media

Harper’s Magazine is an American publication founded in 1850. In the 21st century, amid the disruption of journalism and media, the magazine has had a revolving door of editors, leading to a number of questionable decisions that have affected the publication’s reputation.

No transgender journalist has ever appeared on their masthead since its founding in 1850.

“A Letter on Justice and Open Debate”

In 2020, Thomas Chatterton Williams led the effort to draft a letter decrying “illiberalism” with help from Robert Worth, George Packer, David Greenberg, and Mark Lilla. They then sought signatories without divulging who had signed. Because it “was passed among circles of activists and writers,” it is an excellent example of how anti-trans networks operate.

It’s one of the best recent examples of what Julia Serano calls “the Dregerian narrative” in which some elitists claim they are being persecuted or silenced by the minorities they exploit. The list featured an unusually large proportion of “gender critical” mainstays.

Signatories

Elliot Ackerman, Saladin Ambar, Martin Amis, Anne Applebaum, Marie Arana, Margaret Atwood, John Banville, Mia Bay, Louis Begley, Roger Berkowitz, Paul Berman, Sheri Berman, Reginald Dwayne Betts, Neil Blair, David W. Blight, Jennifer Finney Boylan, David Bromwich, David Brooks, Ian Buruma, Lea Carpenter, Noam Chomsky, Nicholas Christakis, Roger Cohen, Frances D. Cook, Drucilla Cornell, Kamel Daoud, Meghan Daum, Gerald Early, Jeffrey Eugenides, Dexter Filkins, Federico Finchelstein, Caitlin Flanagan, Richard T. Ford, Kmele Foster, David Frum, Francis Fukuyama, Atul Gawande, Todd Gitlin, Kim Ghattas, Malcolm Gladwell, Michelle Goldberg, Rebecca Goldstein, Anthony Grafton, David Greenberg, Linda Greenhouse, Kerri Greenidge, Rinne B. Groff, Sarah Haider, Jonathan Haidt, Roya Hakakian, Shadi Hamid, Jeet Heer, Katie Herzog, Susannah Heschel, Adam Hochschild, Arlie Russell Hochschild, Eva Hoffman, Coleman Hughes, Hussein Ibish, Michael Ignatieff, Zaid Jilani, Bill T. Jones, Wendy Kaminer, Matthew Karp, Garry Kasparov, Daniel Kehlmann, Randall Kennedy, Khaled Khalifa, Parag Khanna, Laura Kipnis, Frances Kissling, Enrique Krauze, Anthony Kronman, Joy Ladin, Nicholas Lemann, Mark Lilla, Susie Linfield, Damon Linker, Dahlia Lithwick, Steven Lukes, John R. MacArthur, Susan Madrak, Phoebe Maltz Bovy, Greil Marcus, Wynton Marsalis, Kati Marton, Debra Mashek, Deirdre McCloskey, John McWhorter, Uday Mehta, Andrew Moravcsik, Yascha Mounk, Samuel Moyn, Meera Nanda, Cary Nelson, Olivia Nuzzi, Mark Oppenheimer, Dael Orlandersmith, George Packer, Nell Irvin Painter, Greg Pardlo, Orlando Patterson, Steven Pinker, Letty Cottin Pogrebin, Katha Pollitt, Claire Bond Potter, Taufiq Rahim, Zia Haider Rahman, Jennifer Ratner-Rosenhagen, Jonathan Rauch, Neil Roberts, Melvin Rogers, Kat Rosenfield, Loretta J. Ross, J. K. Rowling, Salman Rushdie, Karim Sadjadpour, Daryl Michael Scott, Diana Senechal, Jennifer Senior, Judith Shulevitz, Jesse Singal, Anne-Marie Slaughter, Andrew Solomon, Deborah Solomon, Allison Stanger, Paul Starr, Wendell Steavenson, Gloria Steinem, Nadine Strossen, Ronald S. Sullivan Jr., Kian Tajbakhsh, Zephyr Teachout, Cynthia Tucker, Adaner Usmani, Chloé Valdary, Lucía Martínez Valdivia, Helen Vendler, Judy B. Walzer, Michael Walzer, Eric K. Washington, Caroline Weber, Randi Weingarten, Bari Weiss, Sean Wilentz, Garry Wills, Thomas Chatterton Williams, Robert F. Worth, Molly Worthen, Matthew Yglesias, Emily Yoffe, Cathy Young, Fareed Zakaria

A More Specific Letter on Justice and Open Debate

A letter countering it appeared shortly after that discussed the original’s “gender critical” aims:

The letter reads as a caustic reaction to a diversifying industry — one that’s starting to challenge institutional norms that have protected bigotry. The writers of the letter use seductive but nebulous concepts and coded language to obscure the actual meaning behind their words, in what seems like an attempt to control and derail the ongoing debate about who gets to have a platform. 

In fact, a number of the signatories have made a point of punishing people who have spoken out against them, including Bari Weiss (who made a name for herself as a Columbia University undergrad by harassing and infringing upon the speech of professors she considered to be anti-Israel, and later attempted to shame multiple media outlets into firing freelance journalist Erin Biba for her tweets), Katha Pollitt (whose transphobic rhetoric has extended to trying to deny trans journalists access to professional networking tools), Emily Yoffe (who has spoken out against sexual-assault survivors expressing their free speech rights), Anne-Marie Slaughter (who terminated her Google-funded organization’s partnership with a Google critic), and Cary Nelson (whose support of free speech, apparently, does not extend to everyone) — just to name a few. What gives them the right to use their platforms to harass others into silence, especially writers with smaller platforms and less institutional support, while preaching that silencing writers is a problem? 

Rowling, one of the signers, has spouted transphobic and transmisogynist rhetoric, mocking the idea that trans men could exist, and likening transition-related medical care such as hormone replacement therapy to conversion therapy. She directly interacts with fans on Twitter, publishes letters littered with transphobic rhetoric, and gets away with platforming violent anti-trans speakers to her 14 million followers.

Jesse Singal, another signer, is a cis man infamous for advancing his career by writing derogatorily about trans issues. In 2018, Singal had a cover story in The Atlantic expressing skepticism about the benefits of gender-affirming care for trans youth. No trans writer has been afforded the same space. Singal often faces and dismisses criticism from trans people, but he has a much larger platform than any trans journalist. In fact, a 2018 Jezebel report found that Singal was part of a closed Google listserv of more than 400 left-leaning media elites who praised his work, with not a single out trans person in the group. He also has an antagonistic history with trans journalists, academics, and other writers, dedicating many Medium posts to attempting to refute or discredit their claims and reputations.

It’s also clear that the organizers of the letter did not communicate clearly and honestly with all the signatories. One invited professor, who did not sign the Harper’s letter, said that he was asked to sign a letter “arguing for bolder, more meaningful efforts at racial and gender inclusion in journalism, academia, and the arts.” The letter in its final form fails to make this argument at all. Another of the signers, author and professor Jennifer Finney Boylan, who is also a trans woman, said on Twitter that she did not know who else had signed it until it was published. Another signatory, Lucia Martinez Valdivia, said in a Medium post: “When I asked to know who the other signatories were, the names I was shown were those of people of color from all over the political spectrum, and not those of people who have taken gender-critical or trans-exclusionary positions.”

Under the guise of free speech and free exchange of ideas, the letter appears to be asking for unrestricted freedom to espouse their points of view free from consequence or criticism.

Other critics

Jeff Yang criticized the letter:

It’s hard not to see the letter as merely an elegantly written affirmation of elitism and privilege.

Each has also, in the face of resultant backlash, dismissed rebuttals and positioned themselves as beleaguered victims of the current culture, turning their support for open debate and free expression into an example of stark hypocrisy or sly gaslighting.

That’s because even if the letter were warranted — even if it weren’t an off-note, Olympian statement that reads as self-interested and elitist at best — it’s sure to be used by serial bad actors on the list as a shield against legitimate criticism.

References

[Signatories] (July 7, 2020). A Letter on Justice and Open Debate. Harper’s Magazine https://harpers.org/a-letter-on-justice-and-open-debate/

[Signatories] (July 10, 2020), A More Specific Letter on Justice and Open Debate The Objective https://www.objectivejournalism.org/p/a-more-specific-letter-on-justice

Yang, Jeff (July 10, 2020). The problem with ‘the letter.’ CNN https://www.cnn.com/2020/07/10/opinions/the-letter-harpers-cancel-culture-open-debate-yang/index.html

Ellefson, Lindsey (July 9, 2020). Editor Who Led Harper’s Letter Says The Cancel Culture It Warns of Drove Backlash. The Wrap https://www.thewrap.com/harpers-letter-cancel-culture-backlash-thomas-williams/

McNamara, Mary (July 9, 2020). Column: ‘Cancel culture’ is not the problem. The Harper’s letter is. Los Angeles Times https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/story/2020-07-09/cancel-culture-harpers-letter

Giorgis, Hannah (July 13, 2020). A Deeply Provincial View of Free Speech. The Atlantic https://www.theatlantic.com/culture/archive/2020/07/harpers-letter-free-speech/614080/

Bari Weiss is an American opinion writer, author, and key historical figure in promoting and platforming anti-transgender extremism. Weiss is founder of anti-trans group blog The Free Press. In 2025, Weiss sold the blog to Paramount and was named editor-in-chief of CBS News.

While at the New York Times, Weiss popularized the intellectual dark web (IDW), a group of public intellectuals whose reactionary and anti-progressive views are also often anti-trans. The IDW has been described as “a gateway to the far right.”

Weiss has platformed, appeared with, promoted, and logrolled for other anti-transgender extremists and activists, including J.K. Rowling, Alice Dreger, Jesse Singal, Katie Herzog, Abigail Shrier, Sue Evans, Suzy Weiss, Julie Bindel, Hannah Barnes, Carole Hooven, Leighton Woodhouse, Michael Shellenberger, J. Michael Bailey, Aaron Sibarium, Maud Maron, Jamie Reed, Andrew Sullivan, Lisa Selin Davis, and Helen Lewis.

Background

Bari M. Weiss was born March 25, 1984 to Lou and Amy Weiss, owners of Weisslines, a flooring retailer. Weiss has three siblings, including anti-trans activist Suzy Weiss. Weiss grew up in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. After high school, Weiss lived in Israel for about a year through the Nativ College Leadership Program sponsored by United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism.

Weiss earned a bachelor’s degree from Columbia University in 2007.

Weiss is a prominent activist in pro-Zionist causes, a self-described “Zionist fanatic.” An article in Jewish Currents noted that “Weiss has a long history of claiming to support free speech while trying to curtail the speech of Palestinian rights advocates.” While at Columbia in 2004, Weiss helped promote but does not appear in the video Columbia Unbecoming, a collection of testimonies from 14 students who felt they were not able to express pro-Zionist views freely at Columbia University and Barnard College. The film was backed by The David Project, a pro-Israel group based in Boston that became Hillel in 2019. In December 2004 Weiss was involved in creating the organization Columbians for Academic Freedom, which targeted several professors in Columbia’s Middle East and Asian Languages and Cultures (MEALAC) department. Weiss stated that Columbia Unbecoming was edited to include published comments by the targeted professors: “We put the mentions of the publications in the film to expose the racism of these professors.” Three of the targeted professors took leaves of absence following a Columbia investigation that largely cleared them of wrongdoing. In 2006, Weiss was editor of The Columbia Current, a student publication about Jewish affairs.

