It is an open conspiracy, but it is a conspiracy! These federal codes make it a crime. Potentially a capital crime!
The people engineering, funding, and carrying out the propaganda campaign and enacting the laws and policies against transgender people must face 42 U.S.C. § 1983, 18 U.S.C. § 241, & 18 U.S.C. § 242 prosecution.
It must become a Dem platform plank. Take SoCons out of political life, and few literally out of it.
Actually defeat them in detail. Discourage later attempts at revival!
We did not hang nearly enough Confederates, let's not make the same mistake this time.
Does Northwestern have no institutional review board? Why are they selling research outcomes involving humans? That’s a major ethics violation that can have severe consequences for everyone involved.
<<Conru asserted that research on trans issues was hard to find, but it’s important to note that ongoing studies, wide-reaching surveys, and academic literature on trans health and trans life from subject matter experts in reputable peer-reviewed journals are abundant and continuing to grow.>> I hope Mr. Conru wakes up -- imagine the good he could do supporting compassionate causes.
On that research. I for one would love some pointers to studies that validate our being. Any pointers to recent work, and/or what to search on would be appreciated, for sure,
As a former long-term client (2017–2018) and a featured trans speaker at Northwestern’s 2018 Charleston Swallowing Conference, I have officially reached out to the department leadership.
I’ve asked them to reconcile their 'affirming' clinical services with the institutional capitulation and dangerous research exposed in this article. Those of us who provided the labor to build their reputation for competency will not let our stories be used as a cover for this trajectory.
It's still hard to believe that a huge conspiracy is infiltrating and corrupting every institution that I grew up trusting. Science, media, courts, higher ed, legislatures... I know I was being naive and that it's been done before with other forms of oppressive pseudoscience. But it's so much. Thank you for doing this journalism.
If you mean Conru, he’s an entrepreneur who oscillates between retirement and running his hook-up app. People in the arts will not quit his money. His hare brained excuses are enough, the Seattle Times published a thin report of his bigoted funding along with the apology, but left out details and incidents that reveal he knew what he was doing. A new huge local art organization actually put his name on their building along with other funders. So disappointing.
There are no words for how disgusting this is. Terrifying, to think that to the average low-information voter, the end result of this propaganda masquerading as science will look no different from real academic research. The story will go "𝘈 𝘯𝘦𝘸 𝘴𝘵𝘶𝘥𝘺 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘴 𝘣𝘭𝘢𝘩 𝘣𝘭𝘢𝘩 𝘣𝘭𝘢𝘩 𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘴 𝘣𝘢𝘥" and not offer any more detail about the (intentionally) flawed methodology, or the inevitable abuse of subjects... Fox, Newsmax, et. al. will just tell them what to believe, and they'll believe it.
I know there are evil people in this world- always have been; always will be- but it's quite a different thing, to see them gather power and influence in real time, up close and personal, rather than just reading about their misdeeds in a history book. It's quite a different thing, to be among those in their crosshairs.
This is disgusting but not surprising in this administration. As others have said, it is a crime. Not acceptable, full stop. Stay safe and take care of each other.
The growing effort to weaponize pseudoscience against transgender people represents one of the most dangerous intersections of politics, dark money, and academic credibility in modern America. The agenda outlined in Project 2025openly calls for dismantling protections for LGBTQ+ people and restricting gender-affirming care nationwide, framing transgender identity itself as something to be eliminated from public life.
Recent reporting has raised serious concerns that organizations tied to the same donor networks supporting Project 2025 are helping finance research initiatives connected to a study recruiting transgender youth linked to Northwestern University.
Investigative journalism has alleged that dark-money funding channels — including donor-advised funds designed to obscure contributors — are backing groups promoting studies focused on portraying gender-affirming care negatively.
This should alarm anyone who values scientific integrity.
Medical research must be guided by transparent methodology, peer review, and ethical standards — not ideological outcomes predetermined by political agendas.
When anonymous funding streams shape research questions, participant recruitment, or public messaging, the result risks becoming advocacy disguised as science. That undermines public trust not only in universities but in medicine itself.
The stakes are not abstract. Every major U.S. medical and mental-health association supports evidence-based, age-appropriate gender-affirming care as medically necessary treatment developed through clinical consensus and professional standards. Attempts to manufacture doubt through selectively funded studies do not advance science; they distort it.
Universities carry a special responsibility. Academic institutions must resist becoming vehicles for politically motivated narratives that target marginalized communities. Academic freedom protects inquiry — but it also demands transparency, ethical oversight, and independence from undisclosed political influence.
If dark money is being used to manufacture research conclusions aligned with Project 2025’s stated goal of restricting transgender existence and care, then this is not simply a scholarly debate. It is an attempt to use institutional legitimacy to justify predetermined political outcomes.
We must demand:
Full transparency in research funding sources
Independent ethical review free from ideological pressure
Protection of transgender youth from exploitative or biased research practices
A clear separation between political agendas and scientific inquiry
Science should illuminate truth — not be engineered to validate discrimination. Universities must stand for evidence, ethics, and human dignity, not serve as instruments for campaigns designed to erase vulnerable communities under the guise of research.
Thank you for the excellent research that went into this.
It is an open conspiracy, but it is a conspiracy! These federal codes make it a crime. Potentially a capital crime!
The people engineering, funding, and carrying out the propaganda campaign and enacting the laws and policies against transgender people must face 42 U.S.C. § 1983, 18 U.S.C. § 241, & 18 U.S.C. § 242 prosecution.
It must become a Dem platform plank. Take SoCons out of political life, and few literally out of it.
Actually defeat them in detail. Discourage later attempts at revival!
