’s Work” are not a strict thematic match with today’s episode; I just like the song, and it’s been awhile since I’ve featured a whole William AF track. Enjoy! Links: 2024 Open Letter to the APA regarding its "Gender-Affirming Psychiatric Care" textbook, garnering over 7,200 signatures The June 2025 open-access review of more than 50 studies, highlighting risks associated with feminizing hormones in natal males. Dr. Schwartz’s presentation to the Federal Trade Commission on “Dangers of Gender Affirming Care for Minors” July 9, 2025. The just-published book in which Dr. Schwartz authored a chapter: The War on Science, Thirty-Nine Renowned Scientists and Scholars Speak Out About Current Threats to Free Speech, Open Inquiry, and the Scientific Process. Credits: Theme music by William A. Ferguson UnMuted logo art by Anne Gibbons This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jennypoyerackerman.substack.com

I know I just posted a long letter to subscribers about how I need to step away from Substack this summer in order to work on my presentation for Genspect, but Pamela Garfield-Jaeger published this charming new children’s book “Froggy Girl,” and because I enjoyed our first conversation so much, I decided to make time for this one. Pamela is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker who describes herself as ‘awake, but not woke.’ She earned a Masters in Social Work from New York University in 1999 before moving to the San Francisco Bay Area to work with teens in school and outpatient settings. Today she’s an author, speaker and consultant specializing in youth gender issues. If aren’t familiar with Pamela’s story, you can hear how she came by her unique “Rip Van Therapist” perspective on gender ideology in the episode we recorded last January. Other links: Order your copy of Froggy Girl Order A Practical Guide to Gender Distress: Tips and Tools for Families Watch Pamela read Froggy Girl on YouTube Subscribe to The Truthful Therapist on Substack Be Pamela’s 10,376th follower on X! Be my 89th follower on X! Pamela’s websites: www.froggygirlbook.com and www.thetruthfultherapist.org Credits: Theme music by William A. Ferguson UnMuted logo art by Anne Gibbons This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jennypoyerackerman.substack.com

Miriam Grossman is a medical doctor board certified in child, adolescent and adult psychiatry. She is a senior fellow at Do No Harm and the author of five books. If you’ve read her most recent book, Lost in Trans Nation, you’ll know why I call it the definitive work on the subject that brings us here: readers who feel ‘lost’ as per the title before reading it will feel not just informed but empowered on the other side. Maybe more important: parents will feel, perhaps for the first time, that someone in the world of experts and professionals on “gender” understands what we are going through and how it’s impacting us. Dr Grossman’s books have been translated into eleven languages. She has testified in Congress and lectured at the British House of Lords and the United Nations. I’m truly honored to welcome her here. Note to grandparents and siblings of trans-identifying young people: Dr. Grossman would like to you hear from you. You can contact her via her website linked below. Links:​ Miriam Grossman’s website Buy or listen to Lost in Trans Nation, A Child Psychiatrist’s Guide Out of the Madness Order You’re Teaching My Child WHAT? Dr. Grossman’s April 30 PITT article and book excerpt: My Colleagues Have Failed You The 2023 Congressional testimony we discussed Be Dr. Grossman’s 50,390th follower on X! Be my 76th follower on X! Credits: Theme music by William A. Ferguson UnMuted logo art by Anne Gibbons This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jennypoyerackerman.substack.com

I’ve been a fan of Vaishnavi Sundar for over five years, and it was amazing to interview her for this episode. Our mutual friend Sacha Jones of Terf Vibes introduced me to Vaishnavi after hearing me gush about her two gender-critical films, ‘Dysphoric' and 'Behind the Looking Glass.’ I binged all four episodes of ‘Dysphoric’ the minute I heard the film existed. By that time, 2019, I’d been living with an ROGD daughter for three years and felt quite alone and dismayed by the lack of objective information about the problem. ‘Dysphoric’ filled that void in a way that felt incredibly reassuring, plus it was a highly engaging a piece of art. Vaishnavi’s most recent film, 'Behind the Looking Glass,’ is the first-ever documentary about the wives and children of trans-identified men. It’s been widely celebrated for its artistry and also for the dignity and respect it shows its trans-widow subjects. We discuss le fléau sans frontières (the plague without borders) and the way it finds the peculiar vulnerabilities of disparate cultures in order to barge in and make itself at home, sporting the entitlement of the most opportunistic virus. Maybe the best antidote will prove to be the intelligent, creative expressions of truth in works of art like Vaishnavi’s. Links: More about Vaishnavi Sundar Watch the 4-part series, Dysphoric Watch the documentary, Behind the Looking Glass Credits: Theme music by William A. Ferguson UnMuted logo art by Anne Gibbons This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jennypoyerackerman.substack.com

