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Julie Bindel is a British author, sex-segregationist, and anti-transgender activist. Bindel is a key historic media figure in British anti-trans activism. Bindel has written hundreds of anti-trans articles for UnHerd, The Guardian, The Critic, Daily Mail. and on a personal Substack.

Background

Julie Bindel was born on July 20, 1962 in Darlington, County Durham, England. At age 17, Bindel moved to Leeds and joined anti-pornography activist organization Leeds Revolutionary Feminist Group. At the time, “Yorkshire Ripper” Peter Sutcliffe was committing serial murders in the area. Bindel described being followed one night in 1980 by someone who appeared similar to Sutcliffe.

In the late 1980s. Bindel became involved in anti-violence campaigns. In 1991, Bindel co-founded Justice for Women, which provided legal support to women who were convicted after resisting violence from men.

From the mid-1990s onward, Bindel worked as a journalist, becoming a regular columnist for The Guardian in the late 1990s. Bindel continued to write for the publication for more than two decades. During the 2000s, Bondel reported on issues including domestic violence, prostitution, trafficking, and the treatment of women in conflict zones.

Bindel has published several books, including Straight Expectations (2014), The Pimping of Prostitution (2017), and Feminism for Women (2021).

Anti-trans activism

Bindel was deeply influenced by anti-trans extremist Janice Raymond and others who frame trans women as a threat to cisgender women.

A 2004 Guardian column by Bindel titled “Gender Benders, beware” led to over 200 letters of complaint. The public pushback was a turning point in Bindel’s anti-trans activism. Bindel apologized for the tone, then began expressing anti-trans views more frequently and stridently over the ensuing decades.

When Stonewall nominated Bindel for Journalist of the Year in 2008, protesters picketed the event.

In 2020, Bindel sued British LGBTQ publication PinkNews for libel over an article on abuse within the anti-trans feminist movement. The article did not mention Bindel by name. The case was settled, and both parties released a joint statement.

During 2025 Pride Month, Bindel claimed it was now a “pride of perverts,” writing:

Women like me are sick of being lumped in with trans-identified people, with kinksters, with those that just call themselves ‘asexual’, ‘non-binary’, ‘sapiosexual’ or ‘aromantic’ – people who are never going to face oppression or discrimination for their sexuality. The Pride movement is redundant.

References

Saunders, Rachel (April 6, 2025). Julie Bindel and the rise of gender critical strife. Medium https://rejserin.medium.com/julie-bindel-and-the-rise-of-gender-critical-strife-6169708b2349

Stone, Gemma (November 28, 2021). No Julie Bindel, Trans People Aren’t To Blame For Cisgender Women’s Fears. Medium https://medium.com/@notCursedE/no-julie-bindle-trans-people-arent-to-blame-for-cisgender-women-s-fears-38cd8d8ec338

Steph (July 23, 2020). Trans Womans Response To The Spectator and Julie Bindel. TransLucent https://translucent.org.uk/a-trans-womans-response-to-the-spectator-and-julie-bindel/

Hime, Lilli (November 14, 2017). Lecture cancelled after students question Julie Bindel’s comments on transgender people. Hilltop Views https://www.hilltopviewsonline.com/14748/news/lecture-cancelled-after-students-question-julie-bindels-comments-on-transgender-people/

Hines, S. (2017). The feminist frontier: on trans and feminism. Journal of Gender Studies, 28(2), 145–157. https://doi.org/10.1080/09589236.2017.1411791

Staff report (October 4, 2015). “Transphobe” Julie Bindel banned from Free Speech debate. Mancunion https://mancunion.com/2015/10/06/transphobe-julie-bindel-banned-from-free-speech-debate/

Roberts, Scott (January 10, 2013). Guardian columnist Julie Bindel: The ‘trans cabal’ are running a witch hunt. PinkNews https://www.thepinknews.com/2013/01/10/guardian-columnist-julie-bindel-the-trans-cabal-are-running-a-witch-hunt/

Allen, Emma (June 2013). Unpacking Transphobia*. Radical Women https://radicalwomen.org/unpacking-transphobia/

Minou, C. L. (February 1, 2010). Julie Bindel’s dangerous transphobia. The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2010/feb/01/julie-bindel-transphobia

Rearce, Ruth (January 31, 2010). “Censoring Julie Bindel”: a response. Dr Ruth Pearce https://ruthpearce.net/2010/01/31/censoring-julie-bindel-a-response/

Grew, Tony (November 7, 2008). Celebs split over trans protest at Stonewall Awards. PinkNews https://web.archive.org/web/20110629093225/http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-9523.html

(August 3, 2007). Transgenderism – Bindel condemns, Tatchell defends. BBC & Guardian debate on the ethics of sex change surgery and hormone treatment. https://petertatchell.net/lgbt_rights/transgender/transsexualismbindelcondemns/

Burns, Christine (November 23, 2004). Transsexual People and the Press: Collected Opinions from Transsexual People Themselves. Press For Change http://pfc.org.uk/files/Transsexual_People_and_the_Press.pdf Press for Change. p. 10. [archive]

Anti-trans coverage

Strudwick, Matt (September 7, 2025). Moment women’s rights campaigner and journalist Julie Bindel is thrown out of Pride in Surrey ‘at the behest of the MP for Guildford.’ Daily Mail https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-15074465/Moment-womens-rights-campaigner-journalist-Julie-Bindel-thrown-Pride-Surrey-behest-MP-Guildford.html

Bodkin, Henry (June 25, 2022). Council axes talk by feminist writer because of her views on trans rights. The Telegraph https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2022/06/25/council-axes-talk-feminist-writer-views-trans-rights/

Denham, Jess (September 17, 2013). Death threats force feminist campaigner out of university debate. The Independent https://www.independent.co.uk/student/news/death-threats-force-feminist-campaigner-out-of-university-debate-8821362.html

Mayes, Ian (February 14, 2004). A change, of course. The Guardian.https://www.theguardian.com/media/2004/feb/14/pressandpublishing.comment

Ardehali, Rod (October 14, 2015). ‘Stepford student’ culture threatening free speech. The Telegraph https://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/universityeducation/student-life/11930441/Stepford-student-culture-threatening-free-speech.html

Faye, Sean (February 19, 2016). If you don’t like no-platforming, maybe it’s you who’s the ‘special snowflake’. The Independent https://www.independent.co.uk/voices/if-you-dont-like-no-platforming-maybe-its-you-whos-the-special-snowflake-a6884026.html

Selected writing by Bindel

Bindel, Julie (December 31, 2025). What a terfing year it’s been! Julie Bindel’s writing and podcasts https://juliebindel.substack.com/p/what-a-terfing-year-its-been

