Megan B. McCormick, transsexualism, and J. Michael Bailey

I am a prominent critic of psychologist J. Michael Bailey, whose 2003 book, The Man Who Would Be Queen: The Science of Gender-Bending and Transsexualism, led to a formal investigation and an undisclosed response by his employer Northwestern University.

Above: Megan B. McCormick (hotlinked via Flickr)

This is Chicago lawyer Megan Beth McCormick. Like J. Michael Bailey, Ms. McCormick apparently thinks it’s amusing to exploit and betray the goodwill and generosity of others via deception.

Megan McCormick engaged in fraud in hopes of obtaining a signed photo from me, so she could give it to someone I helped bring up on formal charges. Ms. McCormick’s behavior is analogous to requesting a signed photo from a prominent black activist on behalf of a nonexistent black admirer, then giving it to white nationalist David Duke as a gag gift.

That sort of fraud is not exactly the kind of behavior I’d want in my lawyer, so I believe it’s in the public interest to make available the unsolicited materials Megan McCormick sent to me via my website.

Above: Megan B. McCormick (hotlinked via Flickr)

On J. Michael Bailey’s 51st birthday in 2008, Megan McCormick sent me the following letter:

Ms. James,

I have a strange request:  My friend idolizes you.  Although I am not terribly familiar with your work, I know that he has frequently mentioned that your activism helped him while he was transitioning.

I am wondering if you ever distribute autographed photographs to fans.  I know it seems kind of campy, but I think he would be really thrilled by the gesture (I would give it to him as a birthday gift).

Thanks for any response you are able to provide, and thank you for your activism.

Megan McCormick

Up until that point, I had always sent along an autographed headshot or other item to any fan who asked, at no charge. A number of things in the letter made me 99% sure Ms. McCormick was engaging in fraud, but on the 1% chance it was a legitimate request, I waited a few days, then offered to send something that did not have my photo but would still be appreciated by a fan:

Thanks for the sweet note! I don't have any autograph-worthy pictures right now, but if you wish, I could send an autographed DVD of Casting Pearls. Just tell me the name and address to send it to.

Take care,
Andrea

Rather than feeling guilty about her deception and reconsidering, Megan McCormick got back to me within 20 minutes:

Andrea,

Thank you so much for your consideration.  I think he will love this.  If you could please send the DVD to me (as I will be wrapping it as part of his birthday gift):

Megan McCormick
5250 North Sheridan Road
#509
Chicago, IL 60640

I gave her one last chance to reconsider her behavior:

Great! To whom should I autograph it?

But being not too sharp, she pressed forward with her fraudulent request:

He goes by Mike.

At that point, I was almost certain that Megan McCormick was planning to give this to Mike Bailey. I signed it something like “To Mike, best of luck with your transition! Andrea.” In the past, Bailey has threatened to appear in drag in public, but he has yet to make any announcements about his very personal relationship to transgenderism. In fact, he’s announced, “Everything that I’m willing to say about my personal life I’ve already said…”

I sent this note to Megan McCormick:

Mailed today.

Please tell him I am really pleased that my work has been a source of hope and help!

Take care,
Andrea

Ms. McCormick disingenuously replied:

Thank you again--for everything.

I didn’t think much more about it until about a year later, when I was looking through some information I had on the transkids.us hoax, a fraudulent website perpetrated by Bailey’s collaborator Denise Tree (aka Kiira Triea). Megan McCormick’s connection to Bailey and her deceptive behavior then became irrefutable. I’ll have much more about a little clique of Wisconsin/Chicagoland transgenderists at a later date.

Above: Megan B. McCormick (hotlinked via wisbar.org)

According to information Megan McCormick published online, she grew up in Wales, Wisconsin, attended Kettle Moraine High School, then went to University of Wisconsin-Madison before getting a law degree at Chicago-Kent School of Law. She clerked for Waukesha County Chief Judge Kathryn W. Foster and was a law clerk/associate at Michael D. Robbins & Associates before taking an associate position at Schoen, Mangan & Smith.

What kind of person decides on a lark to get involved in a dispute between a controversial academic and the victims of his pseudoscience? What kind of person engages in fraud to obtain a signed gift for J. Michael Bailey from someone who helped file charges against him? Only Megan B. McCormick can explain her troubling behavior, but she’s been too busy trying to erase materials she published on the internet.

In the same way that shame-filled crossdressers purge their clothing collection when caught, Megan McCormick has attempted to purge all online evidence she’s published, but it was too late. The internet never forgets.

If you have any additional information about Megan B. McCormick’s deceptive behavior or the transkids.us hoax, you are welcome to contact me.