A 2005 article in the Columbia Blue and White noted:

Her name has become a buzzword in the suspended but probably not defunct MEALAC intimidation scandal. But once more, for the record, it is Bari Weiss, C’07. It began with a skimpy documentary from Boston-based Zionist group The David Project, which featured several Columbia students accusing Middle East Studies professors of intimidation. But the debate has since sprawled to include defenders of Israel and Palestine, students’ rights and professors’ rights, what constitutes academic freedom, and has pitched one small chunk of passionate students against another. As one of four founders of the controversial students’ rights group Columbians for Academic Freedom (CAF), and the only one yet to graduate, Bari seems next in line to succeed her new boyfriend and former General Studies Student Body President Ariel Beery, G’05, as the voice of slighted students everywhere.

Even though Bari has been to Israel about a dozen times, and deferred coming to Columbia for a year to work on a kibbutz, she doesn’t fit perfectly into what some conservative and Zionist activists seek in a talking head. For one thing, Bari wants to see a Palestinian state. Moreover, her activist work as the founder of the Columbia Coalition for Sudan may prevent her from becoming the new face of the Ziorganizers.

In 2007, while living in Israel on a Dorot Fellowship, Weiss wrote for Haaretz and The Forward. From 2011 to 2013, Weiss served as a senior editor at Tablet, then worked at the Wall Street Journal from 2013 to 2017. From 2017 until resigning in 2020, Weiss was a staff writer and editor for the opinion section of the New York Times.

While at the New York Times, Weiss published a 2018 puff piece promoting the “renegades” and “heretics” of the intellectual dark web. Anti-trans historian Alice Dreger backed out just prior to publication. People Weiss mentions in the piece include Sam Harris, Eric Weinstein, Bret Weinstein, Dave Rubin, Heather Heying, Jordan Peterson, Ben Shapiro, Douglas Murray, Maajid Nawaz, Ayaan Hirsi Ali, Christina Hoff Sommers, Joe Rogan, Candace Owens, Milo Yiannopoulos, Charlie Kirk, Richard Dawkins, Claire Lehmann, Debra Soh, Michael Shermer, Steven Pinker, Stefan Molyneux, Mike Cernovich, Alex Jones, Charles Murray, and Kanye West.

Am I a member of this movement? A few months ago, someone suggested on Twitter that I should join this club I’d never heard of. I looked into it. Like many in this group, I am a classical liberal who has run afoul of the left, often for voicing my convictions and sometimes simply by accident. This has won me praise from libertarians and conservatives. And having been attacked by the left, I know I run the risk of focusing inordinately on its excesses — and providing succor to some people whom I deeply oppose.

Weiss authored the 2019 book How to Fight Anti-Semitism. The tactics Weiss learned though pro-Zionism reflect the similar tactics Weiss has used to attack trans rights, framing it as a “free speech” debate where anti-trans activists are fearless truth-tellers being oppressed and “cancelled” by “illiberal” opponents.

After anti-trans extremist Elon Musk bought Twitter in October 2022. Musk soon gave several writers access to internal Twitter documents. Dubbed the “Twitter Files,” the findings were released over the next several months. Authors were Bari Weiss as well as Matt Taibbi, Michael Shellenberger, Lee Fang, David Zweig, Alex Berenson, and Paul D. Thacker. Weiss published the second installment, on Twitter’s “visibility filtering” practices, on December 8, 2022. Then on December 12, 2022, Weiss published the fifth installment, regarding suspension of President Donald Trump’s Twitter account around the time of the January 6, 2021 United States Capitol attack.

Weiss was married to Jason Kass from 2013 to 2016 and married Nellie Bowles in 2021. They have two children.

Anti-transgender efforts

Weiss was a key figure in securing funding for anti-trans group Foundation Against Intolerance and Racism.

Weiss is also a founder of the University of Austin, a college conceived in 2021 by Joe Lonsdale, Pano Kanelos, Niall Ferguson, and Weiss. Anti-trans activists who have been listed as associated with the school include Coleman Hughes, Michael Shellenberger, Peter Boghossian, Richard Dawkins, Rob Henderson, Sohrab Ahmari, Jonathan Haidt, Ayaan Hirsi Ali, Glenn Loury, Kathleen Stock, Andrew Sullivan, Steven Pinker, Caitlin Flanagan, Nadine Strossen, Tyler Cowen, and Larry Summers. One event sponsored by the school was a “debate” between Deirdre McCloskey and Kathleen Stock in which they largely agreed.

Weiss is the founder and editor of The Free Press (formerly Common Sense) and the host of the podcast Honestly. The Free Press has been described as “best known for anti-trans fearmongering.” In a 2024 New York Times profile, Matt Flegenheimer wrote:

Ms. Weiss and Ms. Bowles resettled in Los Angeles, telling associates it was a respite from the pitilessness of New York.

She assembled a small staff and promised to cover stories that others ignored while affording grace to those with whom she clashed.

At an early team retreat, where Ms. Weiss asked the group to share something that informed their values, she chose a clip from “Transparent,” the 2010s television series with a trans protagonist, which she said she found moving despite what she assumed were political differences with the show’s creator.

“Bari said that she’d chosen it because she never wanted to forget the humanity of those with whom she vehemently disagrees,” said an attendee, Megan Phelps-Roper, a former member of the Westboro Baptist Church (and now fierce opponent of its bigoted teachings) who worked with Ms. Weiss.

Podcast

Weiss began a podcast in 2021 titled Honestly with Bari Weiss and frequently has guests on to discuss their gender critical views, including:

• Julie Bindel
• Nellie Bowles
• Katie Herzog
• Carole Hooven
• Helen Lewis
• Maud Maron
• Abigail Shrier
• Andrew Sullivan
• Suzy Weiss
• Brianna Wu
• FIRE

See also on this site

• The Free Press
• The New York Times
• Substack
• Nellie Bowles
• Suzy Weiss
• Intellectual dark web

References

Molloy, Parker (October 9, 2025). CBS News just made a terrible mistake. DAME https://www.damemagazine.com/2025/10/09/cbs-news-just-made-a-terrible-mistake/

Perry, Sophie (October 7, 2025). ‘Gender-critical’ queer journalist Bari Weiss appointed editor-in-chief of CBS News. PinkNews https://www.thepinknews.com/2025/10/07/bari-weiss-gender-critical-trans-cbs/

Redford, Patrick (October 6, 2025). Bari Weiss Signs Huge Deal To Usher CBS News Into Its Vichy Era. Defector https://defector.com/bari-weiss-signs-huge-deal-to-usher-cbs-news-into-its-vichy-era

Villareal, Daniel (October 6, 2025). Queer “anti-woke” journalist Bari Weiss is now CBS News’ editor-in-chief. That’s troubling. LGBTQ Nation https://www.lgbtqnation.com/2025/10/queer-anti-woke-journalist-bari-weiss-is-now-cbs-news-editor-in-chief-thats-troubling/

Wiggins, Christopher (October 6, 2025). Anti-trans queer journalist Bari Weiss named editor in chief of CBS News. The Advocate https://www.advocate.com/news/bari-weiss-cbs-news-chief

Wiggins, Christopher (October 6, 2025). Who is Bari Weiss, the right-wing anti-trans queer woman being given the keys to CBS News? The Advocate https://www.advocate.com/news/who-is-cbs-bari-weiss

López, Quispe (October 6, 2025). Who Is Bari Weiss? What to Know About the New CBS News Leader and Her Anti-Trans Past. them https://www.them.us/story/bari-weiss-cbs-news-free-press-anti-trans

Ferguson, Malcolm (October 2, 2025). Bari Weiss, Who Thinks Everything Is Woke, Will Be CBS Editor in Chief. Anti-woke, anti-trans, pro-Israel Bari Weiss will soon lead one of the biggest media companies in the U.S. The New Republic https://newrepublic.com/post/201302/bari-weiss-cbs-editor-in-chief

Mirkinson, Jack (September 4, 2025). Vile Grifters Are Taking Over Establishment Media. The Nation https://www.thenation.com/article/society/bari-weiss-free-press-cbs-news-paramount/

Hurwitz, Sophie (August 19, 2025). I Went to the Free Press Party for Under-30s. All I Got Was Ennui. The Nation https://www.thenation.com/article/society/i-went-to-the-free-press-party-for-under-30s-all-i-got-was-ennui/

Sweeney, Billie Jean (July 24, 2025). “A Shameful Chapter”: How Anti-Trans Disinformation Drowned Out Science and Gripped the Mainstream. Assigned Media https://www.assignedmedia.org/breaking-news/anti-trans-disinformation-drowned-out-science-mainstream

Staff report (November 15, 2024). “Scapegoating trans people isn’t it.” Jane Coaston’s Blistering Critique of Bogus Election Year Blame Game. GLAAD https://glaad.org/scapegoating-trans-people-isnt-it-jane-coastons-blistering-critique-of-bogus-election-year-blame-game/

Villareal, Daniel (November 8, 2024). Lesbian Fox News guest blames “gender fluidity” for Democrats’ Election Day losses. LGBTQ Nation https://www.lgbtqnation.com/2024/11/lesbian-fox-news-guest-blames-gender-fluidity-for-democrats-election-day-losses/

Green, Emma (June 5, 2023). Is It Possible to Be Both Moderate and Anti-Woke? A small nonprofit launched by the journalist Bari Weiss devolves into tribalism. The New Yorker https://www.newyorker.com/news/annals-of-activism/is-it-possible-to-be-both-moderate-and-anti-woke

Ennis, Dawn (May 14, 2023). AAPA conference cancels anti-trans Bari Weiss after complaints. Los Angeles Blade https://www.losangelesblade.com/2023/05/14/aapa-conference-cancels-anti-trans-bari-weiss-after-complaints/

Carman, Ashley (April 21, 2023). A Podcast About J.K. Rowling’s ‘Cancellation’ Has Reached Over 5 Million Listeners. Bloomberg https://www.bloomberg.com/news/newsletters/2023-04-21/bari-weiss-s-hit-podcast-about-j-k-rowling-s-beliefs-on-trans-people

Henry, Vesper; Tirell, Alyssa (April 13, 2023). Timeline: The unfolding saga between The Free Press and a Missouri gender clinic. Media Matters https://www.mediamatters.org/bari-weiss/timeline-unfolding-saga-between-free-press-and-missouri-gender-clinic