Bindel, Julie (December 6, 2025). Why do so many girls in Blackpool want to become boys? Julie Bindel’s writing and podcasts https://juliebindel.substack.com/p/why-do-so-many-girls-in-blackpool-a6a

Bindel, Julie (December 19, 2025). The rabbit rescue centre and the online ‘follow’ that led to a feud with the trans lobby: JULIE BINDEL. Daily Mail https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-15400737/The-rabbit-farm-online-follow-led-feud-trans-lobby-JULIE-BINDEL.html

Bindel, Julie (November 16, 2025). Trans activists still don’t understand the need for women’s refuges. UnHerd https://unherd.com/newsroom/trans-activists-still-dont-understand-the-need-for-womens-refuges/

Bindel, Julie (November 21, 2025). I was in the presence of evil: Being face-to-face in a room with Helen Webberley, the ‘Gender GP’, felt similar to the times I have interviewed rapists and murderers in prison. I was in the midst of a malign presence. Julie Bindel’s writing and podcasts https://juliebindel.substack.com/p/i-was-in-the-presence-of-evil

Bindel, Julie (November 10, 2025). Will Tim Davie’s resignation be a fresh start for the BBC? UnHerd https://unherd.com/newsroom/tim-davies-resignation-is-a-fresh-start-for-the-bbc/

Bindel, Julie (November 07, 2025). Sex Change Surgery is Unnecessary Mutilation. Julie Bindel’s writing and podcasts https://juliebindel.substack.com/p/sex-change-surgery-is-unnecessary-c76

Bindel, Julie (October 28, 2025). JULIE BINDEL: Allowing the Trans Taliban to hound and bully women is shameful. Daily Mail https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-15236071/JULIE-BINDEL-Allowing-Trans-Taliban-hound-bully-women-shameful.html

Bindel, Julie (October 24, 2025). GRAHAM LINEHAN: I lost wife, career & pension over trans right tweets – but I’ll defend women’s safe spaces until madness ends. The Sun https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/37112341/i-lost-wife-career-pension-trans-tweets-graham-linehan/

Bindel, Julie (October 9, 2025). The Green Party’s war on women. UnHerd https://unherd.com/2025/10/the-green-partys-war-on-women/

Bindel, Julie (October 8, 2025). Transsexuality: I used this term in 2009 and no-one objected (to the word, I mean). Julie Bindel’s writing and podcasts https://juliebindel.substack.com/p/transsexuality-i-used-this-term-in

Bindel, Julie (September 26, 2025). John Boyne refuses to be cancelled. UnHerd https://unherd.com/2025/09/john-boyne-refuses-to-be-cancelled/

Bindel, Julie (September 20, 2025). You claim that Andrea Dworkin would have become a ‘trans ally’ do you? Julie Bindel’s writing and podcasts https://juliebindel.substack.com/p/you-claim-that-andrea-dworkin-would

Bindel, Julie (August 12, 2025). The bullying of John Boyne shames the Polari prizes. UnHerd https://unherd.com/newsroom/the-bullying-of-john-boyne-shames-the-polari-prizes/

Bindel, Julie (August 9, 2025). Has the politics of the trans movement damaged academia? Julie Bindel’s writing and podcasts https://juliebindel.substack.com/p/has-the-politics-of-the-trans-movement

Bindel, Julie (June 21, 2025). Transsexual: we used to use that word, back in the day. Julie Bindel’s writing and podcasts https://juliebindel.substack.com/p/transsexual-we-used-to-use-that-word

Bindel, Julie (June 30, 2025). Meet Ireland’s gender rebels. UnHerd https://unherd.com/2025/06/meet-irelands-gender-rebels/

Bindel, Julie (May 29, 2025). Robert Wintemute: The Professor of Human Rights Law did an about turn when he realised ‘trans rights’ eroded the rights of women and girls. Julie Bindel’s writing and podcasts https://juliebindel.substack.com/p/robert-wintemute

Bindel, Julie (April 16, 2025). JULIE BINDEL: Shame on the liberals who jumped aboard the trans bandwagon in a cruel betrayal of women and our rights. Daily Mail https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-14619959/JULIE-BINDEL-Shame-liberals-jumped-aboard-trans-bandwagon-cruel-betrayal-women-rights.html

Bindel, Julie (January 6, 2025). What I learned at Terf School. UnHerd https://unherd.com/2025/01/what-i-learned-at-terf-school/

Bindel, Julie (December 10, 2024). The downfall of PinkNews was a long time coming. UnHerd https://unherd.com/newsroom/the-downfall-of-pinknews-was-a-long-time-coming/

Bindel, Julie (November 28, 2024). Supreme Court puzzles over definition of ‘woman.’ UnHerd https://unherd.com/newsroom/supreme-court-puzzles-over-definition-of-woman/

Bindel, Julie (November 18, 2024). Police did nothing when I reported yobs attacking cars with a crowbar. But TWO turned up on my doorstep over my tweet, reveals JULIE BINDEL. It’s state harassment and I know who is to blame… Daily Mail https://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-14097445/julie-bindel-police-yobs-crowbar-doorstep-tweet-state-harassment.html

Bindel, Julie (November 14, 2024). Gender: A Luxury Belief. The decadence of transgerism [sic]. Julie Bindel’s writing and podcasts https://juliebindel.substack.com/p/gender-a-luxury-belief

Bindel, Julie (October 24, 2024). How intersectionality killed feminism. UnHerd https://unherd.com/2024/10/how-intersectionality-killed-feminism/

Bindel, Julie (September 16, 2024). Journeys in Genderland. The Critic https://thecritic.co.uk/journeys-in-genderland/

Bindel, Julie (June 8, 2024). Why Scotland’s ‘witches’ fought back. UnHerd https://unherd.com/2024/06/why-scotlands-witches-fought-back/

Bindel, Julie (April 11, 2024). The Cass Report’s cowardly converts. UnHerd https://unherd.com/2024/04/the-cass-reports-cowardly-converts/

Bindel, Julie (April 1, 2024). Twenty years a Terf. UnHerd https://unherd.com/2024/04/twenty-years-a-terf/

Bindel, Julie (February 8, 2024). Twenty years a target of the trans cabal. Julie Bindel’s writing and podcasts https://juliebindel.substack.com/p/twenty-years-a-target-of-the-trans

Bindel, Julie (December 9, 2023). Nicola Sturgeon’s latest humiliation. UnHerd https://unherd.com/2023/12/nicola-sturgeons-latest-humiliation/

Bindel, Julie (October 12, 2023). Trans activists fail to shut down another feminist event. UnHerd https://unherd.com/newsroom/why-did-trans-activists-try-to-shut-down-my-feminist-event/

