OM DENNE EPISODE
In this episode of Unleashed, Heidi Ganahl sits down with Admiral Brian Christine, the 18th Assistant Secretary for Health at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, for a conversation about HHS’s new report, Wolves in White Coats, and the administration’s push for greater scrutiny of medical interventions for minors experiencing gender dysphoria.
Christine, a physician who now leads the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, walks through the report’s findings and HHS’s concerns surrounding puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones and surgeries performed on minors. He discusses the department’s review of the scientific evidence, allegations of potentially improper medical billing and the financial incentives HHS says may exist within some gender clinics.
But some of the most powerful moments of the conversation center on the children and families themselves.
Christine shares the stories of detransitioners featured in the report, including Clementine Breen, and describes hearing firsthand about complications, regret and the feeling of abandonment some say they experienced when they sought help after deciding to detransition.
Heidi and Christine also bring the conversation home to Colorado, where debates over insurance coverage, parental rights and medical treatment for minors continue. Heidi discusses Colorado legislation and a citizen-led ballot effort expected before voters this fall, while asking what resources are available to parents living in states where these policies remain deeply contested.
Christine also explains what may come next at the federal level, including referrals related to the report to the Department of Justice and the HHS Inspector General.
At the heart of the episode is a larger question: How did medicine get here—and what does accountability look like now?
🔹 What HHS says it uncovered in Wolves in White Coats
🔹 Admiral Brian Christine’s role as Assistant Secretary for Health
🔹 The scientific debate surrounding medical interventions for minors with gender dysphoria
🔹 HHS concerns about financial incentives and potentially improper billing
🔹 Stories from detransitioners and families featured in the report
🔹 Clementine Breen’s experience and why her story impacted Christine
🔹 Referrals to the Department of Justice and HHS Inspector General
🔹 Colorado’s laws and ongoing political fight over treatment of minors
🔹 The citizen-led Colorado ballot effort headed toward voters this fall
🔹 Resources for parents looking for alternative approaches to care
🔹 Why Christine says Americans need to read the report and hear these families’ stories for themselves
Of the individuals featured in the report, Christine points to his conversation with detransitioner Clementine Breen as particularly powerful. He says hearing her describe the complications she experienced and the abandonment she felt after deciding to detransition brought the consequences at the center of the report into stark focus.
“These stories are heartbreaking,” Christine says during the conversation. “They’re horrific in some ways. They’re certainly shocking.”
Heidi also presses Christine on what the federal government's work means for Colorado families as the state continues its own battle over these issues.
The discussion touches on state insurance mandates, Colorado medical facilities that have reportedly provided gender-related services, parental concerns and the upcoming ballot fight that Heidi says could give Colorado voters a direct opportunity to weigh in.
Christine’s message to parents is straightforward: educate yourself, read the report, watch the accompanying documentary and talk openly with your children.
For him, the fight ultimately comes down to protecting children while restoring evidence, transparency and accountability to medicine.
🎧 Listen to the full episode of Unleashed with Heidi Ganahl on Spotify, YouTube, Rumble and your favorite podcast platform.
