A Community Safety Warning About the AYAGDOS Study

Over the past few days, we’ve seen a “research study” called "Adolescent and Young Adult Gender Dysphoria Outcomes Study or AYAGDOS" being circulated in online spaces that serve transgender and gender-diverse youth and their families. The study is actively recruiting trans youth and young adults, often presenting itself as a neutral opportunity to “share experiences” and contribute to scientific understanding.

We want to be very clear with any parent who may come across this study: there are serious and well-founded reasons to approach this study with extreme caution.

This is not simply an academic debate. This is about the real-world safety, dignity, and medical care of transgender people — especially young people.

Who Is Behind the Study?

The AYAGDOS study is led by J. Michael Bailey of Northwestern University, Lisa Littman, and Kenneth Zucker.

All three have longstanding professional associations with research frameworks that challenge or reject gender-affirming models of care. This matters, because research is never just about “collecting data.” It’s about what questions are being asked, how they are framed, and what conclusions the researchers are already inclined to draw.

Dr. Littman is best known for popularizing the term “rapid onset gender dysphoria” (ROGD) — a concept that has been widely criticized by major medical and psychological organizations and is not supported by strong empirical evidence. The idea behind ROGD suggests that being transgender is a kind of social contagion rather than a deeply rooted aspect of human identity. This framing has been repeatedly used to discredit trans people and invalidate their experiences.

Dr. Zucker has a long history connected to models of care that pathologize or attempt to prevent trans identities, particularly in children.

Dr. Bailey has also been associated with research approaches that frame gender diversity through controversial and highly disputed lenses.

This is not a neutral research team.

Why This Matters So Much

Gender-affirming care is real, evidence-based health care. It is supported by every major medical association in the United States, including the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Medical Association, and the American Psychological Association.

Decisions about care should be made privately, ethically, and collaboratively between families, patients, and qualified, affirming medical providers.

But we live in a time when research is routinely weaponized.

Data collected from studies like this can be:

• selectively interpreted

• stripped of context

• presented to lawmakers and courts

• used in media narratives

• cited in legislation

Even when participants share their stories in good faith, their experiences can be reframed to support harmful conclusions — especially when researchers already operate from ideological assumptions about gender.

This is exactly how discredited concepts like ROGD continue to circulate: not because they reflect reality, but because they are politically useful.

Trans Communities Are Sounding the Alarm

Many trans-led organizations, advocates, and researchers are urging families not to participate in this study.

The concern is not hypothetical. We have seen again and again how similar research has been used to:

• challenge access to gender-affirming care

• justify bans and restrictions

• portray trans youth as confused, misled, or manipulated

• undermine the credibility of trans people and their families

When communities that are most directly affected are raising red flags, we need to listen.

A Note to Parents

As parents, we are often told that participating in research is a way to “help science” or “help future generations.” And sometimes that’s true.

But informed consent requires more than a form. It requires understanding:

• who is conducting the research

• what their published positions are

• how the data may be used

• and whether the study aligns with the well-being of the community it claims to serve

If a study makes you uneasy, if the researchers’ track records concern you, or if something feels off — trust that instinct.

Our children are not data points for ideologically driven agendas.

They are whole human beings who deserve care rooted in compassion, integrity, and real science.

The Bottom Line

This is not about silencing research. It’s about protecting vulnerable communities from being used in ways that cause harm.

Not all studies are safe.

Not all “experts” are neutral.

And not all research is conducted in good faith.

In a world where transgender kids are already facing unprecedented political attacks, families deserve to know exactly who is asking for their stories — and why.

Our children deserve better.

And we deserve research that truly serves their dignity, safety, and humanity. 🏳️‍⚧️💛

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What This Study May Look Like When You See It Online

Here are examples of how the AYAGDOS study is currently being promoted online.

Further reading / sources:

• TransVitae: Why Trans Communities Are Urging Caution on AYAGDOS Research

https://www.transvitae.com/why-trans-communities-are-urging-caution-on-ayagdos-research/