Genspect – Bias and Credibility

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QUESTIONABLE SOURCE

A questionable source exhibits one or more of the following: extreme bias, consistent promotion of propaganda/conspiracies, poor or no sourcing of credible information, a complete lack of transparency, and/or is fake news. Fake News is the deliberate attempt to publish hoaxes and/or disinformation for profit or influence (Learn More). Sources listed in the Questionable Category may be very untrustworthy and should be fact-checked on a per-article basis. Please note sources on this list are not considered fake news unless specifically written in the reasoning section for that source. See all Questionable sources.

History

Genspect is an international nonprofit organization founded in 2021 by Irish psychotherapist Stella O’Malley. The group describes itself as “non-partisan” and “evidence-based,” claiming to promote “healthy approaches to sex and gender.” Their About page states they recognize trans identification as a mental health issue, advocate for “non-medicalized” responses, and raise awareness of the “risks of inappropriate medical transition.” The organization is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit that relies on memberships and donations. They are based in Dublin, Ireland.

Read our profile on the Irish media and government.

Funded By / Ownership

Genspect operates as a nonprofit with international affiliates and donors. Financial transparency is minimal beyond acknowledging membership fees and individual contributions.

Analysis / Bias

Genspect is closely affiliated with the Society for Evidence-Based Gender Medicine, sharing advisors and strategies. Both groups promote the unproven concept of rapid-onset gender dysphoria (ROGD), which has been rejected by the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH), the American Psychiatric Association, and the American Academy of Pediatrics for lack of evidence and potential harm. Genspect opposes gender-affirming care for individuals under 25, has lobbied against conversion therapy bans, and has spread misinformation about Boston Children’s Hospital.

The group’s publications, such as the Parent Starter Pack, frame affirmation as “ideology” and encourage parents to resist transition, echoing strategies used by conversion therapy advocates. Genspect also hosts events like Detrans Awareness Day, which center on detransition narratives rather than medical consensus.

Mainstream media and medical watchdogs consistently classify their work as pseudoscience. Science-Based Medicine has criticized their promotion of “exploratory therapy” as rebranded conversion therapy. MedPage Today warned that groups like Genspect fuel political debates that restrict access to care.

Hate Group Designation

The Southern Poverty Law Center designated Genspect and SEGM as anti-LGBTQ+ hate groups in 2023, citing their use of pseudoscience to target transgender people, affiliations with far-right organizations like Alliance Defending Freedom, and roles in promoting restrictive anti-trans laws in the U.S. and abroad.

Failed Fact Checks

• There are no direct failed fact checks by fact-checking organizations. However, Genspect’s promotion of discredited concepts like ROGD and misinformation about medical providers qualifies as pseudoscience.

Overall, we rate Genspect Right Biased due to its alignment with gender-critical and anti-LBGTQ+ advocacy networks. We also rate them as questionable and Low for factual reporting based on promotion of pseudoscience, opposition to scientific consensus, and designation by the SPLC as a hate group. (D. Van Zandt 08/16/2025)

Source: https://genspect.org/

Last Updated on August 16, 2025 by Media Bias Fact Check

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Left vs. Right Bias: How we rate the bias of media sources