A Wikipedia entry on autogynephilia included these relevant comments:

"The "BBL Controversy," also known as the "Autogynephilia Controversy," is an ongoing and heated line of discussion in both the transgendered community and academic circles concerned with sexology. The term "BBL" refers to Drs. Ray Blanchard, Michael Bailey, and Anne Lawrence and was coined by the theory's detractors. It is often used in a derogatory sense.

The concept had not received much attention outside of academic circles until sexologist Dr. Anne Lawrence, who self-identifies as an autogynephile, published a series of web articles about the concept in the late 1990s. Computer scientist Lynn Conway and movie producer Andrea James, both transwomen, responded to Lawrence's essay on their own websites with critiques of the theory and its supporters.

The controversy came into public view largely as result of attacks in the media and on the Internet by Conway and James on Dr. J. Michael Bailey, author of the book The Man Who Would be Queen, which was published by the United States National Academy of Sciences. They were joined by other members of the trans community, including some of the women discussed in Bailey's book. Conway started an investigation into the publication of Bailey's book with the explicit goal of discrediting it. Accusations of misconduct on the part of Bailey were leveled by Conway and others, and a number of members of the trans community pushed for a top-level investigation of Bailey's research practices. Some academics and other members of the trans community decried what they saw as a witch hunt aimed at Bailey simply because he had published a book which expounded on a theory which some members of the trans community found objectionable. Northwestern University investigated Bailey, but did not reveal the findings of that investigation and did not comment on whether or not Bailey had been punished."