Bindel, Julie (September 4, 2023). The desperate plight of trans widows. UnHerd https://unherd.com/2023/09/the-fate-of-indias-trans-widows/

Bindel, Julie (June 24, 2023). Trans-corporate. The Critic https://thecritic.co.uk/trans-corporate/

Bindel, Julie (June 6, 2023). ‘I was hounded out of Oxfam over JK Rowling’ UnHerd https://unherd.com/2023/06/i-quit-oxfam-over-jk-rowling/

Bindel, Julie (May 30, 2023). ‘I will never call my rapist father a woman.’ UnHerd https://unherd.com/2023/05/i-will-never-call-my-rapist-father-a-woman/

Bindel, Julie (May 17, 2023). Why is Canada betraying women? UnHerd https://unherd.com/2023/05/why-is-canada-betraying-women/

Bindel, Julie (April 26, 2023). Buck Angel: ‘We never denied our biology.’ UnHerd https://unherd.com/2023/04/buck-angel-we-never-denied-our-biology/

Bindel, Julie (April 20, 2023 Did City Uni censor my gender research? UnHerd https://unherd.com/2023/04/did-city-uni-censor-my-gender-research/

Bindel, Julie (March 10, 2023). The Lesbian Project has begun. UnHerd https://unherd.com/2023/03/the-lesbian-project-has-begun/

Bindel, Julie (December 12, 2022). JK Rowling works her magic again. UnHerd https://unherd.com/2022/12/jk-rowling-works-her-magic-again/

Bindel, Julie (November 30, 2022). Why do women’s spaces still need defending? UnHerd https://unherd.com/2022/11/why-do-womens-spaces-still-need-defending/

Bindel, Julie (October 14, 2022). Even Eddie Izzard’s fans aren’t convinced. UnHerd https://unherd.com/newsroom/even-eddie-izzards-fans-arent-convinced/

Bindel, Julie (October 10, 2022). The toppling of the trans extremists. UnHerd https://unherd.com/2022/10/the-toppling-of-the-trans-extremists/

Bindel, Julie (October 5, 2022). Mermaids is endangering children. UnHerd https://unherd.com/2022/10/mermaids-is-endangering-children/

Bindel, Julie (September 27, 2022). Sorry Sussex Police, but sex is relevant to sex crimes. UnHerd https://unherd.com/newsroom/sorry-sussex-police-but-sex-is-relevant-to-sex-crimes/

Bindel, Julie (September 21, 2022). Mermaids is a threat to gay rights. UnHerd https://unherd.com/2022/09/mermaids-is-a-threat-to-gay-rights/

Bindel, Julie (September 15, 2022). Scotland’s Tavistock must fall. UnHerd https://unherd.com/2022/09/scotlands-tavistock-must-fall/

Bindel, Julie (September 7, 2022). ‘Woman’ erased from Minister for Equalities job title. UnHerd https://unherd.com/newsroom/woman-erased-from-minister-for-equalities-job-title/

Bindel, Julie (August 11, 2022). Who will put an end to gender ID witch-hunts? UnHerd https://unherd.com/newsroom/who-will-put-an-end-to-gender-id-witch-hunts/

Bindel, Julie (July 28, 2022). Good riddance to the Tavistock Clinic. UnHerd https://unherd.com/newsroom/good-riddance-to-the-tavistock-clinic/

Bindel, Julie (July 28, 2022). How Allison Bailey crushed Stonewall. UnHerd https://unherd.com/2022/07/how-allison-bailey-crushed-stonewall/

Bindel, Julie (July 25, 2022). Stonewall thinks two-year-olds can be trans. UnHerd https://unherd.com/newsroom/stonewall-thinks-two-year-olds-can-be-trans/

Bindel, Julie (June 26, 2022). Nottingham City Council listens to activists, not women. UnHerd https://unherd.com/newsroom/nottingham-city-council-listens-to-activists-not-women/

Bindel, Julie (June 23, 2022). It’s time to say goodbye to the LGBTQ+ flag. UnHerd https://unherd.com/newsroom/its-time-to-say-goodbye-to-the-lgbtq-flag/

Bindel, Julie (June 21, 2022). BBC admits error on trans guest Fallon Fox. UnHerd https://unherd.com/newsroom/bbc-admits-error-on-trans-guest-fallon-fox/

Bindel, Julie (June 7, 2022). I was hounded out of school for ‘transphobia.’ UnHerd https://unherd.com/2022/06/i-was-hounded-out-of-school-for-transphobia/

Bindel, Julie (May 27, 2022). New York is betraying rape victims. UnHerd https://unherd.com/2022/05/new-york-is-betraying-rape-victims/

Bindel, Julie (May 25, 2022). QC compares lesbians refusing sex with transwomen to apartheid. UnHerd https://unherd.com/newsroom/qc-compares-lesbians-refusing-sex-with-transwomen-to-apartheid/

Bindel, Julie (April 22, 2022). JULIE BINDEL: What the new book fantasising about the death of JK Rowling tells us about the sickening hypocrisy of publishers today. Daily Mail https://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-10745141/JULIE-BINDEL-book-fantasising-Rowlings-death-tells-publishers.html

Bindel, Julie (April 21, 2022). Trans activists come for the LGB Alliance. UnHerd https://unherd.com/newsroom/trans-activists-come-for-the-lgb-alliance/

Bindel, Julie (April 14, 2022). JK Rowling and the lunch of secrets. UnHerd https://unherd.com/2022/04/jk-rowling-and-the-lunch-of-secrets/

Bindel, Julie (April 13, 2022). Beware of trans affirmation therapy. The Critic https://thecritic.co.uk/beware-of-trans-affirmation-therapy/

Bindel, Julie (April 11, 2022). The corruption of the feminist library. UnHerd https://unherd.com/2022/04/the-corruption-of-the-feminist-library/

Bindel, Julie (March 21, 2022). How gender self-ID is being abused. UnHerd https://unherd.com/2022/03/how-gender-self-id-is-being-abused/

Bindel, Julie (March 17, 2022). Why York University de-platformed me. UnHerd https://unherd.com/newsroom/why-york-university-de-platformed-me/

Bindel, Julie (March 16, 2022). Why is prostitution being pushed on young trans people? The Critic https://thecritic.co.uk/why-is-prostitution-being-pushed-on-young-trans-people/

Bindel, Julie (February 10, 2022). Ceramicist de-platformed for being a ‘SWERF.’ UnHerd https://unherd.com/newsroom/ceramicist-de-platformed-for-being-a-swerf/

Bindel, Julie (January 13, 2022). Sexists in gay armour. The Critic https://thecritic.co.uk/sexists-in-gay-armour/

