Informed Dissent
Informed Dissent
Podcast Description
You Have Permission to Question, Scrutinize, Push Back, and Dissent!
Ben Appel, Cori Cohn, Lisa Selin Davis, Eliza Mondegreen, and Jamie Reed report on their adventures and misadventures trying to explain and mitigate the gender culture wars. We will publish most weeks, focusing some on the news and some on important topics from social transition to lawsuits to what the heck the word “gender” means. informeddissentpodcast.substack.com
Podcast Insights
Content Themes
The podcast tackles crucial topics within the realm of gender culture, including social transition, legislative changes, and public perceptions of gender identity. Episodes explore current events, such as the implications of Trump’s executive orders on gender and the influence of protests and education on societal attitudes, with discussions often featuring critical reflections on news articles and media narratives.

You Have Permission to Question, Scrutinize, Push Back, and Dissent!
Jamie Reed, Cori Cohn, and Lauren Leggieri report on their adventures and misadventures trying to explain and mitigate the gender culture wars. We will publish most weeks, focusing some on the news and some on important topics from social transition to lawsuits to what the heck the word “gender” means.
This week, Jamie and Lauren are joined by three guests pushing back against ideological capture in law, psychology, and education. Cori will be back next week.
🏛️ SCOTUS: Mirabelli v. Bonta
The Supreme Court issued an emergency order vacating the Ninth Circuit’s stay of a district court injunction — protecting parents from California’s gender-identity nondisclosure policies in schools. Justice Barrett’s concurrence noted the Ninth Circuit had demonstrably misconstrued the Court’s recent holding in Mahmoud v. Taylor. A major win for parental rights.
Cert Watch A decision on whether to grant cert in Littlejohn has been postponed. Foote v. Ludlow School Committee remains pending — a decision could come soon.
Recommended Reading “The Emergency Docket’s Critics Have It Backwards” — Stephanie Barclay, SCOTUSblog (March 6, 2026) 🔗 Read it here
Guests
Laura Powell — Mother, attorney, investigator, and founder of Californians for Good Governance, a nonpartisan organization advocating for civil liberties and government accountability. Her work has earned national media coverage, been cited in federal investigations, and contributed to the repeal of an unconstitutional state law. She recently testified before Congress on violations of parents’ rights in California schools. 🔗 X: @LauraPowellEsq | @CA4Governance
Kevin Waldman — Classical liberal, gay man, clinical researcher, mental health professional, and founder of psychFORM Research Lab, which conducts independent research into human development free from ideological bias. psychFORM has established IRB approval for a five-university study surveying approximately 2,500 undergraduates on professorial influence and Western cultural perspectives. psychFORM.com | X: @KevWaldman | Substack
Ben Appel — Author ofCis White Gay: The Making of a Gender Heretic (Bombardier, 2025), a memoir tracing his journey from a Christian covenant community to LGBT activism to Columbia University — where he encountered a new kind of orthodoxy. His recent piece in The Atlantic, “In Defense of Effeminate Boys,” is out now. benappelwrites.com| X: @benappel | Substack
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