Zimmerman, E. Alexander (April 9, 2023). Opinion: Legacy media’s coverage of transgender people is disingenuous and irresponsible. Niner Times https://www.ninertimes.com/opinion/opinion-legacy-media-s-coverage-of-transgender-people-is-disingenuous-and-irresponsible/article_ef033df8-d684-11ed-90f7-03ed83da7462.html

Wiggins, Christopher (April 5, 2023). Mom’s Interview With Anti-Trans Media Draws Criticism After Teen Responds. The Advocate https://www.advocate.com/media/transgender-teen-mother-interview

Riedel, Samantha (April 6, 2023). A Trans Teen Is Debunking an Article That Attacked Their Gender Clinic. them https://www.them.us/story/trans-teen-debunking-gender-clinic-article

Urquhart, Evan (April 6, 2023). Emily Yoffe Takes Sides Against a Vulnerable Youth. Assigned Media https://www.assignedmedia.org/breaking-news/emily-yoffe-takes-sides

Cooper, Ryan (March 2, 2023). The Useful Idiots Fueling the Right-Wing Transphobia Panic. The American Prospect https://prospect.org/blogs-and-newsletters/tap/2023-03-02-right-wing-transphobia-panic/

Krueger, Katherine (March 2, 2023). Bari Weiss Is Full of Shit: Her big trans panic story turned out to be nonsense, just like everything else she does. Discourse Blog https://www.discourseblog.com/p/bari-weiss-is-full-of-shit

Urquhart, Evan (March 2, 2023). What is Bari Weiss’ “Free Press”? Assigned Media https://www.assignedmedia.org/breaking-news/what-is-the-free-press

Urquhart, Evan (February 10, 2023). Missouri Woman Claims Gender Clinic Pushes Transition on Youth. Assigned Media https://www.assignedmedia.org/breaking-news/reed-allegations-distorted-vague

Urquhart, Evan (December 9, 2022). The Anti-Trans Hate Account That Bari Weiss Says Is Yet Another Right-Wing Voice Censored by Twitter. Slate https://slate.com/technology/2022/12/twitter-files-bari-weiss-libsoftik-elon-musk.html

Weiss cites the platform’s treatment of Libs of TikTok, a Twitter account that remains active despite its connection to multiple acts of terror and intimidation from far-right extremists, including multiple bomb threats against a children’s hospital. This portrayal of Libs of TikTok as representative of accounts posting conservative views is alarming. […]

Weiss may be best known for a column introducing “the intellectual dark web,” a group of anti-progressive types fixated on the concept of cancel culture and the idea that liberals routinely censor conservative ideas. With the Twitter Files, she describes herself leading a team that has been given “broad and expanding access” to Twitter’s internal documents and communications. This group includes opinion writer Abigail Shrier, who is best known for writing Irreversible Damage, a book opposing transition for female-assigned people on the grounds that an unproven social contagion is the root cause of transmasculine identities.

It is unsurprising that this team highlighted the treatment of an account notorious for its anti-trans activity. But Libs of TikTok goes far beyond expressing political opinions about transgender issues. That would certainly be allowed under Twitter’s policies, which exist to curb harassment, violence, and hate speech, not opinions. In fact, Libs of TikTok has repeatedly highlighted specific individuals, events, and institutions with inflammatory language, often falsely suggesting they are guilty of heinous acts against young children. The account’s spotlight has repeatedly resulted in harassment and violent threats toward the individuals involved, in a process typically referred to as stochastic terrorism. Those targeted include doctors and hospitals that provide gender-affirming care for youth, teachers and schools with inclusive policies, and all-ages or youth-focused drag events.

Contrary to the extremist rhetoric, gender-affirming care is supported by all mainstream medical organizations as potentially lifesaving for young people with gender dysphoria. It is also perfectly possible to speak with children about the existence of transgender people and about families headed by same-sex parents in an age-appropriate, nonsexual way.

Winters, Kelley (October 9, 2021). Transgender Affirmation in Retrograde. Trans Policy Reform Blog https://transpolicyreform.wordpress.com/2021/10/09/transgender-affirmation-in-retrograde/

Gill-Peterson, Jules (September 13, 2021). From Gender Critical to QAnon: Anti-Trans Politics and the Laundering of Conspiracy. Stated disavowal of their own bias doesn’t account for how liberals rhetorically shelter political violence. New Inquiry https://thenewinquiry.com/from-gender-critical-to-qanon-anti-trans-politics-and-the-laundering-of-conspiracy/

Greenwald, Glenn (March 8, 2018). NYT’s Bari Weiss Falsely Denies Her Years of Attacks on the Academic Freedom of Arab Scholars Who Criticize Israel. The Intercept_ https://theintercept.com/2018/03/08/the-nyts-bari-weiss-falsely-denies-her-years-of-attacks-on-the-academic-freedom-of-arab-scholars-who-criticize-israel/

Roth, Jordan (May 26, 2005). An academic freedom fighter. Jerusalem Post https://www.proquest.com/docview/319478492?sourcetype=Newspapers alt url [full text] https://www.meforum.org/campus-watch/an-academic-freedom-fighter

Swindler, Josie (September 2005). Campus Characters. [p. 5-6] The Blue and White https://s3.amazonaws.com/BWARCHIVE/2005/sep05.pdf

Coverage in anti-trans press

Stiles, Andrew (October 7, 2025). Liberal Media, Activists Silent as Bari Weiss Makes LGBT History at CBS News. Washington Free Beacon https://freebeacon.com/media/liberal-media-activists-silent-as-bari-weiss-makes-lgbtq-history-at-cbs-news/

Testa, Jessica (October 6, 2025). How Bari Weiss Won: At The Free Press, she battled “wokeness” and buddied up with billionaires. Now she’s the editor in chief of CBS News. New York Times https://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/06/business/media/bari-weiss-free-press-cbs-news.html

Flegenheimer, Matt (August 11, 2024). Bari Weiss Knows Exactly What She’s Doing. New York Times https://www.nytimes.com/2024/08/11/business/media/bari-weiss-free-press.html

Selected writing by Weiss

Weiss, Bari (July 15, 2023). When Ideology Corrupts Medicine—and How One Reporter Exposed it. A conversation with Hannah Barnes about the medical scandal at Tavistock, the UK’s flagship youth gender clinic. The Free Press https://www.thefp.com/p/when-gender-ideology-corrupts-medicine-tavistock

Weiss, Bari (July 14, 2020). Resignation letter. https://www.bariweiss.com/resignation-letter [archive]

Stephens, Bret; Weiss Bari (October 10, 2018). Why Is Israel Scared of This Young American? New York Times https://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/10/opinion/israel-lara-alqasem-bds.html

In March, the writer Andrew Sullivan described each of us as a “Zionist fanatic of near-unhinged proportions.” It was a cheap shot. The word “near” should not have been a part of the sentence.

Otherwise, we happily plead guilty as charged.

Weiss, Bari (May 8, 2018). Meet the Renegades of the Intellectual Dark Web. New York Times https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/08/opinion/intellectual-dark-web.html

Weiss, Bari (September 12, 2017). Opinion: A Political Conservative Goes to Berkeley. New York Times https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/12/opinion/conservative-berkeley-ben-shapiro.html

There’s no question that Ben Shapiro loves to provoke college students. He once brought a diaper to a campus speech to offer to “self-indulgent pathetic children who can’t handle anyone with an opposing point of view.” In another, while entertaining a question from a young woman who called for greater sensitivity toward transgender people, he shot back: “If I call you a moose are you suddenly a moose?”

Yet this sharp-tongued Never Trumper was also, according to the Anti-Defamation League, by far the most bullied Jewish journalist of 2016

Weiss, Bari (August 1, 2017). When Progressives Embrace Hate. New York Times https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/01/opinion/womens-march-progressives-hate.html

We just saw what happens to legitimate political parties when they fall prey to movements that are, at base, anti-American. That is true of the populist, racist alt-right that helped deliver Mr. Trump the White House and are now hollowing out the Republican Party. And it can be true of the progressive “resistance” — regardless of how chic, Instagrammable and celebrity-laden the movement may seem. 

Weiss, Bari (November 16, 2004). In the Name of Academic Freedom. Columbia Spectator https://www.columbiaspectator.com/2004/11/16/name-academic-freedom/

Book

Weiss, Bari (2019). How to Fight Anti-Semitism. Crown, ISBN 978-0593136058

Media

Inaya Folarin Iman with Bari Weiss, Helen Lewis, Katie Herzog, and Mick Hume (May 22, 2021). Can truth survive the new journalism? Feat. Bari Weiss, Helen Lewis, Katie Herzog & Mick Hume Free Speech Champions https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a2wz6SuQSuY

Resources

Bari Weiss (bariweiss.com) [archive]

The David Project (davidproject.org) [archive]

• now hillel.org

The Current (columbia.edu/cu/current)

• Ediotrial Staff (2006) [archive]
• columbia.edu/cu/current/editors.html
• columbiacurrent.org [archive]

Wikipedia (en.wikipedia.org)

• Bari Weiss
• The Free Press (Bari Weiss media)
• Columbia Unbecoming controversy
• The David Project
• Intellectual dark web
• Foundation Against Intolerance and Racism
• Twitter Files
• University of Austin

Substack (substack.com)

• bariweiss
• earlier url: thefp.com/people/2067309-bari-weiss
• original url: bariweiss.substack.com/people/2067309-bari-weiss
• The Free Press
• thefp.com
• Common Sense with Bari Weiss
• bariweiss.substack.com [archive]
• commonsense.substack.com [archive]
• commonsense.news [archive]

Honestly (honestlypod.com)

Tablet (tabletmag.com)

• Bari Weiss
• tabletmag.com/contributors/bari-weiss

LinkedIn (linkedin.com)

• bari-weiss-3b4947259

Forward (forward.com)

• Bari Weiss
• forward.com/authors/bari-weiss

Note: In 2025, this site phased out AI illustrations after artist feedback. The previous illustration is here.

Andrew Doyle is a writer and anti-transgender activist who created the Titania McGrath character, a satire of social justice warriors.

Background

Doyle was born in Derry, Northern Ireland and grew up Catholic. Doyle cearned a bachelor’s degree at Aberystwyth University, a master’s degree at University of York, and a doctorate from University of Oxford.

Doyle co-wrote satiric news reporter Jonathan Pie and has published two books as Titania McGrath: Woke: A Guide to Social Justice (2019) and My First Little Book of Intersectional Activism (2020).  

Doyle joined GB News in 2021 as host of Free Speech Nation.

Anti-trans activism

UnHerd published an overview of Doyle’s anti-transgender views, which center on the “gay erasure” conspiracy theory that claims trans people are a plot to eliminate gay people like Doyle:

certain Left-leaning activists are doing their utmost to advance a social constructionist view of both sex and gender. The result has been a curious theoretical alliance between gender ideologues — for whom outmoded stereotypes are taken to signify an authentic self — and traditionalists who similarly feel that male and female behaviour ought to be strictly defined.

