Stella O'Malley — Substack
Stella O'Malley is an Irish psychotherapist and author. She became known for the 2018 British television documentary Trans Kids: It's Time to Talk and founded the international organisation Genspect in 2021. She publishes her own newsletter on Substack.
What you’ll find
The newsletter contains essays, videos and livestreams. O'Malley writes about gender dysphoria in children and young people, the role of psychotherapy and developments in gender care in Europe. A recurring feature is question-and-answer sessions for parents of children who identify as transgender.
Why it is on this list
O'Malley is one of the best-known advocates of a watchful waiting, psychotherapeutic approach to gender dysphoria. Her work and Genspect are controversial: critics regard the organisation as anti-trans. The newsletter presents her personal views and is not medical advice. See also the page for young people.
How the newsletter is structured
The newsletter bears her own name and has the subtitle Everything you need to know about gender (but were afraid to ask). According to its description, there are monthly question-and-answer sessions, as well as regular webinars and articles. In addition to gender dysphoria and parenting, it covers adolescent mental health, considerations surrounding medical transition, the experiences of detransitioners and the influence of social media. The page also refers to a membership group for parents, her documentary work and the podcast Gender: A Wider Lens. The number of subscribers and a launch date are not listed on the page. Those who want to learn about her background can find it in the entry on Stella O'Malley herself.
Genspect and its views
The newsletter cannot be separated from Genspect, which O'Malley founded in June 2021 and which has its own Substack. According to its own website, Genspect advocates a non-medical approach to gender distress and warns about the risks of medical transition. According to The Texas Tribune, the organisation believes that no one under 25 should transition. According to the Southern Poverty Law Center, Genspect has used its own awareness day since 2023 to draw attention to rapid-onset gender dysphoria. In 2021, a coalition of professional psychology organisations stated that sound empirical studies on the concept were lacking. In August 2021, O'Malley and two colleagues wrote in The Irish Times opposing the inclusion of gender identity in an Irish bill against conversion therapy and advocating an exploratory approach in therapy. From 27 to 29 April 2023, Genspect held a conference in Killarney, Ireland. Professional organisations such as WPATH, the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Endocrine Society take the opposite position.
How to weigh this source
The question-and-answer sessions are aimed at parents who already have doubts about an affirming approach, and the answers start from those doubts. O'Malley is a psychotherapist, not a doctor; statements about hormones or surgery are therefore those of an involved outsider. The newsletter is useful for understanding how the exploratory approach is explained in practice. A decision about care for a child requires contact with a practitioner who knows the child personally.