Bindel, Julie (December 19, 2021). The Scout Association apologises to Maya Forstater over ‘misgendering.’ UnHerd https://unherd.com/newsroom/scout-association-apologises-to-maya-forstater/

Bindel, Julie (November 27, 2021). Women are being sold down the river – by charities terrified of the trans mob, writes JULIE BINDEL, co-founder of Justice for Women. Daily Mail https://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-10249631/Women-sold-river-charities-terrified-trans-mob-writes-JULIE-BINDEL.html

Bindel, Julie (November 26, 2021). Janice Raymond: the original Terf. UnHerd https://unherd.com/2021/11/meet-the-original-terf/

Bindel, Julie (November 23, 2021). The sinister stunt against JK Rowling. UnHerd https://unherd.com/newsroom/the-sinister-stunt-against-jk-rowling/

Bindel, Julie (November 20, 2021). Why I sued PinkNews. UnHerd https://unherd.com/2021/11/why-i-sued-pinknews/

Bindel, Julie (November 10, 2021). Protect the female estate. The Critic https://thecritic.co.uk/protect-the-female-estate/

Bindel, Julie (November 10, 2021). The BBC finally dumps Stonewall. UnHerd https://unherd.com/newsroom/the-bbc-finally-dumps-stonewall/

Bindel, Julie (November 4, 2021). Kathleen Stock: I won’t be silenced. UnHerd https://unherd.com/2021/11/kathleen-stock-i-wont-be-silenced/

Bindel, Julie (October 28, 2021). The return of lesbian pride. UnHerd https://unherd.com/2021/10/the-return-of-lesbian-pride/

Bindel, Julie (October 16, 2021). The misogyny of trans activists. UnHerd https://unherd.com/newsroom/the-misogyny-of-trans-activists/

Bindel, Julie (October 15, 2021). Trans activism’s war on solidarity. UnHerd https://unherd.com/2021/10/trans-activisms-war-on-solidarity/

Bindel, Julie (September 8, 2021). No Judith Butler, gender-critical feminists aren’t ‘fascists.’ UnHerd https://unherd.com/newsroom/no-judith-butler-gender-critical-feminists-arent-fascists/

Bindel, Julie (August 11, 2021). The University of Essex abandons its faculty to ideologues. UnHerd https://unherd.com/newsroom/the-university-of-essex-abandons-its-faculty-to-ideologues/

Bindel, Julie (August 3, 2021). ‘Preferred pronouns’ are a form of sexist bullying. UnHerd https://unherd.com/newsroom/preferred-pronouns-are-a-form-of-sexist-bullying/

Bindel, Julie (July 23, 2021). You can’t silence a feminist. UnHerd https://unherd.com/2021/07/you-cant-silence-a-feminist/

Bindel, Julie (June 17, 2021). The Fawcett Society has let women down. UnHerd https://unherd.com/newsroom/the-fawcett-society-has-let-women-down/

Bindel, Julie (June 4, 2021). Universities have destroyed feminism. UnHerd https://unherd.com/2021/06/universities-have-destroyed-feminism/

Bindel, Julie (March 9, 2021). The Miller case exposes the tyranny of trans activism. UnHerd https://unherd.com/newsroom/the-miller-case-exposes-the-tyranny-of-trans-activism/

Bindel, Julie (February 9, 2021). Why is gender studies promoting anti-women literature? UnHerd https://unherd.com/newsroom/why-is-gender-studies-promoting-anti-women-literature/

Bindel, Julie (October 21, 2020). Why won’t the BBC stand up for feminism? UnHerd https://unherd.com/newsroom/why-wont-the-bbc-stand-up-for-feminism/

Bindel, Julie (October 12, 2020). Feminism’s dangerous new allies. UnHerd https://unherd.com/2020/10/feminisms-dangerous-new-allies/

Bindel, Julie (October 2, 2020). End the silence on gender identity services. UnHerd https://unherd.com/newsroom/end-the-silence-on-gender-identify-services/

Bindel, Julie (September 23, 2020). Why women suffer most from cancel culture. UnHerd https://unherd.com/newsroom/why-women-suffer-most-from-cancel-culture/

Bindel, Julie (August 26, 2020). Stop searching for the ‘gay gene.’ UnHerd https://unherd.com/2020/08/stop-searching-for-the-gay-gene/

Bindel, Julie (August 25, 2020). Yet another feminist burned at the stake. UnHerd https://unherd.com/newsroom/yet-another-feminist-burned-at-the-stake/

Bindel, Julie (August 11, 2020). Emma Watson, accidental Thatcherite. UnHerd https://unherd.com/newsroom/emma-watsons-neoliberal-nonsense/

Bindel, Julie (May 11, 2020). Why are we placing high-risk trans sex offenders in women’s prisons? UnHerd https://unherd.com/newsroom/why-are-we-placing-trans-sex-offenders-in-womens-prisons/

Bindel, Julie (April 21, 2020). Don’t let the word ‘lesbian’ go out of fashion. UnHerd https://unherd.com/newsroom/lets-not-let-the-word-lesbian-go-out-of-fashion/

Bindel, Julie (April 3, 2020). The Orban decree is scary — but it’s about more than trans rights. UnHerd https://unherd.com/newsroom/the-orban-decree-is-scary-but-its-about-more-than-trans-rights/

Bindel, Julie (March 19, 2020). The appalling treatment of Suzanne Moore. UnHerd https://unherd.com/newsroom/the-appalling-treatment-of-suzanne-moore/

Bindel, Julie (February 28, 2020). Feminism’s job is far from finished. UnHerd https://unherd.com/2020/02/feminisms-job-is-far-from-finished/

Bindel, Julie (December 20, 2019). What if you regret transitioning? UnHerd https://unherd.com/2019/12/the-nhs-is-failing-trans-kids/

Bindel, Julie (October 18, 2019). Don’t you dare ask my pronouns. UnHerd https://unherd.com/2019/10/dont-you-dare-ask-my-pronouns/

Bindel, Julie (April 16, 2019). The birth of the transsexual empire. UnHerd https://unherd.com/2019/04/the-transsexual-empire/

Bindel, Julie (March 20, 2019). How transgender turf wars put lives in danger. UnHerd https://unherd.com/2019/03/how-transgender-turf-wars-put-lives-in-danger/

Bindel, Julie (December 21, 2018). What does gender have to do with genitals? UnHerd https://unherd.com/2018/12/what-does-gender-have-to-do-with-genitals/

Bindel, Julie (October 24, 2018). Why woke keyboard warriors should respect their elders. UnHerd https://unherd.com/2018/10/woke-keyboard-warriors-respect-elders/