[…]

In her new book Time to Think, Hannah Barnes has revealed that between 80-90% of adolescents who were referred to the Tavistock paediatric gender clinic were same-sex attracted. Other writers, such as Helen Joyce, have already drawn on studies that confirm a strong correlation between gender non-conformity in youth and homosexuality in adult life. Members of the staff at the Tavistock itself joked that soon “there would be no gay people left” and whistle-blowers revealed that homophobia was endemic.

[…]

It is significant that activists who insist that stereotypes of male and female behaviour are suggestive of an innate “gender identity” should also seek to deny the reality of sexual dimorphism. The view that sex is a “spectrum” has even infiltrated major academic literature, including the prestigious New England Journal of Medicine. 

The End of Woke

In 2025, Doyle published The End of Woke: How the Culture War Went Too Far and What to Expect from the Counter-Revolution. Doyle discusses the anti-trans movement and takes issue with accusations of misogyny:

The accusations of misogyny were particularly bizarre given that over the past few years I have covered the rising threats to women’s rights on my show with a tenacity that has been notably absent in other media outlets. Every week on my show I have invited women to appear, including Helen Joyce, Maya Forstater, Jo Phoenix, Julie Bindel, Alka Sehgal Cuthbert, Milli Hill, Kellie-Jay Keen, Dr Jane Clare Jones, Jo Bartosch, Mara Yamauchi, Lisa Keogh, Holly Lawford-Smith, Sarah Phillimore, Nadine Strossen, Carol Decker, Kate Coleman, Joan Smith, Baroness Claire Fox, Rosie Kay, Marion Calder, Emma Hilton, Stella O’Malley, Judy Glenney, Moira Deeming, Yasmine Mohammed, Kara Danksy [sic], Sall Grover, Denise Fahmy, Ayaan Hirsi Ali and Sharron Davies.

Doyle also discusses the rift in “gender critical” activism:

The writer and psychotherapist Stella O’Malley has also been on the receiving end of intense vitriol from this small unrepresentative faction. She has recently decried the ‘lunatic fringe of the GC movement’ who ‘have become what they first sought to fight against’. As she writes: ‘There have been way too many people who had important perspectives to offer and who were mercilessly bullied – and sometimes shamed into silence. I think of Jane Clare Jones, Jenny Watson, Laura Becker, Shannon Thrace, Ali Ceesay, Janice Turner, Sarah Phillimore, Exulansic, Helen Pluckrose, Christina Buttons, Colin Wright, Andrew Gold, Fionne Orlander, Debbie Hayton, Miranda Yardley, Kristina Harrison, Buck Angel, Claire Graham, Graham Linehan, James Esses, Benjamin Boyce, Clive Simpson, Mike Bailey, Phil Illy, James Cantor, Ken Zucker, Ray Blanchard, Billboard Chris, Genspect, LGB Alliance, Kathleen Stock, Julie Bindel, Women’s Place UK, Judith Green, Labour Women’s Declaration, Fair Play for Women, Aaron Tyrrell [sic], Aaron Kimberly, GD Alliance, Corinna Cohn, and, of course, myself and hundreds more that I’ve missed or forgotten about.’

References

Doyle, Andrew (March 24, 2022). Have we reached peak trans? UnHerd https://unherd.com/2022/03/have-we-reached-peak-trans/

Doyle, Andrew (February 19, 2023). JK Rowling is NOT a transphobe, says Andrew Doyle. GBNews https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3sPytU-qgq8

Doyle, Andrew (January 29, 2023). Nicola Sturgeon ‘not being honest’ over transgender bill, Andrew Doyle says. GBNews https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GxTy5ZXMN1U

Doyle, Andrew (March 20, 2022). Andrew Doyle on trans debate: If murderers get upset about being misgendered my sympathy is limited. GBNews https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EW5TuawAjig

Doyle, Andrew (March 1, 2023). The gender wars started in 1531. UnHerd https://unherd.com/2023/03/the-gender-wars-started-in-1531/

Books

Doyle, Andrew (2026). The End of Woke: How the Culture War Went Too Far and What to Expect from the Counter-Revolution. Constable, ISBN 978-1408723968

Doyle, Andrew (2022) The New Puritans: How the Religion of Social Justice Captured the Western World 

Doyle, Andrew (2021) Free Speech and Why It Matters 

Doyle, Andrew (2020) Titania McGrath’s: My First Little Book of Intersectional Activism 

Doyle, Andrew (2019) Titania McGrath’s Woke: A Guide to Social Justice 

(Doyle, Andrew 2017) Jonathan Pie: Off the Record 

Resources

Andrew Doyle (andrewdoyle.co.uk)

Wikipedia (en.wikipedia.org)

• Andrew Doyle (comedian)

X/Twitter (x.com)

• andrewdoyle_com

The Westminster Declaration is a 2023 open letter signed by many key anti-transgender extremists.

They claim to be a group of “free speech champions” who oppose the “censorship industrial complex.”

Signatories

Alphabetically by surname:

• Ayaan Hirsi Ali, Human Rights Activist, Author, Netherlands
• James Allan, Professor of Law, University of Queensland, UK
• Mia Ashton [Mia Hughes], Journalist, Canada
• Julian Assange, Editor, Founder of Wikileaks, Australia
• Stella Assange, Campaigner, UK
• Diane Atkinson, Historian, Biographer, UK
• Jonathan Ayling, Chief Executive, Free Speech Union, New Zealand
• Xavier Azalbert, Investigative Scientific Journalist, France

• Marco Bassani, Political Theorist, Historian, Milan University, Italy
• Steven Berkoff, Actor, Playright, UK
• Jay Bhattacharya, Professor, Stanford, US
• Giorgio Bianchi, Independent Journalist, Italy
• Nigel Biggar, Chairman, Free Speech Union, UK
• Peter Boghossian, Philosopher, Founding Faculty Fellow, University of Austin, US
• Nellie Bowles, Journalist, USA
• Mathias Bröckers, Author, Journalist, Germany
• Dietrich Brüggemann, Filmmaker, Germany

• Paolo Cesaretti, Professor of Byzantine Civilization, University of Bergamo, Italy
• Melissa Chen, Journalist, Spectator, Singapore/US
• Robert Cibis, Filmmaker, Germany
• John Cleese, Comedian, Acrobat, UK
• Adam B. Coleman, Founder of Wrong Speak Publishing, US
• Alberto Contri, Mass Media Expert, Italy
• Adam Creighton, Journalist, Australia

• Richard Dawkins, Biologist, UK
• Alessandro Di Battista, Political Activist, Writer, Italy
• Nick Dixon, Comedian, UK
• Laura Dodsworth, Journalist and Author, UK

• Lee Fang, Independent Journalist, US
• Thomas Fazi, Independent Journalist, Italy
• Efrat Fenigson, Journalist, Podcaster, Israel
• Niall Ferguson, Historian, Stanford, UK
• Catherine Austin Fitts, The Solari Report, Netherlands
• Marcello Foa, Journalist, Former President of Rai, Italy
• Francis Foster, Comedian, UK
• Kmele Foster, Journalist, Media Entrepreneur, USA
• Claire Fox, Founder of the Academy of Ideas, UK
• Carlo Freccero, Television Author, Media Expert, Italy
• Dominic Frisby, Comedian, UK

• Juan Carlos Girauta, Politician, Spain
• Jill Glasspool-Malone, PhD., USA
• Sarah Gon, Director, Free Speech Union, South Africa
• David Goodhart, Journalist, Author, UK
• Matt Goodwin, Politics Professor, University of Kent, UK
• Glenn Greenwald, Journalist, US
• Julius Grower, Fellow, St. Hugh’s College, UK
• Ulrike Guerot, Founder of European Democracy Lab, Germany
• Sunetra Gupta, Professor of Theoretical Epidemiology, Oxford, UK
• Alex Gutentag, Journalist, US

• Jonathan Haidt, Social Psychologist, NYU, US
• Philip Hamburger, Professor of Law, Columbia, USA
• Julia Hartley-Brewer, Journalist, UK
• Chris Hedges, Journalist, Author, USA
• Ana Henkel, Independent Journalist, Brazil
• Heather E. Heying, Evolutionary Biologist, USA
• Jeremy Hildreth, Independent, UK
• Peter Hitchens, Author, Journalist, UK
• Coleman Hughes, Writer, Podcaster, USA
• Patrick Hughes, Artist, UK

• Jan Jekielek, Journalist, Canada
• Helen Joyce, Journalist, UK

• Izabella Kaminska, Journalist, The Blind Spot, UK
• Eric Kaufmann, Professor of Politics, Birkbeck, University of Buckingham, Canada
• Eve Kay, TV Producer, UK
• Aaron Kheiriaty, Psychiatrist, Author, USA
• Rueben Kirkham, Co-Director, Free Speech Union of Australia, Australia
• Konstantin Kisin, Author, UK
• Martin Kulldorf, Professor of Medicine (on leave), Harvard, US

• Holly Lawford-Smith, Associate Professor in Political Philosophy, University of Melbourne, Australia
• Catherine Liu, Cultural Theorist, Author, USA
• Isabella Loiodice, Professor of Comparative Public Law, University of Bari, Italy
• Carlo Lottieri, Philosopher, University of Verona, Italy
• Glenn Loury, Economist, USA
• Andrew Lowenthal, liber-net, Australia
• Greg Lukianoff, President and CEO Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, USA

• Dara Macdonald, Co-Director, Free Speech Union, Australia
• Robert W. Malone, MD, MS, USA
• Winston Marshall, Journalist, The Spectator, UK
• Paola Mastrocola, Writer, Italy
• Aaron Mate, Journalist, USA
• Iain McGilchrist, Psychiatrist, Philosopher, UK
• David McGrogan, Professor of Law, Northumbria University, UK
• Jacob Mchangama, Author, Denmark
• John McWhorter, Linguist, Columbia, Author, US
• Alan Miller, Together Association, UK
• Stefan Millius, Journalist, Switzerland
• Stephen Moore, Author and Analyst, Canada

• Michael Nayna, Filmmaker, Australia
• Micha Narberhaus, The Protopia Lab, Spain/Germany
• Leandro Narloch, Independent Journalist, Brazil
• Andrew Neish, KC, UK

• Brendan O’Neill, Journalist, UK
• James Orr, Associate Professor, University of Cambridge, UK

• Martina Pastorelli, Independent Journalist, Italy
• Dr. Jordan B. Peterson, Psychologist, Author, Canada
• Kira Phillips, Documentary Filmmaker, UK
• Jordi Pigem, Philosopher, Author, Spain
• Steven Pinker, Psychologist, Harvard, US
• Helen Pluckrose, Author, US
• Dirk Pohlmann, Journalist, Germany
• Nina Power, Writer, UK
• Nello Preterossi, Professor, University of Salerno, Scientific Director of the Italian Institute for Philosophical Studies, Italy

