Episode 1699: Meghan Murphy

Introduction

Episode 1699 of the Joe Rogan Experience, featuring Canadian writer and activist Meghan Murphy, aired on August 20, 2021. Murphy is the founder of Feminist Current, a self-described radical feminist website, and host of The Same Drugs podcast. She was permanently banned from Twitter in 2018 for repeatedly misgendering trans women and violating the platform’s hateful conduct policy.

This nearly three-hour episode is problematic on two fronts: it platforms extensive anti-trans rhetoric that dehumanizes transgender people, and it spreads COVID-19 vaccine misinformation during a critical period of the pandemic when public health messaging was essential. Both Rogan and Murphy contribute harmful claims throughout the conversation, with Rogan acting as an enthusiastic amplifier rather than a skeptical interviewer.

The Guest’s Background

Meghan Murphy is a freelance writer and journalist based in Canada. She founded Feminist Current, which has been characterized by LGBTQ advocacy organizations as a gender-critical (anti-trans) platform. Murphy has built a significant portion of her public profile around opposing transgender rights legislation.

Key background:

• 2018: Permanently banned from Twitter for repeatedly misgendering trans women, specifically for referring to trans woman Jessica Yaniv as “him” in violation of Twitter’s hateful conduct policy
• 2019: Her speaking event at the Toronto Public Library drew hundreds of protesters from the LGBTQ community; the library defended hosting her by noting they had previously hosted neo-Nazis
• No credentials in medicine, psychology, or gender studies: Murphy holds no professional qualifications in the fields she most frequently opines on — transgender health, psychology, or endocrinology

Sources: Meghan Murphy - Wikipedia; Vice - Library Hosts Anti-Trans Rights Feminist

Key Problematic Claims

Claim: Trans Women Are “Delusional” and “Predatorial”

During the episode, Murphy characterized trans women as “delusional” and “predatorial,” claiming that trans women “get off on” making other women “feel uncomfortable.” This language dehumanizes an entire group of people and falsely frames transgender identity as predatory behavior.

Fact-Check: The American Psychiatric Association’s DSM-5 explicitly states that “gender non-conformity is not in itself a mental disorder.” Being transgender is not a delusion — it is a recognized aspect of human gender diversity supported by decades of medical research. The claim that trans women are inherently predatory has no basis in evidence. Research consistently shows that transgender people are far more likely to be victims of violence than perpetrators.

Source: American Psychiatric Association - Gender Dysphoria; Media Matters - Spotify’s Joe Rogan and guest Meghan Murphy spread anti-trans vitriol

Claim: Being Trans Is a “Mental Illness”

Murphy claimed that for trans people, their identity is “a mental illness and we’re not allowed to say that.” This framing pathologizes transgender identity in a way that contradicts the consensus of major medical and psychiatric organizations.

Fact-Check: The American Psychiatric Association removed “gender identity disorder” from the DSM in 2013, replacing it with “gender dysphoria” — a diagnosis focused specifically on the distress that may accompany gender incongruence, not on transgender identity itself. The APA explicitly states that “the term ‘transgender’ is not a psychiatric diagnosis.” The World Health Organization similarly declassified transgender identity as a mental disorder in ICD-11, moving it to “conditions related to sexual health.” Not all transgender people experience gender dysphoria, and those who do can be effectively treated through affirming medical care.

Source: APA - Gender Dysphoria Diagnosis; NBC News - Being Transgender No Longer a ‘Mental Disorder’: APA

Claim: Gender Identity Is “Akin to a Religion” and “Faith Based”

Murphy characterized gender identity as “akin to a religion” that is “faith based,” implying it has no scientific or medical foundation.

Fact-Check: Gender identity has a robust scientific basis. Neuroimaging studies, genetic research, and endocrinological studies have documented biological underpinnings of gender identity. Major medical organizations worldwide — including the APA, the Endocrine Society, the American Medical Association, and the World Health Organization — recognize gender identity as a legitimate aspect of human experience with biological, psychological, and social components. Dismissing this body of evidence as “faith based” misrepresents the scientific consensus.

Source: Endocrine Society - Transgender Health

Claim: mRNA Vaccines Are “Really Gene Therapy”

During the episode, Rogan falsely claimed that mRNA COVID-19 vaccines are “not really a vaccine in the traditional sense” but rather “gene therapy.”