Bindel, Julie (October 10, 2018). Why the transbullies are a threat to us all. UnHerd https://unherd.com/2018/10/why-the-transbullies-are-a-threat-to-us-all/

Bindel, Julie (September 10, 2018). The Left has forgotten what feminism looks like. UnHerd https://unherd.com/2018/09/left-forgotten-feminism-looks-like/

Bindel, Julie (August 2, 2018). What’s wrong with these closed-minded snowflakes? UnHerd https://unherd.com/2018/08/whats-wrong-closed-minded-snowflakes/

Bindel, Julie (June 27, 2018). Who let the thought police invade our universities? UnHerd https://unherd.com/2018/06/let-thought-police-invade-universities/

Bindel, Julie (March 19, 2018). Why you can’t rely on the news media to understand… trans issues. UnHerd https://unherd.com/2018/03/cant-rely-news-media-understand-trans-issues/

Bindel, Julie (November 8, 2008). It’s not me. It’s you. The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2008/nov/08/lesbianism

Bindel, Julie (2008). 2008 Statement from Julie Bindel. Idge of Reason https://idgeofreason.wordpress.com/2013/09/12/2008-statement-from-julie-bindel/

Bindel, Julie (August 1, 2007). My trans mission. The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2007/aug/01/mytransmission

Bindel, Julie (March 14, 2007). An end to gender. The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2007/mar/14/juliebindel

Bindel, Julie (January 31, 2004). Gender benders, beware. The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/world/2004/jan/31/gender.weekend7

Media

Julie Bindel with Ray Blanchard (October 9, 2025). The man that coined the term ‘autogynephilia.’ https://juliebindel.substack.com/p/the-man-that-coined-the-term-autogynephilia-efa

Julie Bindel with Linda Riley (May 20, 2025). Does Linda Riley, former owner of Diva Magazine, REALLY believe in gender ideology? https://juliebindel.substack.com/p/does-linda-riley-former-owner-of

Resources

RationalWiki (rationalwiki.org)

Wikipedia (en.wikipedia.org)

Julie Bindel (thejuliebindel.com)

Justice for Women (justiceforwomen.org.uk)

X/Twitter (x.com)

Substack (substack.com)

The Guardian (theguardian.com)

UnHerd (unherd.com)

The Critic (thecritic.co.uk)

New Statesman (newstatesman.com)

Andrew Sullivan is a conservative gay cultural critic and anti-transgender extremist. The Advocate noted that Sullivan “represents everything wrong with the gay rights movement.”

Sullivan is an LGB separatist who subscribes to the “gay erasure” conspiracy theory that healthcare for trans and gender diverse youth is a plan to eliminate gay, lesbian, and bisexual people.

Sullivan says Catholic upbringing and values inform this conservatism. Sullivan’s gender critical views include:

  • Criticizing legal protections based on gender identity
  • Criticizing affirmative care for gender diverse youth
  • Promoting the ex-transgender movement
  • Stating that trans youth should wait until 16 for health services
  • Citing anti-trans research like Lisa Littman’s “rapid onset gender dysphoria“

Sullivan believes that “Stonewall was the downfall of the gay movement” and that “the gay movement was hijacked in the seventies” by activists.

Sullivan is a board member of anti-trans group Foundation Against Intolerance & Racism.

Background

In 1986, Sullivan took a role at The New Republic, rising to editor in 1991 before being fired in 1996. Sullivan’s 1989 article “Here Comes the Groom” is frequently cited as an important moment in shifting conservative opinion on marriage equality.

Sullivan wrote for The New York Times Magazine from 1998 until getting fired in 2002. During that time Sullivan started a blog called The Dish that ran until 2015. From 2016 to 2020 Sullivan wrote for New York magazine, then moved to Substack.

Anti-trans activism

Sullivan frequently appears in the media to attack trans people, especially gender diverse children.

Sullivan has collaborated with anti-trans activists, including Katie Herzog, Megyn Kelly, Bill Maher, Konstantin Kisin, and Francis Foster.

Podcast

In October 2020, Sullivan began the Dishcast, which has hosted many anti-trans activists, including David Frum, Michelle Goldberg, Rod Dreher, Eric Kaufmann, Lionel Shriver, Nellie Bowles, Bill Maher, Richard Dawkins, Abigail Shrier, Carole Hooven, Pamela Paul, Leor Sapir, Vivek Ramaswamy, Hannah Barnes, Nicholas Wade, Ben Appel, Matt Taibbi, Glen Loury, Louise Perry, David French, Douglas Murray, Bari Weiss, Jonathan Haidt, Kathleen Stock, Christopher Rufo, Michael Shellenberger, Ann Coulter, Steven Pinker, Ross Douthat, Wesley Yang, Katie Herzog, Charles Murray, Niall Ferguson, Julie Bindel, Emily Yoffe, Sally Satel, Glenn Greenwald, Kmele Foster, Caitlin Flanagan, Meghan Daum, Matt Yglesias, and Coleman Hughes.

Sullivan has also hosted conservative trans activist Buck Angel, ex-trans activist Helena Kerschner, and centrist trans activists Mara Keisling and Dana Beyer.

References

Reis, Elizabeth (July 16, 2025). Our Bodies, Our Decisions: A Response to Andrew Sullivan’s NYT Essay. Nursing Clio https://nursingclio.org/2025/07/16/our-bodies-our-decisions-a-response-to-andrew-sullivans-nyt-essay/

Lieberman, Tucker (Jul 6, 2025). 15 Ways Andrew Sullivan’s NYT Essay Undermines Trans Adults. Medium https://tuckerlieberman.medium.com/15-ways-andrew-sullivan-nyt-trans-adults-ed903b683611

Bianco, Marcie (July 2, 2025). Andrew Sullivan represents everything wrong with the gay rights movement. The Advocate https://www.advocate.com/voices/andrew-sullivan-everything-wrong

Urquhart, Evan (June 26, 2025). NYT Publishes Andrew Sullivan’s Incoherent Mishmash of Anti-Trans Politics. Assigned Media https://www.assignedmedia.org/breaking-news/new-york-times-andrew-sullivan-incoherant-anti-trans-politics

Brantley, Will [editor] (2024). Conversations with Sarah Schulman. University Press of Mississippi, ISBN 978-1-4968-4836-9 https://doi.org/10.2307/jj.10782311.10

Finke, Leigh (April 28, 2021). From Andrew Sullivan to Terry Schilling: Framing Transition as Evil. The Advocate https://www.advocate.com/commentary/2021/4/28/andrew-sullivan-terry-schilling-framing-transition-evil