• Jean F. Queralt, Technologist, Founder @ The IO Foundation, Malaysia/Spain

• Luca Ricolfi, Professor, Sociologist, Turin University, Italy
• Matt Ridley, Journalist, Author, UK
• Tim Robbins, Actor, Filmmaker, US
• Andrew Roberts, Historian, UK
• Piers Robinson, Organization for Propaganda Studies, UK
• Paul Rossi, Educator, Vertex Partnership Academics, US

• Gad Saad, Professor, Evolutionary Behavioral Scientist, Author, Canada
• Jeffrey D. Sachs, Columbia University, US
• Michele Santoro, Journalist, TV Host, Presenter, Italy
• Ben Scallan, Gript Media, Ireland
• Ben Schwarz, Journalist, USA
• Phil Shaw, Campaigner, Operation People, New Zealand
• Michael Shellenberger, Public, US
• Alex Sheridan, Free Speech Ireland
• Michael Shermer, Science Writer, US
• Jacob Siegel, Tablet, US/Israel
• Dr. James Smith, Podcaster, Literature Scholar, RHUL, UK
• Craig Snider, Independent, US
• Edward Snowden, Whistleblower, US
• Alan Sokal, Professor of Mathematics, UCL, UK
• Juan Soto Ivars, Author, Spain
• Doug Stokes, International Relations Professor, University of Exeter, UK
• Oliver Stone, Filmmaker, US
• Nadine Strossen, Professor of Law, NYLS, US

• Matt Taibbi, Journalist, US
• Andrew Tettenborn, Professor of Law, Swansea University,  UK
• Robert Tombs, Historian, UK
• Jeffrey Tucker, Author, USA

• Yanis Varoufakis, Economist, Greece
• Eli Vieira, Journalist, Genetic Biologist, Brazil

• Bret Weinstein, Evolutionary Biologist, USA
• Bari Weiss, Journalist, USA
• Leighton Woodhouse, Public, US
• Colin Wright, Evolutionary Biologist, USA

• Toby Young, Journalist, Free Speech Union, UK

• Andrea Zhok, Philosopher, University of Milan, Italy
• Slavoj Žižek, Philosopher, Author, Slovenia
• David Zweig, Journalist, Author, USA

References

Masnick, Mike ( October 24, 2023). ‘Twitter Files’ Hucksters Are Once Again Cosplaying as Free Speech Martyrs. Daily Beast https://www.thedailybeast.com/twitter-files-hucksters-are-cosplaying-as-free-speech-martyrs

Resources

The Westminster Declaration (westminsterdeclaration.org)

Jessica Simpson, formerly known as Jessica Yaniv, is a Canadian litigant and troll known for several controversies regarding sexuality and gender identity.

Background

Jessica Serenity Simpson was born June 12, 1987. While attending Kwantlen Polytechnic University in 2008, Simpson called for a National Sex Day and promised free condoms to participants. After over 140,000 people joined the event’s Facebook group, Simpson said it was a marketing stunt.

Simpson ran a tech review website called Trusted Nerd while working at call centers and doing tech support as JY Knows It Business Consulting. Simpson ran the social media for pop music siblings Cimorelli, originally to get rid of impostors, but was apparently posting on behalf of the group from around 2010 to 2017. Louise Nussac, a fan of Cimorelli, was also involved in working with the group and alleged that Simpson engaged in inappropriate activity while managing the accounts. Nussac also alleged that Simpson was behind a string of personal attacks.

Teenager Jessica Rumpel reportedly filed an anonymous tip against Simpson to a Canadian child exploitation tipline, but no charges came from the complaint. Simpson claims the inappropriate messages were by an impersonator or were not sent to Rumpel.

Simpson was a frequent participant in Langley township council meetings, often on gender-related controversies. In 2019 Simpson unsuccessfully proposed a topless “all-bodies swim” at a Langley Township public pool for ages 12 and up, with parents and guardians prohibited.

Simpson’s antics have been widely covered in conservative media and among anti-transgender activists, most notably by Rebel News. Simpson and critics were fond of trolling each other on social media, leading to several temporary and permanent suspensions. Anti-trans extremist Meghan Murphy unsuccessfully sued Twitter to reinstate a personal account following a fight with Simpson. Murphy’s account was later reinstated by anti-transgender troll Elon Musk. Anti-trans author and activist Lindsay Shepherd was briefly banned from Twitter in 2019 after exchanging insults with Simpson.

Litigation and legal issues

Simpson has been described as a “prolific litigant” who often uses AI to write legal complaints, some of which refer to non-existent legal cases.

In 2016, Simpson sued Vancouver Playhouse for $24,000 after reportedly inhaling smoke from burned sage at an event. The case was settled for $500.

Beginning in 2018, Simpson filed human rights complaints against at least 15 businesses, alleging anti-trans discrimination. Most were waxing salons run by Asian immigrants who declined to wax Simpson’s scrotum and pubic area. At least two businesses later closed. Simpson acknowledged making racist remarks to some salon employees. In 2019, a human rights tribunal ruled against Simpson and demanded $6,000 in restitution, upheld on appeal. They found that Simpson had directed racist remarks at some salon operators and was motivated by money and revenge. Simpson’s appeal was rejected.

In 2019, Simpson was arrested after brandishing a prohibited taser during a YouTube debate with conservative troll Blaire White. RCMP seized two tasers during the arrest. Simpson was found guilty, then sentenced to probation and a firearms prohibition. Simpson sued Langley township and filed complaints against the RCMP, alleging mistreatment while in detention.

Anti-trans extremist Amy Hamm also got into a dispute with Simpson, who accused Hamm of assault. Hamm then sued for defamation.

In 2020, Simpson filed more complaints, but those were later dropped. During the media circus, Simpson attacked conservative troll Keean Bexte of Rebel News and was found guilty of the assault in 2022.

Simpson also filed a complaint against Canada Galaxy Pageant after they did not allow Simpson to compete. The case was dismissed in 2025.

In December 2020, the RCMP charged Simpson with mischief and uttering threats during a dispute with anti-transgender troll Chris Elston. Simpson also enrolled at Simon Fraser University that year.

In 2021 Simpson sued Fraser Health and the Provincial Health Services Authority for allegedly revealing personal health information.

In 2021, Simpson sued lBC Emergency Health Services for $2,100, claiming a paramedic had damaged Simpson’s stove when they put their bag on it. That year, the Langley fire department stated they would charge Simpson for any future calls for service. They said Simpson had engaged in “inappropriate and lewd conduct” during dozens of non-emergency calls for help getting out of the bathtub.

A suit Simpson brought against Rebel News was dismissed under anti-SLAPP statutes.

Simpson also lodged nine small claims cases against the Langley strata corporation where Simpson lives.

In 2022, Simpson sued a pharmacy for not allowing Simpson to enter with a “service dog.” Simpson lost the case.

In 2023, Simpson took action against BC Emergency Health Services for flagging Simpson as a “mental health concern” who “can be unpredictable and abusive to responders, may also have weapons in apt.” In dismissing the case and ordering Simpson to pay $1,620, the decision noted that Simpson made 53 calls to BC ambulance in 20 months, over 30 of which involved police backup.

In 2023 Simpson was found guilty of public mischief for falsely setting off a fire alarm and sentenced to 18 months probation. Simpson set off the alarm at the retirement home where parent Miriam Yaniv lives. Simpson’s “service dog” Rexy was not behaving at the facility, which led to a confrontation that culminated in Simpson calling 911 and setting off the fire alarm. In 2024 Simpson’s request to have probation conditions lifted was denied. Following the ruling Simpson hurled racial slurs and verbal abuse at anti-trans reporter Drea Humphrey of Rebel News.

In 2024, Simpson was added to a class action suit against Quaker Oats after the company removed products from shelves during a recall. Simpson was later removed.

In 2025, Simpson’s mortgage company began foreclosure procedures. Court documents alleged Simpson was avoiding being served legal papers.

In 2025, Simpson filed a human rights complaint against gas station owners Hung Long Enterprises for refusing entry to Simpson and dog Rexy. Simppson claimed Rexy was a service dog. The case was dismissed.

The website Meow Mix (meowmix.online) maintains a running update of Simpson’s lawsuits and legal issues.

References

note: many stories below include deadnaming and anti-transgender sentiment.

Borg, Jeremy (October 19, 2025). IN-DEPTH: The many controversies and crimes of Jessica/Jonathan Yaniv. Western Standard https://www.westernstandard.news/alberta/in-depth-the-many-controversies-and-crimes-of-jessicajonathan-yaniv/68341

Hutchinson, Joe (October 17, 2025). Trans activist who sued female beauty spa for refusing to give her bikini wax is now WANTED by police. Daily Mail https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-15203021/Trans-woman-beauty-spa-bikini-wax-FUGITIVE.html

Oldcorn, Christopher (July 29, 2025). Ontario Human Rights Tribunal dismissed Jessica Yaniv’s complaint against Canada Galaxy Pageants. Western Standard https://www.westernstandard.news/ontario/ontario-human-rights-tribunal-dismissed-jessica-yanivs-complaint-against-canada-galaxy-pageants/66467

Jäger, Jarryd (April 22, 2025). Notorious transgender activist Jessica Yaniv now identifying as ‘Métis woman.’ Western Standard https://www.westernstandard.news/news/notorious-transgender-activist-jessica-yaniv-now-identifying-as-m%C3%A9tis-woman/64202

Levant, Ezra (October 8, 2024). CAUGHT ON TAPE: Human rights tribunal threatens to censor Rebel News. Rebel News https://www.rebelnews.com/caught_on_tape_human_rights_tribunal_threatens_to_censor_rebel_news

Staff report (September 26, 2024). We’re being sued! Stop Yaniv! Rebel News https://www.rebelnews.com/stop_yaniv

Humphrey, Drea (August 7, 2024). BREAKING: Rebel News successfully lifts publication bans on Jonathan Yaniv court hearings. Rebel News https://www.rebelnews.com/rebel_news_successfully_lifts_publication_bans_on_jonathan_yaniv_court_hearings

Humphrey, Drea (September 13, 2024). Judge dismisses request to lift conditions on trans predator’s criminal conviction. Rebel News https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f3nlW38sRFI protectdrea.com [redirects to Rebel News as of October 2024]

Small, Reid (May 26, 2022). Transgender activist Yaniv found guilty of assaulting journalist. Western Standard https://www.westernstandard.news/bc/watch-transgender-activist-yaniv-found-guilty-of-assaulting-journalist/article_f6c746be-dd34-11ec-932e-4bf58217e946.html

Wood, Graeme (March 28, 2024). Tribunal dismisses B.C. trans activist’s fire alarm claim. Vancouver Is Awesome https://www.vancouverisawesome.com/highlights/tribunal-dismisses-bc-trans-activists-fire-alarm-claim-8520125

Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms (March 26, 2022). Transgender person with male genitals sues female beauty pageant for refusing service. https://www.jccf.ca/court_cases/transgender-person-with-male-genitals-sues-female-beauty-pageant-for-refusing-service/

Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms (October 30, 2020). If Yaniv is permitted to compete in beauty pageant it would violate the Charter rights of women and girls. https://www.jccf.ca/the-post-millennial-if-yaniv-is-permitted-to-compete-in-beauty-pageant-it-would-violate-the-charter-rights-of-women-and-girls/

Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms (October 26, 2020). Yaniv targets beauty pageant in new discrimination complaint. https://www.jccf.ca/yaniv-targets-beauty-pageant-in-new-discrimination-complaint/

Desai, Devika (August 27, 2020). Trans activist Jessica Yaniv files second lawsuit against 3 beauticians after losing human rights suit to them in 2019. National Post https://nationalpost.com/news/trans-activist-jessica-yaniv-files-second-lawsuit-against-3-beauticians-after-losing-human-rights-suit-to-them-in-2019

Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms (February 2, 2020). New human rights complaints on hold over Yaniv’s failure to pay $6,000 in costs to women. https://www.jccf.ca/new-human-rights-complaints-on-hold-over-yanivs-failure-to-pay-6000-in-costs-to-women/

Urback, Robyn (January 11, 2020). Ignoring Jessica Yaniv allows her to distort the struggle for trans equity. The Globe and Mail https://www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/article-ignoring-jessica-yaniv-allows-her-to-distort-the-struggle-for-trans/

Larsen, Karin (October 22, 2019). Estheticians don’t have to wax male genitalia against their will, B.C. tribunal rules. CBC https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/transgender-woman-human-rights-waxing-1.5330807

Hoonhout, Tobias (October 22, 2019). Canadian Court Rules against Transgender Activist Jessica Yaniv in Fight with Beauticians over Waxing. National Review https://www.nationalreview.com/news/jessica-yaniv-canadian-court-rules-against-transgender-activist-in-waxing-case/

Wood, Graeme (July 25, 2019). Genital waxing complainant’s topless-OK youth LGBTQ2S+ swim proposal delayed by Township of Langley. North Shore News / Glacier Media https://www.nsnews.com/genital-waxing-complainant-s-topless-ok-youth-lgbtq2s-swim-proposal-delayed-by-township-of-langley-1.23895812  [archive]

Joyce, Helen (July 25, 2019). A Canadian Human Rights Spectacle Exposes the Risks of Unfettered Gender Self-ID. Quillette https://quillette.com/2019/07/25/a-canadian-human-rights-spectacle-exposes-the-risks-of-unfettered-gender-self-id/

Claxton, Mathew (August 23, 2019). Controversial Langley transgender activist arrested over stun gun. Aldergrove Star https://www.aldergrovestar.com/news/controversial-langley-transgender-activist-arrested-over-stun-gun [archive]

Stratis, Niko (August 15, 2019). We Need To Talk About Jessica Yaniv. Canadaland https://www.canadaland.com/we-need-to-talk-about-jessica-yaniv/

Stone, Gemma (August 12, 2019). Jessica Yaniv is bad. Medium https://medium.com/@notCursedE/jessica-yaniv-is-bad-869eeaa31afc

Brean, Joseph (August 6, 2019). Trans activist Jessica Yaniv’s human rights complaints brought her prominence; now she’s accused of harassment and predatory behaviour. National Post https://nationalpost.com/news/jessica-yaniv

The Canadian Press (August 10, 2008). Unzip and unwind, says National Sex Day organizer. CTV News https://www.ctvnews.ca/unzip-and-unwind-says-national-sex-day-organizer-1.315017 [archive]

Media

Rebel News (January 20, 2025). Trans activist suing Rebel News after attacking journalists—causes $10k bill! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zX1VKpdkcLk

Rebel News (December 20, 2023). Rabid ‘trans activist’ Jessica Simpson threatens to harm female Rebel News reporter. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ToD7Z8tbWxk

Blaire White (February 15, 2021). Jessica Yaniv Is Back and Worse Than Ever. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zcqpyOqbAuE

Blaire White (April 17, 2020). Trying To Follow Jessica Yaniv’s Makeup Tutorial ? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v6tUA5fHb5Y

CBC News (Janury 8, 2020). Activists say transgender woman’s waxing complaints are bad for their cause. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zu4hR3UpT6Y

Blaire White (December 10, 2019). Jessica Yaniv Is Back. And It’s Bad. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dCCbs_imjAw

READY TO GLARE (December 6, 2019). #161: Jessica Yaniv is still an issue. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o6LK523Slbw

Rebel News (October 22, 2019). “Jessica” Yaniv LOSES lawsuits against female estheticians who refused to wax his genitals. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DTLUG3cHtz0

Repxion (October 1, 2019). The Jonathan Yaniv Files https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zu_3x2BTBB0

Cecil McFly (September 11, 2019). The Creepy Career of Yaniv. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CMwKgNkVJGM

Blaire White (August 19, 2019). I Got Jessica Yaniv To Confess On Tape. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VbINkdXvQfs

Rebel News (August 16, 2019). Blaire White: Jessica Yaniv has my address & says he’s buying a gun | Keean Bexte. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KfXcg9EQxJw

Rebel News (August 15, 2019). EXCLUSIVE FOOTAGE: Jessica Yaniv ASSAULTS Rebel reporter with CANE! | David Menzies. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mcEnBHAYYVM

Rebel News (August 9, 2019). EXCLUSIVE: “Mama Yaniv” ASSAULTS Rebel reporter, Jessica BLOCKS car and calls cops! | Keean Bexte. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lv5Ym21cqN0

Rebel News (August 8, 2019). Who is Jessica Yaniv? An exclusive Rebel exposé. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fzZJGlJ9lSA

Miss London (August 6, 2019). Blaire White vs Jessica Yaniv (highlights). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wWOhwxWGr8M

Rebel News (August 6, 2019). Jessica Yaniv brandishes illegal “taser,” threatens reporter with pepper spray | Sheila Gunn Reid. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OvxLBWS6ycA

Blaire White (August 5, 2019). Heated Debate w/ Jessica Yaniv: Trans Predator. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bnhnShhxfhQ

Calmversations with Benjamin Boyce (July 28, 2019). Yaniv’s Predatory History (Interview). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NWWyR96BZOU

Hunter Avallone (July 27, 2019). Jessica Yaniv Just got Worse. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ysZxw_vqZ8

READY TO GLARE (July 26, 2019). The skeletons in Jessica Yaniv’s closet. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q0ffM9caVrQ

Blaire White (July 23, 2019). Exposing Jessica Yaniv: Trans Predator. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MI_lXO7zrAQ

dumpbox (July 23, 2019). Alex Jones interviews Jessica Yaniv. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ndWEwrxeHYk

Resources

Meow Mix (meowmix.online)

• Note: deadnaming and controversial content
• Comprehensive “verifiable news articles and helpful guides” about Simpson

JY Knows It (jyknowsit.com) [archive]

Trusted Nerd (trustednerd.com) [archive]

Stop Yaniv (stopyaniv.com) [redirects to RebelNews.com]

Protect Drea (protectdrea.com) [redirects to Rebel News as of October 2024]

Wikipedia (en.wikipedia.org)

• Jessica Yaniv

X/Twitter (x.com)

• SFUJessica
• trustednerd [taken over by critic associated with meowmix.online]

Facebook (facebook.com)

• JessicaSimpsonLaw
• National Sex Day 2008 event
• facebook.com/events/6920059261 [deleted]

YouTube (youtube.com)

• jessicasimpson7070

ResearchGate (researchgate.net)

• Jessica Simpson
• researchgate.net/profile/Jessica-Simpson-26

OCRID (orcid.org)

• Jessica Simpson
• orcid.org/0000-0002-0138-8938

LinkedIn (linkedin.com)

• jessicassimpson

Corinna Cohn is an American software developer who identifies as transsexual and gender critical. Cohn frequently appears in media to share conservative opinions and criticize various aspects of the trans rights movement.

Cohn was an officer in the Gender Care Consumer Advocacy Network, an organization which promotes gatekeeping models of care.

Background

Corinna Ariel “Cori” Cohn was born on June 13, 1975 and transitioned in the 1990s.

Cohn ran a comic store and website called Otakurama from 2002 to 2005.

Cohn is a software engineer who has worked for Fusion Alliance and Indiana Farm Bureau Insurance.

Activism

Cohn is a longtime internet troll who participates in virulently anti-trans forums.

In 2015, Cohn was profiled in a piece by anti-trans activist Michelle Goldberg on the conservative transgender movement. The piece mentioned “Helen Highwater,” Miranda Yardley, “Snowflake Especial,” “Gender Minefield,” “Gender Apostates,” and “Aoife Assumpta Hart.”

In 2018 Cohn was triggered by Twitter’s revised policies that prohibited deadnaming and misgendering trans and gender diverse people. Cohn began making media appearances soon after.

Cohn has appeared in media with an number of gender critical and anti-transgender people, including Benjamin Boyce, Miranda Yardley, Nina Paley, Carey Callahan, Genspect, Call Me Sam, Mars F (Upperhandmars), Stephanie Winn, Gender Dysphoria Alliance, ICONS – Independent Council on Women’s Sports, and Feminist Heretics.

Cohn is a board member of Gender Care Consumer Advocacy Network, an activist group involved in the “ex-trans” movement that seeks to reduce options for medical transition.

In 2021 Cohn and fellow gender critical activist Nina Paley began the podcast Heterodorx.

In 2022 Cohn published a regret narrative in the Washington Post, suggesting that minors and young adults considering transition should “slow down.” Cohn has expressed the following regrets:

• “a lifetime set apart from my peers”
• “I wasn’t old enough to make that decision”
• “I have resigned myself to never finding a partner”
• “became a medical patient and will remain one for the rest of my life”
• “intercourse never became pleasurable”
• “I’m still working out how much regret to feel”

Via Media Matters for America:

Cohn, who hosts the podcast Heterodorx, has recently begun to put her anti-trans views into action. In late January, Cohn spoke in front of the Indiana House of Representatives in favor of HB 1041, a legislative effort that Cohn claimed would “strengthen the rights for girls and young women competing in sport” by excluding trans student athletes from competition. In her testimony, Cohn defined herself as “a transsexual,” arguing that her “sex is male, and neither science nor medicine can change that.” In the months since, Cohn has served as an expert and a witness for legislative efforts to restrict gender-affirming care in both Alabama and Ohio. 

Cohn signed her testimony to the Ohio General Assembly as the secretary and treasurer of Gender Care Consumer Advocacy Network. GCCAN was founded in 2019 under the stated mission “to empower recipients of gender transition-related care to become healthy and whole,” but it has rapidly aligned itself with the right-wing campaign against gender-affirming care policies, with Cohn serving as a board member. 

Informed Dissent podcast

In December 2024, Cohn began co-hosting Informed Dissent, a “gender critical” podcast with Ben Appel, Lisa Selin Davis, “Eliza Mondegreen”, and Jamie Reed. Guests include Alex Byrne, Anna Hutchinson, Maud Maron, Leor Sapir, Lauren Schwartz.

