148. Executive Orders Decoded: Attorney Glenna Goldis Explains Impacts on American Families
You Must Be Some Kind of Therapist
Military Policies and Gender Identity
This chapter explores a recent executive order affecting military operations, particularly concerning transgender individuals and their ability to serve. The discussion critiques the balance between inclusion and merit, raising concerns about discrimination and the enforcement of sex-segregated policies. Additionally, it reflects on gender norms and expectations in professional settings, emphasizing the need for clarity and practicality in high-stakes military environments.
I met with Glenna Goldis, a New York-based lawyer with experience in government, fraud investigations, and domestic violence advocacy, to discuss the recent executive orders related to gender ideology. Glenna, who publishes a Substack newsletter called "Bad Facts" about the so-called transgender rights movement, provided her legal expertise on what these orders mean for American families.
We covered five key executive orders recently implemented by the Trump administration:
1. The day-one order defining biological sex and restoring single-sex spaces
2. The order ending gender ideology indoctrination in K-12 schools
3. The order protecting children from chemical and surgical procedures
4. The military order prioritizing readiness over ideology
5. The most recent order protecting women's sports
Glenna and I explored the practical implications of these orders, discussing everything from school bathrooms to military readiness. We delved into important nuances around funding mechanisms, enforcement challenges, and potential loopholes. While Glenna expressed optimism about the orders' potential impact, she helped clarify their actual scope and limitations.
A significant portion of our conversation focused on how these orders might affect healthcare providers, insurance coverage, and mental health professionals. As a therapist myself, I took the opportunity to advocate for addressing how "conversion therapy" bans have been weaponized against ethical mental health care. We also discussed the concerning trend of insurance fraud in gender medicine and the potential for increased federal investigations.
Glenna shared her work with the Gender Critical Law Society, organizing lawyers to defend professionals who face challenges for maintaining biological reality in their practice. This led to an important discussion about the need for legal support for mental health professionals who want to provide ethical care without fear of losing their licenses.
Throughout our conversation, we emphasized the importance of understanding what these orders actually do versus what they're often claimed to do in media coverage. While they represent significant policy changes, their implementation will take time and face various challenges through the court system.
This episode provides crucial information for parents, healthcare providers, educators, and anyone concerned about how these executive orders might impact their families and communities.
For help learning how to discuss these executive orders and other contentious topics with your trans-identified adolescent or young adult, check out my course and community for concerned parents, ROGD Repair. I’ve added a follow-up lesson on the executive orders, which teaches ROGD Repair students how they might apply the program’s 120+ communication skill enhancing lessons to this particularly fraught topic. Listeners of this podcast can take 50% off their first month with code SOMETHERAPIST2025.
Glenna Goldis is a lawyer in New York with experience in government, fraud investigations, and domestic violence advocacy. She publishes Bad Facts, a newsletter about the movement for trans rights. Lawyers and law students can sign up for her Gender-Critical Law Society here. Follow Glenna on X @GlennaGoldis.
00:00 Introduction to Executive Orders on Gender Ideology
02:45 Overview of Gender-Related Executive Orders
05:52 Defining Sex and Gender in Law
08:50 Implications for Schools and Parental Rights
12:08 Investigating Social Transitions in Education
15:09 Ending Radical Indoctrination in K-12 Schools
17:47 The Role of Federal Funding in Education
20:55 Legal Recourse for Parents
24:05 The Impact of Licensed Professionals in Schools
26:48 Cultural Backlash and Investigations
30:09 Protecting Children from Medical Interventions
36:10 Federal Funding and Control
44:02 Implications of Executive Orders on Families
56:53 Insurance Fraud and Gender-Affirming Care
01:09:02 Military Readiness and Gender Policies
01:09:31 Military Policies and Trans Rights
01:22:39 Protecting Women's Sports
01:27:40 Mental Health and "Conversion Therapy"
01:39:25 Legal Perspectives on Gender Issues
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MUSIC: Thanks to Joey Pecoraro for our song, “Half Awake,” used with gratitude & permission.
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Show notes & transcript provided with the help of SwellAI.
Special thanks to Joey Pecoraro for our theme song, “Half Awake,” used with gratitude and permission.
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