Marr, Rhuaridh (December 30, 2020). Gay conservative Andrew Sullivan complains about lesbians ‘becoming men’ in anti-trans column. Sullivan’s complaints about lesbian women not tending to him while sick led to confusion on Twitter. Metro Weekly https://www.metroweekly.com/2020/12/gay-conservative-andrew-sullivan-complains-about-lesbians-becoming-men-in-anti-trans-column/

Schindler, Paul (February 1, 2018). The Trouble With Andrew Sullivan. Gay City News https://gaycitynews.com/the-trouble-with-andrew-sullivan/

Belonsky, Andrew (October 12, 2007). Andrew Sullivan Supports Barney Frank. Queerty http://www.queerty.com/andrew-sullivan-supports-barney-frank-20071012/

Anti-trans coverage

Coyne, Jerry (June 26, 2025). An important article by Andrew Sullivan. Why Evolution Is True https://whyevolutionistrue.com/2025/06/26/an-important-article-by-andrew-sullivan/

Hays, Gabriel (June 26, 2025). Gay journalist says LGBTQ movement has gone from civil rights success to ‘madness.’ Fox News https://nypost.com/2025/06/26/us-news/gay-journalist-says-lgbtq-movement-has-gone-from-civil-rights-success-to-madness/

Selected writing by Sullivan

Sullivan, Andrew (June 26, 2025). How the Gay Rights Movement Radicalized, and Lost Its Way. New York Times https://www.nytimes.com/2025/06/26/opinion/gay-lesbian-trans-rights.html alt headline: Gay People Won. So Why Does It Feel As if We’re Losing?

Sullivan, Andrew (October 18, 2024). Rachel Levine Must Resign. Substack https://andrewsullivan.substack.com/p/rachel-levine-must-resign

Sullivan, Andrew (April 12, 2024). Will Big Trans Be Held To Account? The Cass Report has definitively destroyed their case for child sex-changes. Substack https://andrewsullivan.substack.com/p/will-big-trans-be-held-to-account-3ad

Sullivan, Andrew (March 15, 2024). The Transqueers Take The Mask Off: Judith Butler and Andrea Long Chu explain their gender revolution. It’s wild! Substack https://andrewsullivan.substack.com/p/the-transqueers-take-the-mask-off-f7c

Sullivan, Andrew (February 2, 2024). The Meaningless Incoherence Of “LGBTQ+.” Substack https://andrewsullivan.substack.com/p/the-meaningless-incoherence-of-lgbtq-d47

Sullivan, Andrew (June 23, 2023). Gay Rights And The Limits Of Liberalism. Substack https://andrewsullivan.substack.com/p/gay-rights-and-the-limits-of-liberalism-be4

Sullivan, Andrew (May 19, 2023). The Queers Versus The Homosexuals. Substack https://andrewsullivan.substack.com/p/the-queers-versus-the-homosexuals-cfd

Sullivan, Andrew (March 24, 2023). Culture War Politics And The English Language. Substack https://andrewsullivan.substack.com/p/culture-war-politics-and-the-english-706

Sullivan, Andrew (April 8, 2022). Who Is Looking Out For Gay Kids? Substack https://andrewsullivan.substack.com/p/who-is-looking-out-for-gay-kids-a19

Sullivan, Andrew (February 18, 2022). The Backlash Against Trans Extremism. Substack https://andrewsullivan.substack.com/p/the-backlash-against-trans-extremism

Sullivan, Andrew (February 18, 2022). The Trans Movement Is Not About Rights Anymore. Substack https://andrewsullivan.substack.com/p/the-trans-movement-is-not-about-rights-67e

Sullivan, Andrew (October 8, 2021). Dave Chappelle Is Right, Isn’t He? The comedian defends reality. Which is currently under siege. Substack https://andrewsullivan.substack.com/p/dave-chappelle-is-right-isnt-he-b23

Sullivan, Andrew (April 9, 2021). A Truce Proposal in the Trans Wars. Substack https://andrewsullivan.substack.com/p/a-truce-proposal-in-the-trans-wars-c49

Ring, Trudy (July 15, 2020). Right-Leaning Out Journalists Bari Weiss, Andrew Sullivan Leave Posts. The Advocate https://www.advocate.com/media/2020/7/15/right-leaning-out-journalists-bari-weiss-andrew-sullivan-leave-posts

Sullivan, Andrew (November 1, 2019). The Hard Questions About Young People and Gender Transitions. Intelligencer http://nymag.com/intelligencer/2019/11/andrew-sullivan-hard-questions-gender-transitions-for-young.html

Sullivan, Andrew (September 20, 2019). When the Ideologues Come for the Kids. Intelligencer https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2019/09/andrew-sullivan-when-the-ideologues-come-for-the-kids.html

Sullivan, Andrew (February 1, 2019). The Nature of Sex. Intelligencer https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2019/02/andrew-sullivan-the-nature-of-sex.html

Ennis, Dawn (January 28, 2015). Andrew Sullivan Says Goodbye to the Blogosphere. The Advocate https://www.advocate.com/politics/media/2015/01/28/andrew-sullivan-says-goodbye-blogosphere

Sullivan, Andrew (June 2, 2014). Engaging The T. The Dish https://dish.andrewsullivan.com/threads/engaging-the-t/

Kornbluth, Jesse (April 11, 2011). Profile of Andrew Sullivan, blogger supreme. Harvard Magazine https://www.harvardmagazine.com/2011/04/worlds-best-blogger

Sullivan, Andrew (August 28, 1989). Here Comes The Groom: A (conservative) case for gay marriage. The New Republic https://newrepublic.com/article/79054/here-comes-the-groom

Media

The Dishcast with Andrew Sullivan and Brianna Wu (December 27, 2024). Brianna Wu On Trans Life. https://andrewsullivan.substack.com/p/brianna-wu-on-trans-life

Club Random with Bill Maher and Andrew Sullivan (March 2, 2023). Why Being Gay is now considered Bigoted w/ Andrew Sullivan. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H-Gf3RRGDM0

Megyn Kelly and Andrew Sullivan (October 10, 2022). The Lies of “Gender Affirming Care” Grow More Extreme, with Andrew Sullivan. The Megyn Kelly Show https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c87CuvD5j24

TRIGGERnometry with Konstantin Kisin, Francis Foster, and Andrew Sullivan (June 29, 2022) Andrew Sullivan: “Leave Kids the F*ck Alone!” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K8f_f-lhuUw

Real Time with Bill Maher, Katie Herzog, Andrew Sullivan, and Christine Emba (June 24, 2022). Overtime: Andrew Sullivan, Katie Herzog, Christine Emba | Real Time with Bill Maher (HBO). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G7QITC__mV4