References

Downard, Whitney (February 22, 2023). Anti-trans medical care bill passes Senate committee. Indiana Capital Chronicle https://indianacapitalchronicle.com/2023/02/22/anti-trans-medical-care-bill-passes-senate-committee/

Tirrell, Alyssa (October 31, 2022). Recent witness in anti-trans legislative hearings claims that trans people “did not even exist in 1939” and could not have been victims of the Holocaust. Media Matters for America https://www.mediamatters.org/twitter/recent-witness-anti-trans-legislative-hearings-claims-trans-people-did-not-even-exist-1939

Steve Hammer and Chuck Workman (September 3, 2003). 30 under 30: Innovators in the arts. Nuvo https://www.nuvo.net/arts/30-under-30-innovators-in-the-arts/article_c99ebd9c-ae71-5c71-93dd-4f0f26bc75bc.html

Anti-trans coverage

Green, Emma (May 17, 2023). The Party Is Cancelled: Inside a monthly New York City hangout, where fired university professors and controversial TikTokers get together to have discussions they feel they can’t have anywhere else. New Yorker https://www.newyorker.com/news/our-local-correspondents/the-party-is-cancelled

Olohan, Mary Margaret (January 24, 2022). EXCLUSIVE: Biologically Male Transsexual Tears Into Radicals Attacking Women’s Sports: ‘It Is Unfair to Expect Girls to Cede Their Hard-Won Rights.’ Daily Signal https://www.dailysignal.com/2022/01/24/transsexual-slams-planned-parenthood-aclu-womens-sports/

Goldberg, Michelle (December 9, 2015). The Trans Women Who Say That Trans Women Aren’t Women: Meet the apostates of the trans rights movement. Slate https://slate.com/human-interest/2015/12/gender-critical-trans-women-the-apostates-of-the-trans-rights-movement.html

Selected writing by Cohn

Cohn, Corinna (April 11, 2022). Opinion: What I wish I’d known when I was 19 and had sex reassignment surgery. Washington Post https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2022/04/11/i-was-too-young-to-decide-about-transgender-surgery-at-nineteen/

Cohn, Corinna (June 22, 2020). For 30 Years, I’ve Tried to Become a Woman. Here’s What I Learned Along the Way. Quillette https://quillette.com/2020/06/22/for-30-years-ive-tried-to-become-a-woman-heres-what-i-learned-along-the-way/

Resources

Trans Data Library (transdatalibrary.org)

• Corinna Cohn
• transdatalibrary.org/person/corinna-cohn

Substack (substack.com)

• corinnacohn
• Informed Dissent
• informeddissentpodcast.substack.com
• Heterodorx Podcast
• heterodorx.substack.com
• Corinna Cohn
• corinnacohn.substack.com

LinkedIn (linkedin.com)

• corinna-cohn-83026a24 [deleted]

Otakurama (otakurama.com) [archive]

Blogspot (blogspot.com)

• corinnacohn.blogspot.com

Gender Care Consumer Advocacy Network (gccan.org) [archive]

• Who We Are [archive]
• gccan.org/who-we-are

X/Twitter (x.com)

• corinna000
• corinna_cohn [deleted]

YouTube (youtube.com)

• corinnacohn7389

Quillette (quillette.com)

• Corinna Cohn
• quillette.com/author/corinna-cohn

Joey Brite is an American ex-transgender activist who organized an anti-transgender conference in 2020 and is an executive producer of the 2023 anti-trans film No Way Back (originally Affirmation Generation). Director Laura VanZee-Taylor, producer Penka Kouneva, and executive producer Brite are responsible for including convicted sex offender David Arthur Kendall as one of the ex-trans activists featured.

Background

Alicia Nancy Neff was born in February 4, 1955 in Los Angeles to Charles “Bud” Neff and Carolyn Jeannette Neff. Neff’s father was a musician who ran Neff’s Paint and Wallpaper in Anaheim, and Alicia Neff graduated from Anaheim High School in 1972.

As an adult, Neff began using the names Alicia Brite and Joey Brite, usually styled joey brite. Brite and a songwriting partner began performing original “women’s music.” Brite also worked in set design and theatrical props, eventually becoming lighting assistant for an independent film company “that churned out lesbian porn for theatrical release.”

Brite has kept a connection with the paint and wallpaper industry since the late 1980s, operating an interior paint consultancy called The COLOR Effect since 1995.

Brite was a DJ at KPFA in Berkeley from 1983 to 1985. Brite was associated with Mills College from 2001 to 2003, working as a liaison for Fremont High School. In 2004 Brite began producing events and fundraisers and started handling social media for several artists.

In 2020, Brite described conservative trans people Blaire White, Scott Newgent, Fionne Orlander, and Buck Angel as the “four horsemen of the gender critical apocalypse.”

Brite continues working in production, incorporating Small Pockets Productions LLC in California in 2020 and Behind the Curtain Productions Inc in New York in 2022.

2020 conference

On August 8, 2020, Brite held the “Can I Get a Witness” conference. It was dedicated to the memory of Magdalen Berns and featured many prominent anti-transgender activists:

• Wall Street Journal writer Abigail Shrier and Author of the recently published Irreversible Damage: The Transgender Craze Seducing Our Daughters
• Therapist Sasha Ayad M. Ed., LPC at Inspired Teen Therapy
• Investigative writer and blogger Jennifer Bilek
• Jane Wheeler, President of Rethink Identity Medicine Ethics, Inc.
• Lawyer Kara Dansky
• Don Smith, an outraged citizen from Sweden
• Endocrinologist Quentin Van Meter
• Lesbian film director Catherine Crouch
• Filmmaker and activist Vaishnavi Sundar
• In Conversation: Stephanie Davies-Arai from Transgender Trend and radical lesbian critic Julia Long
• Health journalist Jamila Bey
• Sydney Wright, a detransitioned woman
• Eugenia Rodrigues, Founder of No Corpo Certo (Brazilian Campaign Against Transing Kids)
• Julia Diana Robertson, Senior Editor at The Velvet Chronicle
• Women Are Human Founder (remaining anonymous for her own protection)
• Spinster founder MK Fain
• Youtuber The Deprogrammer (remaining anonymous or her own protection)
• Thistle Pettersen from Women’s Liberation Radio News
• In Conversation: Sports Coach Linda Blade and Save Women’s Sports founder Beth Stelzer
• Feminist Current founder and pod-caster Meghan Murphy
• Mother turned activist Lynn Meagher
• Epidemiologist Hacsi Horvath, a detransitioned man
• Sherri Golden, a lesbian who was attacked at the 2018 San Francisco annual Dyke March
• Writer Donovan Cleckley
• Doula Courtney Catearth
• Alicia Strada, who was attacked by other women for her views on gender identity
• The TERF Exhibit Founder Sam Reitger (remaining anonymous for her own protection)

In a 2021 recap of anti-trans developments, Brite cited highlights from Jennifer Bilek, Lierre Keith, Sasha Ayad, Stella O’Malley, MK Fain, Eugenia Rodrigues. Keira Bell, Declaration on Women’s Sex-Based Rights, LGB Alliance, KS Jolly in Feminist Current, Jo Brew, Bernadette O’Malley, Women’s Liberation Front, Tulsi Gabbard, Save Women’s Sport, Josephine Bartosch, Courtney Catearth, Karen Davis of You’re Kiddin’, Right?, Mr Menno, SEGM, Abigail Shrier, JK Rowling, and Alix Aharon of of Partners for Ethical Care.

References

Brite, Joey (October 2, 2020). The Four Horsemen of the Gender-Critical Apocalypse. Uncommon Ground https://uncommongroundmedia.com/the-four-horsemen-of-the-gender-critical-apocalypse/

[Obituary] (April 19, 2013). Charles Neff. Orange County Register https://obits.ocregister.com/us/obituaries/orangecounty/name/charles-neff-obituary

[Obituary] (March 15, 2016). Carolyn Jeannette Neff. Orange County Register https://obits.ocregister.com/us/obituaries/orangecounty/name/carolyn-neff-obituary?id=16292068

Pettersen, Thistle (2021). Highlights of 2020 with Joey Brite. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gLj9sOvfhCA WLRN Edition 57: Radical Feminism 2020 https://womensliberationradionews.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/edition-57-interview-with-joey-brite-transcript.pdf

Resources

The COLOR Effect (thecoloreffect.com) 2003–2016 [archive]

Bizapedia (bizapedia.com)

• Small Pockets Productions LLC
• https://www.bizapedia.com/ca/small-pockets-productions-llc.html

Ticket Tailor (tickettailor.com)

• Can I Get a Witness conference [archive]
• https://web.archive.org/web/20200726073240if_/https://www.tickettailor.com/events/canigetawitness/394113 2/4

YouTube (youtube.com)

• behindthecurtaintv
• joeybriteone

Blogspot (blogspot.com)

• behindthecurtainproductions
• thecoloreffect

Twitter (twitter.com)

• joeybrite [suspended]
• joeybrite1

Instagram (instagram.com)

• joeybrite

LinkedIn (linkedin.com)

• joey-brite-3b80326a

Facebook (facebook.com)

• thecoloreffect [2015-2017]

Debbie Hayton is a conservative transgender British educator and critic of mainstream transgender activism. Hayton gets money and attention by siding with those opposed to rights for sex and gender minorities.

Hayton’s work frequently appears in anti-transgender publications, most notably UnHerd and The Spectator. Hayton’s views have also appeared in Daily Express, Global Research, The Critic Magazine, Fox News, TalkTV, Daily Mail, The Telegraph, and The Guardian.

Background

Deborah “Debbie” Hayton was born April 23, 1968. Hayton grew up in Consett in North East England. After graduating Blackfyne Comprehensive School in 1986, Hayton entered Newcastle University, earning a bachelor’s degree in 1989 and a doctorate in 1992. Hayton worked in research until 1995, then began a career as a physics teacher. Hayton taught at Handsworth Grammar School in Birmingham from 1996 to 2002, then at King Henry VIII School in Coventry from 2002 to 2022. Beginning in 2016 Hayton began offering classroom timetable support and began freelance writing.

Hayton is based in Bristol, is married to Stephanie, and has three children. Hayton transitioned in 2012.

Activism and trolling

Hayton’s writing is a mix of first-person stories and gender critical views on several trans topics:

• gender-based rights
• sex segregationism
  • transgender athletes in competitive sex-segregated sports
  • transgender prisoner housing
• opposing medical transition for trans and gender diverse youth
• supporting controversial diseases like “autogynephilia“
• supporting gender critical and anti-transgender activists, inclduing
  • Kathleen Stock
  • JK Rowling

Hayton authored a letter supporting anti-trans author Kathleen Stock. The letter was signed by like-minded gender critical trans people: Tina Daniels, Lily Geidelberg, Sophie Gibbons, Kristina Harrison, Seven Hex, Jennifer Kenyon, Claudia McLean, Sarah McDonnell, Fionne Orlander, Nyah Putzo, Toni Roche-Simmons, Katie Sangwell, Gillian Simpson, Sian Taylder, and Miranda Yardley.