Fact-Check: PolitiFact rated this claim False. Gene therapy involves modifying a person’s genes to cure or treat a disease. COVID-19 mRNA vaccines do not alter DNA in any way. The vaccines use messenger RNA to instruct cells to produce a spike protein that trains the immune system to recognize the coronavirus. The mRNA strands never enter the cell nucleus where DNA is housed and are quickly broken down by the body. Dr. Cindy Prins, clinical associate professor of epidemiology at the University of Florida, stated: “It’s absolutely incorrect to say that vaccines are really gene therapy.”

Source: PolitiFact - Joe Rogan falsely says mRNA vaccines are ‘gene therapy’

Claim: Advising Previously Infected People to Get Vaccinated Is “Not Supported by Science”

Rogan asserted that it is “not logical, it’s not rational, and it’s not supported by science” to advise people who had natural immunity from prior COVID-19 infection to get vaccinated, to which Murphy responded, “No, none of it makes sense.”

Fact-Check: At the time of this episode, a CDC study published in August 2021 found that unvaccinated individuals with prior COVID-19 infection were 2.34 times more likely to be reinfected compared to fully vaccinated individuals. The CDC concluded that “COVID-19 vaccines offer better protection than natural immunity alone.” While natural immunity provides some protection, vaccination provided more consistent and predictable immune response. The recommendation for previously infected people to also get vaccinated was based on evidence, not ideology.

Source: CDC - Vaccination Offers Higher Protection than Previous COVID-19 Infection; Washington Post - CDC finds immunity from vaccines is more consistent

Joe Rogan’s Role

Rogan was not merely a passive host in this episode. He actively contributed to the harmful content in several ways:

Amplifying Anti-Trans Rhetoric

Rogan asserted that “men transitioning to women use male tactics and male behavior as they invade feminist spaces,” that they “tend to be more assertive,” and “dominate whenever possible if left unchecked.” This language — characterizing transition as an “invasion” and trans women as aggressive infiltrators — goes beyond platforming a guest’s views. Rogan was an active participant in dehumanizing transgender people.

Originating Vaccine Misinformation

The “gene therapy” claim and the dismissal of vaccination for previously infected individuals came from Rogan himself, not from the guest. Murphy simply agreed with and reinforced these false claims. Rogan used his platform — one of the most listened-to podcasts in the world — to spread medical misinformation during a pandemic that was killing thousands of Americans daily.

Failing to Challenge Any Claims

At no point during the episode did Rogan push back on Murphy’s characterization of trans people as “delusional,” “predatorial,” or mentally ill. He did not cite any medical or scientific authority contradicting these claims. Instead, he enthusiastically agreed with and built upon these characterizations, adding his own unsupported claims about trans women’s behavior.

Real-World Harm

Impact on Transgender People

Anti-trans rhetoric of the kind spread in this episode contributes to a hostile environment for transgender people. According to the 2022 Trevor Project National Survey, 45% of LGBTQ youth seriously considered suicide in the past year, with transgender and nonbinary youth facing disproportionately higher rates. Rhetoric that frames trans people as “delusional,” “predatorial,” or mentally ill contributes to stigma, discrimination, and violence against transgender individuals.

Impact on Public Health

This episode aired during the Delta variant surge in August 2021, when COVID-19 was killing over 1,000 Americans per day. Rogan’s false claims that mRNA vaccines are “gene therapy” and that natural immunity makes vaccination unnecessary directly undermined public health efforts to increase vaccination rates. With an audience of millions, these false claims had outsized potential to discourage vaccination during a critical period.

Source: Media Matters - Joe Rogan Wrapped: A year of COVID-19 misinformation; Rolling Stone - Doctors Demand Spotify Puts an End to Covid Lies on Joe Rogan Experience

Conclusion

Episode 1699 with Meghan Murphy represents a convergence of two of the Joe Rogan Experience’s most persistent problems: anti-trans rhetoric and COVID-19 misinformation. Murphy, who has no medical or psychological credentials, was given nearly three hours to characterize transgender people as delusional predators and dismiss their identities as mental illness — claims that directly contradict the consensus of every major medical and psychiatric organization. Rogan not only failed to challenge any of these claims but actively amplified them with his own dehumanizing characterizations.

The addition of vaccine misinformation — originated by Rogan himself — during a deadly pandemic surge compounds the harm. This episode demonstrates why platforming activists with a history of anti-trans advocacy, without any expert counterpoint or fact-checking, causes real harm to vulnerable communities.