Andrew Sullivan with Mara Keisling (February 26, 2021). Mara Keisling On The Trans Debate. https://andrewsullivan.substack.com/p/mara-keisling-on-the-trans-debate

Andrew Sullivan with Dana Beyer (November 27, 2020). Dana Beyer On Her Trans Victories, The Science Of Sex, And The Tensions Within “LGBTQ.” Substack https://andrewsullivan.substack.com/p/dana-beyer-on-her-trans-victories

Resources

Andrew Sullivan (andrewsullivan.com)

X/Twitter (x.com)

Substack (substack.com)

Wikipedia (en.wikipedia.org)

Facebook (facebook.com)

The Atlantic (theatlantic.com)

New York Magazine (https://nymag.com/author/andrew-sullivan/)

Digital Riptide (digitalriptide.org)

New York Times (nytimes.com)

The New Republic (newrepublic.com)

Slate (slate.com)

Big Think (bigthink.com)

YouTube (youtube.com)

The New Yorker (newyorker.com)

The Daily Beast (thedailybeast.com)

C-SPAN (c-span.org)

IMDb (imdb.com)

Foundation Against Intoleranve & Racism (fairforall.org)

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

DarkHorse Podcast is hosted by biologists Bret Weinstein and Heather Heying. It features many anti-trans guests associated with the intellectual dark web.

Background

Weinstein and Heying became conservative celebrities after resigning from Evergreen State College in 2017. After making numerous podcast appearances, they started their own.

During the 2020 COVID pandemic, they became key figures in vaccine skepticism and promotion of alternatives like ivermectin.

Episodes

Many episodes discuss current topics about trans issues, with several devoted primarily to sex and gender.

Guests

DarkHorse Podcast guests include many key figures in the modern anti-transgender movement, including:

The New Yorker is an American media organization. Its coverage of trans topics has been generally nuanced and balanced.

Background

The New Yorker was founded in 1925. It primarily covers culture and profiles figures in the news.

Trans and gender diverse coverage

Trans and gender diverse people they have covered or who have bylines include:

  • Jane Schoenbrun
  • Lucy Sante
  • Paul B. Preciado
  • Masha Gessen
  • Mónica Taboada-Tapia
  • Greek Lankton
  • Elliot Page
  • Imogen Binnie
  • Lia Thomas
  • Maia Kobabe
  • Caitlyn Jenner
  • Candy Darling
  • Judith Butler
  • Torrey Peters
  • Joey Soloway
  • Christine Hallquist
  • Peppermint
  • T Cooper
  • Janet Mock
  • Michelle Ainsworth and Jennifer Lee
  • Gavin Grimm
  • Jordy Rosenberg

The magazine has also profiled people who work closely with trans and gender diverse people, including photographers Ethan James Green and Melody Melamed, and plastic surgeon Jordan Deschamps-Braly.

What Is a Woman? (2014)

In 2014, The New Yorker tackled the conflict between “radical feminism vs. transgenderism” on their podcast, discussing a piece by Michelle Goldberg that sympathetically profiled gender critical activists. The full title of Goldberg’s piece is “What is a Woman? The dispute between radical feminism and transgenderism.”

Goldberg outlines the 1973 controversy around attacks on trans singer Beth Elliott at the West Coast Lesbian Conference, as well as the attacks on artist Sandy Stone in the late 1970s.

Goldberg interviews Lierre Keith at a Radfems Respond event in Portland, Oregon, and name-drops several others:

Goldberg also interviewed biologist Julia Serano for the piece. Serano wrote several critical responses, sharing all email correspondence with Goldberg. Serano was concerned about how Sheila Jeffreys misused passages from Serano’s autobiography to claim Serano was “autogynephilic.” Although Goldberg removed some of the passages in the draft after Serano objected, Serano wrote that Goldberg “casually mentions that Jeffreys (who is depicted as a sympathetic, if eccentric, character in the article) considers me to be an ‘autogynephile’ without mentioning any of my arguments against the theory and Jeffreys’s hypocritical appropriation of it.”

In Columbia Journalism Review, Jos Truitt sharply criticized Goldberg’s framing:

To any observer aware of the conflict, the article reads like a push piece for Jeffreys’ book: It accepts her framing on a number of issues, and the only trans woman voices, included at the end of the article, are women trans-exclusionary radical feminists have attempted to discredit, quoted using trans-exclusionary feminists’ framing. Goldberg establishes that trans identities should be up for debate by first quoting a trans-exclusionary radical feminist using male pronouns to refer to trans women, and then using male pronouns herself.

A Club for the Cancelled (2023)

Emma Green’s profile of the “Gathering of Thought Criminals” gives a glimpse into one reactionary network that was part of the burgeoning anti-trans movement. People mentioned include:

Is It Possible to Be Both Moderate and Anti-Woke? (2023)

Emma Green’s profile of “anti-woke nonprofits” chronicles how Foundation Against Intolerance & Racism was founded and mismanaged. People mentioned include many leading lights in anti-transgender activism:

Christopher Rufo profile (2023)

Emma Green’s brief profile of anti-trans extremist Christopher Rufo’s 2023 book tour for America’s Cultural Revolution mentions Manhattan Institute president Reihan Salam and Rufo’s chief of staff Armen Tooloee:

As the waitstaff packed up the booze, Rufo reminisced with Armen Tooloee, his chief of staff. “We got surrounded by a mob of angry non-binaries in Florida,” Rufo said. Tooloee “walks in with the biggest smile on his face, like yea-a-ah. There’s cops everywhere. And Armen is in a state of bliss. He’s like a Buddha!” Tooloee, who has a groomed beard, said that he’d had a lot of practice dealing with progressive protesters as an undergraduate, when he ran a College Republicans’ “affirmative-action bake sale.” (Black students got cheaper cookies than white students, for example.)

