
heretics. 592. This Trans Debate Went Off the Rails - Dr. Helen Webberley vs Andrew Gold
Nov 23, 2025
In this lively debate, Dr. Helen Webberley, a trailblazer in transgender healthcare, discusses her journey founding GenderGP and advocating for gender-affirming care. She argues passionately that being transgender is not a mental illness and emphasizes the importance of self-identification over biological factors. The conversation tackles the complexities of gender identity, including the nuances of medical transitions and detransition stories. Dr. Webberley invites listeners to center trans lives and experiences in the ongoing discussion about identity and society.
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How One Patient Changed Her Career
- Dr. Helen Webberley describes how a trans woman walked into her GP surgery in 2015 asking for help and she researched care because it wasn't taught in medical school.
- That encounter led her to create GenderGP and to support many transgender patients who lacked local access to services.
Street Observations Fuel Her Empathy
- Webberley recounts walking in the street and noticing human diversity, using it to argue against mocking trans people for differences.
- She links lack of education to fear, which drives meanness toward gender-diverse people.
Identity Can Define Lived Sex Category
- Webberley argues sex and gender are distinct and identity can override biological markers for how someone lives.
- She frames 'trans' as an adjective: a trans woman is a woman because identity defines lived category.