Lisa Duval, PhD, is a licensed clinical psychologist based in Charlottesville, Virginia. She works with patients of all ages, backgrounds, and presenting issues but specializes in adolescence and personality disorders. She did her undergrad studies in English and Psychology at Yale, then earned a masters and a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from two Bay Area institutions. I will admit to feeling unequal and even intimidated by such an academic résumé, but there’s something profoundly relatable in the last sentence of her bio, which reads: “Lisa involuntarily began her education on the topic of gender ideology in 2017 and has not succeeded in thinking about much else ever since.” Just one link, but it’s a good one: Lisa’s memorable June 2022 interview on Gender: A Wider Lens episode 75 Credits: Theme music by William A. Ferguson UnMuted logo art by Anne Gibbons This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jennypoyerackerman.substack.com

On April 5, I drove to Berkeley to join a peaceful protest outside the downtown YMCA in support of single-sex locker rooms. We stood alongside Elizabeth Kenney, a mother and grandmother who had recently confronted a large naked man in the women’s locker room of that same facility. I later recorded an interview with Elizabeth which you’ll hear in the second half of this episode. First, I’m excited to speak with the woman who organized that protest. She’s a teacher and art enthusiast who has also figured out how to organize and lead safe, effective protest events, and I’m hoping this conversation will provide something like an instruction manual that can be replicated everywhere. Elizabeth was the woman of the hour at the YMCA action. The courage she showed in the women’s locker room on March 26th is something that could also stand to be replicated everywhere. It wasn’t even her first rodeo, as you’ll hear! Stay tuned for an encore William A. Ferguson joint at the end! Links: Contact Jane Berns for advice on organizing and socializing: [email protected] Be WomenAreReal’s 30,229th follower on X Be my 70th follower on X! Subscribe to William A. Ferguson’s Substack for great original songs and writing Credits: Original music by William A. Ferguson UnMuted logo art by Anne Gibbons This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jennypoyerackerman.substack.com

Today’s guest is a woman I first met when we both attended the Genspect conference in Denver a year and a half ago. She introduced herself as a subscriber to this Substack, so I liked her immediately! I’ve had the pleasure of getting to know her fairly well since then. Her story is that of a stable, loving and high-functioning family in which two out of three kids — all smart and well-educated — announce ‘transgender’ identities during their college years. I wish I could say it’s an unusual story, but of course it isn’t. One thing I’ll note is that she and I have both noticed a strong ‘trans’ incubator quality in both inpatient and outpatient adolescent mental health programs. If you’ve noticed it too, please leave a comment, as this a problem that I think needs a lot more attention. Credits: Theme music by William A. Ferguson UnMuted logo art by Anne Gibbons This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jennypoyerackerman.substack.com

Plus: another great new terfy tune by friend-of-the-pod William A Ferguson takes us out, so stick around! “Terf Vibes” is the Substack handle of an Australian writer and feminist academic who currently lives in Auckland, NZ, where she fights for the sex-based rights of women and girls —and!— performs stand-up comedy using her stage name, Sacha Jones. This is how she describes her Substack publication, ‘Til Sex Do Us Part:’ My personal/political 'battle of the sexes' as the XX author of a PhD in feminist politics and two tragicomic memoirs, one on my dancing girlhood, the other a feminist critique of the 'body positivity' movement. Also, men aren't women. Our conversation covers all the important topics of the day: politics, gender ideology, and comedy. Enjoy! Links: Sacha’s Substack, Till Sex Do Us Part Her two books published in 2024: The Fatter Sex: A Battle Plan for Women's Weight Health and Humour Don't Laugh: Keeping the Joneses Up (childhood memoir) Her (hilarious!) standup performance discussed in the conversation William A Ferguson’s Substack, with his complete music catalog including “A Woman’s Work,” heard here. Credits: All music by William A. Ferguson UnMuted logo art by Anne Gibbons This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jennypoyerackerman.substack.com

This is the only photo I have of me with Jennifer Lahl. Riley Gaines’s presence in the middle doesn’t lessen its appeal, in my opinion! Taken at the Center for Bioethics and Culture benefit dinner, Diablo, CA, 2024. Jennifer Lahl began her career as a pediatric critical care nurse in the 1990s, then went on to earn a master’s degree in medical ethics before founding the nonprofit Center for Bioethics and Culture in 2000. While doing critical nursing care, conducting scientific research and raising four children, she somehow managed to also become an award-winning filmmaker —as one does, right? Jennifer has 11 documentaries to her credit, including three that are specific to gender ideology (find links below). Quoting Genspect: “Jennifer is uniquely positioned to navigate the complex interplay of science, technology, and medicine at the heart of the contemporary issues of sex and gender.” View Jennifer Lahl’s gender-related documentary films: Trans Mission: What’s the Rush to Reassign Gender? The Detransition Diaries: Saving Our Sisters The Lost Boys: Searching for Manhood, which focuses on male detransitioners. Visit Genspect.org Become Jennifer’s 12,576th follower on X Become my 58th follower on X! Credits: Theme music by William A. Ferguson UnMuted logo art by Anne Gibbons This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jennypoyerackerman.substack.com