Affirmation Generation
Affirmation Generation: The Lies of Transgender Medicine is an American documentary approximately ninety minutes long, made by Panacol Productions. The film was released online in February 2023. Later that year, it was re-released by Deplorable Films under the title No Way Back: The Reality of Gender-Affirming Care.
What it is about
The film examines the affirmative model in gender care, in which a young person’s or adult’s gender identity is affirmed and medical interventions may follow. Six people who stopped their transitions talk about their gender dysphoria, their treatment and their detransition. Practitioners and researchers also appear, and the film refers to medical publications. The filmmakers describe themselves as progressive Americans who are concerned about this form of care.
Reception and criticism
Video platform Vimeo removed the film a few days after its online premiere for violating its own guidelines, leading to a debate about censorship. After a new review, Vimeo reinstated the film. Supporters of affirmative care feel that the film presents a one-sided view. The documentary is included as an example of critical perspectives on gender care.
The filmmakers and interviewees
The film was produced and financed by Vera Lindner; Joey Brite was the executive producer. Lindner described herself and her colleagues to The Daily Wire as lifelong Democrats from the American West Coast. The six detransitioners are identified by their first names: Michelle, Laura, Cat, David, Joel and Abel. The experts include Oxford sociologist Michael Biggs. According to Lindner, the film refers to 45 peer-reviewed medical articles and features twelve clinical experts.
Screenings and distribution
After Vimeo removed the film, it was available through The Distance, a Substack by gay and lesbian authors. According to The Daily Wire, it was the second critical documentary about gender care that Vimeo had removed within a month. Under its new title, the film was supposed to play for one day on 21 June 2023 in a number of AMC chain cinemas; according to the film’s website, those screenings were cancelled. The film has been shown at festivals, including CineParis, the Berlin Independent Film Festival and Docs Without Borders, and is available to stream and on DVD. Those looking for more personal accounts can also turn to The Detransition Diaries. Background information on the treatments themselves can be found under medical.