A Second Woman Files
Research Misconduct Complaints
Against Bailey:
 
July 14, 2003
 
 
On July 14, 2003, a second trans woman filed a complaint of research misconduct against Bailey. Anjelica Kieltyka went along with her when she submitted her complaint to the Vice President for Research at Northwestern University. Her letter was signed "anonymous" to protect her identity - and that open letter is posted openly below. This woman has since contributed her story to the "TS Successes" pages, where she is known by the name "Victoria".
 
Born in 1971, Victoria emigrated to the U.S. from South America in 1990. She underwent gender transition here, under the guidance of Anjelica Kieltyka as her mentor. With Anjelica's help, she successfully accomplished her social transition - transitioning "on-the-job" in the Hotel industry. Anjelica then took Victoria to J. Michael Bailey for interviews to obtain her SRS letter, and during that process she became one of Bailey's research subjects. She also give lectures in what she later realized were Bailey's "sex-freak shows" for his Northwestern University psychology classes. When Bailey realized that Victoria did not fit the Zuckerian profile of a "homosexual transsexual" (she was not a sex worker, not promiscuous, etc.), even though she was very beautiful and was attracted to men, he did not include reports on her case among the research subjects in his book.
 
Following her transition, Victoria went on to build a career in real estate. She is now happily married and is the step-mother of a young son. For more about her wonderful story, see "Victoria's Story".
 
 

 
July 14, 2003
 
C. Bradley Moore, Vice President for Research
Office of the Vice President for Research
Northwestern University
Rebecca Crown Center, Room 2-223
633 Clark Street
Evanston, Illinois 60208-1108
 
Dear Dr. Moore:
 
I wish to file a formal complaint regarding the research misconduct of Professor J. Michael Bailey. It has come to my attention that I have been a participant in a research study conducted by Dr. Bailey without my knowledge and without my approval.

Dr. Bailey's book, The Man Who Would Be Queen - The Science of Gender-bending and Transsexualualism, contains numerous observations and reports of interviews with Hispanic Transexual women. I am one of the Hispanic women that Anjelica Kieltyka, aka. "Cher", brought to meet with Dr. Bailey for my SRS letter. Dr. Bailey writes : "My own recent research has focused on the homosexual type......most of the homosexual transsexuals I have met, I met through Cher", who is the other type of transsexual(p. 177). Dr. Bailey interviewed me in 1998; Ms. Kieltyka was present for most of the interview.
 
At the time I was unaware that I or Anjelica or any of the other Hispanic Transexual women were subjects of a research study, and I did not receive, nor was I asked to sign, an informed consent document. My letter of complaint is in part, support of Ms. Kieltyka's complaint against Dr. Bailey's conduct and misuse of the SRS interviews as research.
 
At no time were any of us aware of our status with Dr. Bailey as research subjects, nor were any of us asked to provide written informed consent. My sole purpose of meeting with Dr. Bailey was to obtain the most important Ph'D level (SRS)letter for my surgery. Anjelica Kieltyka's sole purpose for being there was as my friend, mentor and advocate.

In appreciation for his help in obtaining the SRS approval, I agreed to participate in a lecture program for Dr. Bailey's Human Sexuality class. along with Anjelica. I thought I was representing myself as a healthy, well adjusted and proud Hispanic heterosexual Transexual woman. Not until I read Dr. Bailey's book did I realize that my experience as "guest lecturer" in front of his undergraduate class was nothing but a "Freak show", displaying me as research subject/"exhibit B" - "Homosexual" Transexual, which I am not. Anjelica Kieltyka was misrepresented as research subject/"exhibit A", "A" for "Autogynophilic", which she is not. What she is, what I am, are two proud transexual women, one Lesbian and the other Heterosexual. To have Dr. Bailey display us as examples of his recent research and have his students see us in that context is unconscionable, and for Anjelica and I, more then humiliating. We were unwittingly exploited by participating in Bailey's "Freak Show" as examples "A" and "B" of the science of "Gender-bending". The damage to our lives and the lives of all the other Hispanic Transexual women who were unwitting research subjects and "guest lecturers" is irretrievable. Dr. Bailey misinformed us about the "value" of our participation in educating his students. His personal misconduct in using "friendship" and taking advantage of our indebitness to him for the SRS letters is inexcusable. If I knew then, what I know now about Dr. Bailey's dishonest and deceptive tactics, I would never have done the lecture. The dubious nature of those lectures, as well as the serious consequences of Anjelica and I doing those lectures was revealed to me on p. 206 of his book : "My undergraduate students at Northwestern...are especially hesitant to support surgery...once they learn about autogynephilia" and "The idea of men...having vaginas is incomprehensible to them...When I press them, they say something like the following: 'But they don't have the wrong body. They are mentally ill." Let me assure you Dr. Moore, I am not mentally ill. For Dr. Bailey to allow his students to come to that conclusion; based on his teaching of his research, (using me and Anjelica and the other Hispanic Transexual women inappropriately and without our permission as research subjects )is irresponsible and inexcusable
 
I did not realize until recently that your office has an interest in the protection of human subjects. I was unaware at the time of my protections, and I want the damage to my character and identity repaired. Dr. Bailey's deceit and exploitation of me and the other Transexual women must not go unpunished. His irreverent use and casual disregard for the feelings and concerns of his research subjects is misconduct of the most serious nature. He must be seriously reprimanded.
 
Because of the grave import and consequences his exploitation of my life might have on other transexual women, I ask that there be a formal investigation into Dr. Bailey's conduct in the research reported in his book. If, as I expect, he is found to be in violation of University and federal policies, I expect the University to respond appropriately.
 
Sincerely,
 
Anonymous"
 
 
 
cc. Henry Bienen, President
Lawrence B. Dumas, Provost
_____________________
 

 


 
This page is part of Lynn Conway's
"Investigative report into the publication of
J. Michael Bailey's book on transsexualism
by the National Academies"