We did not hang nearly enough Confederates, let's not make the same mistake this time.
Sometimes its hard to comprehend the sheer scale of the bigoted machine that has been built and funded against us.
Just think if all these bigots contributed their money to actual philanthropic causes.
Makes me wonder, if you took all the money that’s been thrown into attacking us and instead divided it among us… how rich would we all be?
Does Northwestern have no institutional review board? Why are they selling research outcomes involving humans? That’s a major ethics violation that can have severe consequences for everyone involved.
Incredible gumshoe reporting, SB -- thank you!!
Was struck by this:
<<Conru asserted that research on trans issues was hard to find, but it’s important to note that ongoing studies, wide-reaching surveys, and academic literature on trans health and trans life from subject matter experts in reputable peer-reviewed journals are abundant and continuing to grow.>> I hope Mr. Conru wakes up -- imagine the good he could do supporting compassionate causes.
On that research. I for one would love some pointers to studies that validate our being. Any pointers to recent work, and/or what to search on would be appreciated, for sure,
Thank you.
As a former long-term client (2017–2018) and a featured trans speaker at Northwestern’s 2018 Charleston Swallowing Conference, I have officially reached out to the department leadership.
I’ve asked them to reconcile their 'affirming' clinical services with the institutional capitulation and dangerous research exposed in this article. Those of us who provided the labor to build their reputation for competency will not let our stories be used as a cover for this trajectory.
It's still hard to believe that a huge conspiracy is infiltrating and corrupting every institution that I grew up trusting. Science, media, courts, higher ed, legislatures... I know I was being naive and that it's been done before with other forms of oppressive pseudoscience. But it's so much. Thank you for doing this journalism.
Such a shame Northwestern STILL employs that charlatan creep 🤮
If you mean Conru, he’s an entrepreneur who oscillates between retirement and running his hook-up app. People in the arts will not quit his money. His hare brained excuses are enough, the Seattle Times published a thin report of his bigoted funding along with the apology, but left out details and incidents that reveal he knew what he was doing. A new huge local art organization actually put his name on their building along with other funders. So disappointing.
Referring to Bailey, I believe. And "charlatan creep 🤮" is being overly polite, IMO.
"but left out details and incidents that reveal he knew what he was doing"
Can you please link to those?
We desperately need our own PAC to promote our side of the story.
The planet is only getting their side while we sit idly by
There are no words for how disgusting this is. Terrifying, to think that to the average low-information voter, the end result of this propaganda masquerading as science will look no different from real academic research. The story will go "𝘈 𝘯𝘦𝘸 𝘴𝘵𝘶𝘥𝘺 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘴 𝘣𝘭𝘢𝘩 𝘣𝘭𝘢𝘩 𝘣𝘭𝘢𝘩 𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘴 𝘣𝘢𝘥" and not offer any more detail about the (intentionally) flawed methodology, or the inevitable abuse of subjects... Fox, Newsmax, et. al. will just tell them what to believe, and they'll believe it.
I know there are evil people in this world- always have been; always will be- but it's quite a different thing, to see them gather power and influence in real time, up close and personal, rather than just reading about their misdeeds in a history book. It's quite a different thing, to be among those in their crosshairs.
Great reporting, thank you!!
This is disgusting but not surprising in this administration. As others have said, it is a crime. Not acceptable, full stop. Stay safe and take care of each other.
I see 'GDI' and think, 'God(s) Damn It'.
Wow. This is one hellacious piece of reporting. Thank you, S. Baum. So well done.
The growing effort to weaponize pseudoscience against transgender people represents one of the most dangerous intersections of politics, dark money, and academic credibility in modern America. The agenda outlined in Project 2025openly calls for dismantling protections for LGBTQ+ people and restricting gender-affirming care nationwide, framing transgender identity itself as something to be eliminated from public life.
Recent reporting has raised serious concerns that organizations tied to the same donor networks supporting Project 2025 are helping finance research initiatives connected to a study recruiting transgender youth linked to Northwestern University.
Investigative journalism has alleged that dark-money funding channels — including donor-advised funds designed to obscure contributors — are backing groups promoting studies focused on portraying gender-affirming care negatively.
This should alarm anyone who values scientific integrity.
Medical research must be guided by transparent methodology, peer review, and ethical standards — not ideological outcomes predetermined by political agendas.
When anonymous funding streams shape research questions, participant recruitment, or public messaging, the result risks becoming advocacy disguised as science. That undermines public trust not only in universities but in medicine itself.
The stakes are not abstract. Every major U.S. medical and mental-health association supports evidence-based, age-appropriate gender-affirming care as medically necessary treatment developed through clinical consensus and professional standards. Attempts to manufacture doubt through selectively funded studies do not advance science; they distort it.
Universities carry a special responsibility. Academic institutions must resist becoming vehicles for politically motivated narratives that target marginalized communities. Academic freedom protects inquiry — but it also demands transparency, ethical oversight, and independence from undisclosed political influence.
If dark money is being used to manufacture research conclusions aligned with Project 2025’s stated goal of restricting transgender existence and care, then this is not simply a scholarly debate. It is an attempt to use institutional legitimacy to justify predetermined political outcomes.
We must demand:
Full transparency in research funding sources
Independent ethical review free from ideological pressure
Protection of transgender youth from exploitative or biased research practices
A clear separation between political agendas and scientific inquiry
Science should illuminate truth — not be engineered to validate discrimination. Universities must stand for evidence, ethics, and human dignity, not serve as instruments for campaigns designed to erase vulnerable communities under the guise of research.
Thank you Erin! It's so important to know this information.
Thank you, S! This is a very informative article!