Hayton appeared in the 2018 anti-trans propaganda piece Trans Kids: It’s Time to Talk hosted by Stella O’Malley.

Hayton enjoys trolling and mocking the trans community members who hold differing views. Hayton is known for wearing a T-shirt that says “Trans women are men. Get over it.”

References

Hayton, Debbie (May 9, 2022). My autogynephilia story. UnHerd https://unherd.com/2022/05/the-truth-about-autogynephilia/

Stanford, Peter (October 16, 2021). The trans women who support women’s rights. The Telegraph https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2021/10/16/meet-trans-women-agree-publicly-question-gender-self-identification/

Hellen, Nicholas (December 22 2019). Trans woman Debbie Hayton faces ban for transphobia. The Times https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/trans-woman-debbie-hayton-faces-ban-for-transphobia-96tfkl5gc

Resources

Debbie Hayton (debbiehayton.com)

Timetable Support (timetablesupport.uk)

Facebook (facebook.com)

• haytond

X/Twitter (x.com)

• DebbieHayton

Muck Rack (muckrack.com)

• debbiehayton

LinkedIn (linkedin.com)

• debbie-hayton-b990b72a

UnHerd (unherd.com)

• Debbie Hayton

The Sunday Times is a conservative British publication.

In 2022, they published a letter to the editor by conservative and anti-trans activists who oppose medical consensus for trans youth healthcare. It was titled “Press pause on Conversion Therapy Bill.” The bill would make non-affirming models of care illegal.

Signatories

• Debbie Hayton, teacher and transgender advocate
• Dame Jenni Murray, broadcast journalist
• Rosie Duffield MP
• Maya Forstater, executive director, Sex Matters
• Baroness Fox of Buckley, director, Academy of Ideas
• Simon Fanshawe, author, broadcaster and diversity consultant
• James Esses, co-founder, Thoughtful Therapists
• Helen Joyce, director of advocacy, Sex Matters, and author of Trans: When Ideology Meets Reality
• Dr David Bell, psychiatrist and psychoanalyst
• Neale Hanvey MP
• Sarah Vine QC
• Jess de Wahls, artist
• Professor Jo Phoenix, Reading University

Additional signers

• Shahrar Ali, former deputy leader, Green Party

• Allison Bailey, barrister
• David John Barnsdale, activist
• Jo Bartosch, journalist
• Bayswater Support Group
• Heather Binning, Women’s Rights Network
• Melanie Bulia, ‘Our Duty’

• Axa Carne
• Malcolm Clark, TV producer
• Jane Clarke, registered nurse
• William Clouston, Party Leader, Social Democratic Party
• Naomi Cunningham, Legal Feminist Collective, and Chair of Sex Matters

• Martin Daubney, Deputy Leader of the Reclaim Party
• Belinda de Lucy, commentator
• Paola Diana, entrepreneur
• Laura Dodsworth, writer
• Kathleen Dooley

• Simon Edge, novelist
• Martin Eggleston, parent
• Marcus Evans, psychoanalyst
• Susan Evans, psychoanalytic psychotherapist

• Jessica Fishburn, parent advocate
• Laurence Fox, Leader of the Reclaim Party

• Mary Garner, counsellor

• Dr Az Hakeem, consultant psychiatrist and medical psychotherapist
• Milli Hill, author
• Dr Zoe Hollowood, Chair, Liberal Voice for Women
• Jude Hunter, Genspect representative

• Alison Jenner, Vice Chair, Liberal Voice for Women
• Christina Jordan, former MEP

• Dennis Noel Kavanagh, legal commentator
• Aaron Kimberly, registered nurse
• Richard Kirker, human rights campaigner

• The Earl of Leicester
• Juliet Line, mother
• Graham Linehan, writer
• Claire Lonergan, parent

• Julia Mason, paediatrician
• Lucy Masoud, barrister
• Dr Julie Maxwell, community paediatrician
• Maggie Mellon, founding member, Evidence Based Social Work Alliance
• Harry Miller, ‘Fair Cop’
• Professor Michele Moore
• Baroness Morris of Yardley
• Cheryl Lavinia Mulholland, psychotherapist
• Dame Jenni Murray, broadcast journalist
• Simon Myerson QC

• Stella O’Malley, psychotherapist, and founder of Genspect
• Fionne Orlander

• Terry Patterson, psychodynamic counsellor
• Alexandra Phillips, GB News presenter
• Timothy Pitt-Payne QC

• Calvin Robinson, commentator

• Nigel Scott, secretary, Liberal Voice for Women
• Maggie Siviter, social worker, children’s safeguarding
• Dr Jacci Stoyle, former prison teacher
• Evelyn Strasburger, parent
• Lachlan Stuart, policy manager

• Anna Telford, parent
• Dr Val Thomas, psychotherapist, writer and co-founder of Critical Therapy Antidote
• Leonore Tiefer, retired NYS licensed clinical psychologist
• Gawain Towler, political consultant
• Lisa Townsend, Police and Crime Commissioner for Surrey

• Iris Walker, Councillor for Westhill and District
• Lord Wasserman
• Sinéad Watson, Genspect advisor
• James Wells, former MEP
• Robert Withers, Jungian psychoanalyst

• Miranda Yardley, accountant and human rights activist

• Susan Zamecnik, registered nurse

References

Signatories (April 10, 2022) Press pause on Conversion Therapy Bill. The Sunday Times https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/press-pause-on-conversion-therapy-bill-g7vbtvc7h

UnHerd is a British group blog that publishes consistently anti-transgender content.

Background

UnHerd was founded in 2017 by conservative British political activist Tim Montgomerie with funding from Paul Marshall. Montgomerie had previously founded ConservativeHome. In 2018 anti-trans activist Sally Chatterton took over editing from Montgomerie, leading to significantly increased anti-trans coverage.

They are known for publishing “the kind of people who are generally ‘unheard’ because people edge away from them at parties.”

The only exception is balanced writing on religion and trans issues, including work by Christopher Rhodes and Alexander Faludy.

UnHerd produces the show Undercurrents with Emily Jashinsky.

Originally available without a paywall, they have since added one. In 2023, they set up UnHerd Club, a gathering place for contributors and their orbiters.

Key people

• Sohrab Ahmari
• Sally Chatterton
• Paul Marshall
• Tom McTague
• Tim Montgomerie
• Valerie Stivers

Contributors

• Ayaan Hirsi Ali

• J. Michael Bailey
• Josephine Bartosch
• Sallie Baxendale
• Jonny Best
• Julie Bindel
• “Jo Brown” [unaccepting parent]
• Julie Burchill

• Tom Chivers

• Lisa Selin Davis
• Jess de Wahls
• William Deresiewicz
• Sarah Ditum
• Andrew Doyle
• Rosie Duffield

• Paul Embery

• Alexander Faludy
• Maya Forstater
• Giles Fraser
• Hadley Freeman

• Timandra Harkness
• Mary Harrington
• Debbie Hayton
• Anna Hutchinson

• Madeleine Kearns
• James Kirchick
• Malcom Kyeyune

• Sam Leith
• Ralph Leonard
• John Lichfield
• John Lloyd
• Will Lloyd

• Róisín Michaux
• Miquel Misse
• Sarah Mittermaier / “Eliza Mondegreen”
• Suzanne Moore
• John Murawski
• Meghan Murphy
• Douglas Murray

• Tish Naughton / “Tish Still”

• Ellen Pasternack
• Sarah Pedersen
• Jon Pike

• Christopher Rhodes
• Gareth Roberts
• Kat Rosenfield
• Benjamin Ryan

• Freddie Sayers
• Lionel Shriver
• Jacob Siegel
• Jesse Singal
• Joan Smith
• Julie Szego

• Paul Thomas

2024 Dissident Dialogues event

UnHerd partnered with Ground News, FIRE, and ThirdRail to hold an event in New York City called “Dissident Dialogues.” It was produced by talent agency This Is 42, which handled logistics.

Panels included anti-trans activists speaking on “What is the future of feminism?” and “The end of ‘gender medicine.'”

Speakers included:

• Sohrab Ahmari
• Ayishat Akanbi
• Ayaan Hirsi Ali
• Masih Alinejad
• Desh Amila

• Alex Berenson
• Uri Berliner
• Stephen Blackwood
• Africa Brooke

• Richard Dawkins

• Lee Fang
• Francis Foster
• Diana Fleischman

• Nick Gillespie
• Andrew Gold
• Dan Granger
• Briahna Joy Gray
• Alex Gutentag

• Mary Harrington
• Mia Hughes

• Jewher Ilham

• Anna Kachiyan
• Harleen Kaur
• Jonathan Kay
• Konstantin Kisin
• Joseph (Jake) Klein

• Eli Lake
• Greg Lukianoff

• Maud Maron
• Winston Marshall
• John McWhorter
• Michael Moynihan

• Tom Nash

• Alex O’Connor
• Stella O’Malley

• Bridget Phetasy
• Steven Pinker

• Freddie Sayers
• Michael Shellenberger
• Jacob Siegel
• Joshua Luke Smith
• Kathleen Stock

• John Vervaeke

• Thomas Chatterton Williams

Chris Williamson and Nathan Robinson were scheduled but apparently removed.

A number of anti-trans activists were in attendance, including Christina Buttons, Cathy Young, Carrie Mendoza, Colin Wright, Benjamin Ryan, and Meghan Daum.

Other visited websites

Readers of UnHerd also like other anti-trans outlets:

• Quillette (quillette.com)
• The Spectator (spectator.co.uk)
• Spiked (spiked-online.com)
• City Journal (city-journal.org)
• The Critic (thecritic.co.uk)

References

Jeffries, Stuart (November 11, 2023). Far from the Madding Hive Mind: Inside the UnHerd Club, London’s liveliest—and most controversial—new literary salon. Air Mail https://airmail.news/issues/2023-11-11/far-from-the-madding-hive-mind

Mayhew, Freddy (September, 25 2018). Former Times columnist Tim Montgomerie leaves Unherd news website he founded last year. Press Gazette https://www.pressgazette.co.uk/former-times-columnist-tim-montgomerie-leaves-unherd-news-website-he-founded-last-year

Childs, Simon (July 25, 2017). The UnHerd and the Whining of the Perfectly-Well-Represented. Vice https://www.vice.com/en_uk/article/a3d95p/the-unherd-and-the-whining-of-the-perfectly-well-represented

Resources

Allsides (allsides.com)

• UnHerd
• allsides.com/news-source/unherd-media-bias

UnHerd (unherd.com)

Dissident Dialogues (dissidentdialogues.org)

Wikipedia (en.wikipedia.org)

• UnHerd

Twitter (twitter.com)

• unherd
• diss_dialogues

YouTube (youtube.com)

• UnHerd
• UndercurrentsUnHerd

Instagram (instagram.com)

• unherd