Armstrong & Getty On Demand
Episode: "I Believe That This...is Their King"
Date: April 2, 2026
Hosts: Michael, Joe, Katie
Podcast Network: iHeartPodcasts
Episode Overview
In this episode of the Armstrong & Getty Show, the team dives into a recent story causing outrage and disbelief: a Bay Area trans-identifying individual, Gabriel (aka Gabrielle) Durone, who went to extreme and disturbing lengths to simulate pregnancy and loss for validation and attention within online support groups for grieving mothers. The hosts dissect the psychological, social, and ethical implications of the story, using it as a lens to critique aspects of transgender activism, the moderation of sensitive online spaces, and broader cultural trends regarding gender, empathy, and the erosion of women-only environments.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. The Disturbing Case of Gabriel/Gabrielle Durone
[02:57 – 09:18]
- Background & Actions
- Gabriel, identifying as a transgender woman, faked a nine-month pregnancy, complete with simulated morning sickness and a prosthetic belly.
- He planned and carried out a mock stillbirth, using a muscle contraction machine and inserting a plastic toy baby before "birthing" it.
- The episode highlights the extent of the deception and the use of medical devices for non-medical, psychosexual purposes:
"He also joined a support group for grieving mothers who had lost children, seeking, indeed demanding validation and support for his planned 'stillbirth.'" – Michael [04:04]
- Sympathy-Seeking & Munchausen Allegations
- Katie points out the Munchausen syndrome angle, augmenting the analysis with emotional and psychological context.
- Durone went as far as involving his family, including his 7-year-old child for "maternity photos" and attempting to induce lactation via medication.
"He even roped his seven year old into taking quote unquote maternity pictures." – Michael [08:09] "Mr. Durone also convinced his doctors to provide him with drugs to induce lactation...and attempted to donate the chemical laced, sludgy, pumped out of his moobs to quote other mothers." – Michael [08:14]
- Community Fallout
- Mothers in the group who objected to Durone’s presence were reportedly removed, prioritizing his feelings over women experiencing real loss.
"Women who had actually lost children were kicked out so that this man could feel support in his game of let's pretend...real grief was considered less important than this man's sexual fantasy." – Michael [05:56]
- The hosts express disbelief and anger at moderators for enabling the situation.
- Mothers in the group who objected to Durone’s presence were reportedly removed, prioritizing his feelings over women experiencing real loss.
2. Impact on Children and Family Involvement
[09:18 – 10:39]
- Katie and Joe recount images of Durone’s child, detailing a progression from infancy through presentation as a young girl, raising alarms about parental rights and child welfare.
"Fast forward one more year and that son, still very young...now looks like a little girl in a dress in a picture with dad who now identifies as a female." – Joe [10:13]
- Katie declares this unequivocally as "child abuse."
"That's. The state needs to step in. That is absolute 100 child abuse, without a doubt." – Katie [10:30]
- Katie declares this unequivocally as "child abuse."
3. Social & Cultural Critiques
[10:49 – 12:37]
- Suppression of Debate
- Michael provides local context, highlighting the degree of online censorship, especially before Elon Musk’s takeover of Twitter:
"Anyone who talked about it on Facebook or Twitter or instantly shut down, slash banned. Because when these were posted, this was pre-Elon." – Michael [10:49]
- Michael provides local context, highlighting the degree of online censorship, especially before Elon Musk’s takeover of Twitter:
- Women’s Spaces and Boundaries
- The discussion addresses why many women, even in the face of such scenarios, hesitate to speak up:
"I am still just stunned at the number of American women who will accept rape, whether in prisoner or wherever...all in the name of being a good person because they've been told allowing men with mental problems to trample all over them makes them a good person." – Michael [12:07]
- The discussion addresses why many women, even in the face of such scenarios, hesitate to speak up:
4. Broader Political Implications & Satirical Commentary
[16:12 – 17:33]
- Briefly, the hosts touch on Democratic Party decisions regarding gender activism, referencing Rahm Emanuel and feminist identity politics, illustrating the growing schism within progressive circles.
"Democratic Party's got a big decision to make whether to nominate someone who leans this direction or someone like Rahm Emanuel." – Katie [16:12]
- Michael reads a satirical cartoon summary to encapsulate the confusion and conflict between trans rights activists and older-school feminists (TERFs).
"This is Ann. She is a left wing lesbian who has been involved in left wing politics for her entire adult life. This is Tom, a 50 year old taxi driver who has decided to blow up his marriage and family in order to live his fetish..." – Michael [16:45]
- The group agrees the resulting hostility and death threats to dissenting feminists are real and telling.
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
- On the grotesqueness of the simulation:
- "He bought a toy baby and shoved it up him. Yes. And then, quote, unquote, gave birth to it. Oh, yeah. Afterwards, he took two weeks off from work to, quote, unquote, grieve because the toy baby was, quote, stillborn." – Michael [05:34]
- On the perversion of women’s pain:
- "There's no aspect of women's pain they will not twist into a prop for their sickening deviancy...Even the loss of a child in the womb is fair game to them." – Michael [08:42]
- On women being removed from support group:
- "If I'm in a room with people and one of them is this guy with a plastic belly on who shoved up a doll up his ass to pretend he's pregnant, he's still less crazy than that person over there who kicked out the women who complained." – Katie [06:14]
- Describing bureaucratic cowardice:
- "He should have been thrown out immediately at least. Yeah, yeah." – Michael [12:31]
Timestamps for Key Segments
- [02:50 – 09:18]: Breakdown of the Durone story, fake pregnancy, and fallout in grieving mothers’ group
- [09:18 – 10:39]: Child involvement and family impact
- [10:49 – 12:37]: Local censorship, cultural observations on women's spaces, and social compliance
- [16:12 – 17:33]: Political ramifications and feminist-trans activist schisms
Tone & Style
The hosts maintain a tone that is equal parts incredulity, anger, dark humor, and cultural criticism, using conversational banter to explore difficult ethical and social subjects. Their language is blunt, unsparing, and sometimes graphic, reflecting their opinions on the abuses they perceive.
Summary
This episode showcases Armstrong & Getty’s trademark blend of satire, outrage, and social commentary focused on extreme cases at the intersection of transgender identity and women's rights. The team uses the controversial case of Gabriel/Gabrielle Durone to spark a wider conversation about online censorship, the boundaries of empathy, the erosion of female-only spaces, and the complicity of both institutions and individuals in enabling pathological behavior under the banner of inclusivity.