Selected articles

Thomas, Louisa (January 19, 2025). What’s Really Behind the House Bill to Ban Transgender Athletes from School Sports? The New Yorker https://www.newyorker.com/sports/sporting-scene/whats-really-behind-the-house-bill-to-ban-transgender-athletes-from-school-sports

Seidlitz, Holden (June 10, 2024). Jane Schoenbrun Finds Horror Close to Home. The New Yorker https://www.newyorker.com/culture/persons-of-interest/jane-schoenbrun-finds-horror-close-to-home

Brody, Richard (May 3, 2024). “I Saw the TV Glow” Is a Profound Vision of the Trans Experience. The New Yorker https://www.newyorker.com/culture/the-front-row/i-saw-the-tv-glow-is-a-profound-vision-of-the-trans-experience

Witt, Emily (March 21, 2024). How Lucy Sante Became the Person She Feared. The New Yorker https://www.newyorker.com/books/page-turner/how-lucy-sante-became-the-person-she-feared

Brody, Richard (November 10, 2023). A Philosopher-Filmmaker’s Polyphonic Perspective on Trans Experience. The New Yorker https://www.newyorker.com/culture/the-front-row/a-philosopher-filmmakers-polyphonic-perspective-on-trans-experience

Green, Emma (August 14, 2023). Conservative Pirates Take Park Avenue. The New Yorker https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2023/08/21/conservative-pirates-take-the-mondrian-hotel [later retitled Counterprogramming]

Green, Emma (June 5, 2023). Is It Possible to Be Both Moderate and Anti-Woke? The New Yorker https://www.newyorker.com/news/annals-of-activism/is-it-possible-to-be-both-moderate-and-anti-woke

Remmick, David (March 11, 2023). What We Talk About When We Talk About Trans Rights. The New Yorker https://www.newyorker.com/news/the-new-yorker-interview/what-we-talk-about-when-we-talk-about-trans-rights

Mackey, Danielle (December 21, 2022). Isolation and Belonging in “Two-Spirit.” The New Yorker https://www.newyorker.com/culture/the-new-yorker-documentary/isolation-and-belonging-in-two-spirit

Fateman, Johanna (November 28, 2022). Greer Lankton’s Lonely Dolls. The New Yorker https://www.newyorker.com/culture/photo-booth/greer-lanktons-lonely-dolls

Long, Crispin (July 12, 2022). Elliot Page Brings His Misfit Characters to Life. The New Yorker https://www.newyorker.com/culture/culture-desk/elliot-page-brings-his-misfit-characters-to-life

Burt, Stephanie (June 20, 2022). The Invention of the Trans Novel. The New Yorker https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2022/06/27/the-invention-of-the-trans-novel-imogen-binnie-nevada

Gessen, Masha (June 14, 2022). How Kyiv’s L.G.B.T.Q. Community Found Shelter from the Russian Invasion. The New Yorker https://www.newyorker.com/news/dispatch/how-kyivs-lgbtq-community-found-shelter-from-the-russian-invasion

Thomas, Louisa (March 17, 2022). How One Swimmer Became the Focus of a Debate About Trans Athletes. The New Yorker https://www.newyorker.com/sports/sporting-scene/how-one-swimmer-became-the-focus-of-a-debate-about-trans-athletes

Long, Crispin (January 31, 2021). The Insider Insights of “Detransition, Baby.” The New Yorker https://www.newyorker.com/books/page-turner/the-insider-insights-of-detransition-baby

Kobabe, Maia (December 18, 2020). The Best Gifts I Received Before Top Surgery. The New Yorker https://www.newyorker.com/humor/daily-shouts/best-gifts-i-received-before-top-surgery

Editors (June 9, 2019). Sunday Reading: Pride & the Fiftieth Anniversary of Stonewall. The New Yorker https://www.newyorker.com/books/double-take/sunday-reading-pride-and-the-fiftieth-anniversary-of-stonewall

Als, Hilton (March 24, 2019). “To Live in the World, and Not to Hide”: An Interview with Janet Mock. The New Yorker https://www.newyorker.com/culture/the-new-yorker-interview/to-live-in-the-world-and-not-to-hide-an-interview-with-janet-mock

Schulman, Michael (March 12, 2019). A Counterculture Portraitist’s Chronicle of New York’s Youth. The New Yorker https://www.newyorker.com/culture/photo-booth/a-counterculture-portraitists-chronicle-of-new-yorks-youth

Lipstein, Ray (November 26, 2018). “Man Made,” a Film About Transgender Bodybuilders, Upends the Traditional Documentary Gaze. The New Yorker https://www.newyorker.com/culture/culture-desk/man-made-a-film-about-transgender-bodybuilders-upends-the-traditional-documentary-gaze

Solowat, [Joey] (October 7, 2018), [Joey] Soloway Tells the Personal Story Behind “Transparent.” The New Yorker https://www.newyorker.com/culture/personal-history/are-you-sitting-down

Gessen, Masha (August 16, 2018). Christine Hallquist’s Vermont Win and the Emergence of Transgender Politicians. The New Yorker https://www.newyorker.com/news/our-columnists/christine-hallquists-vermont-win-and-the-emergence-of-transgender-politicians

Schulman, Michael (July 27, 2018). “Head Over Heels,” Reviewed: A Trans-Positive Spin on a Sixteenth-Century Romance, with Help from the Go-Go’s. The New Yorker https://www.newyorker.com/culture/culture-desk/head-over-heels-reviewed-a-trans-positive-spin-on-a-sixteenth-century-romance-with-help-from-the-go-gos

Waldman, Katy (June 27, 2018). “Confessions of the Fox” Is a Cunning Metafiction of Vulpine Versatility. The New Yorker https://www.newyorker.com/books/page-turner/confessions-of-the-fox-is-a-cunning-metafiction-of-vulpine-versatility

Mead, Rebecca (March 12, 2018). The Story of a Trans Woman’s Face. The New Yorker https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2018/03/19/the-story-of-a-trans-womans-face

Goetsch, Diana (March 6, 2018). Teaching William Zinsser to Write Poetry. The New Yorker https://www.newyorker.com/culture/personal-history/teaching-william-zinsser-to-write-poetry

Hart, Michelle (July 16, 2017). Portrait of a Couple in Love and in Transition. The New Yorker https://www.newyorker.com/culture/photo-booth/a-portrait-of-a-middle-aged-couple-in-transition

Bridy, Richard (April 7, 2017). A Film Series Explores the Crossing of Gender Lines. The New Yorker https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2017/04/17/a-film-series-explores-the-crossing-of-gender-lines

Gersen, Jeannie Suk (December 6, 2016). Gavin Grimm’s Transgender-Rights Case and the Problem with Informal Executive Action. The New Yorker https://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/gavin-grimms-transgender-rights-case-and-the-problem-with-informal-executive-action

Seliger, Mark (July 25, 2016). The Trans Community of Christopher Street. The New Yorker https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2016/08/01/the-trans-community-of-christopher-street

Alford, Henry (June 13, 2016). North Carolina Police Blotter. The New Yorker https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2016/06/20/north-carolina-police-blotter-by-henry-alford

Socarides, Richard (March 28, 2016). North Carolina and the Gay-Rights Backlash. The New Yorker https://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/north-carolina-and-the-gay-rights-backlash

Dunham, Cyrus Grace (February 8, 2016). The Forgotten Ones: Queer and Trans Lives in the Prison System. The New Yorker https://www.newyorker.com/books/page-turner/the-forgotten-ones-queer-and-trans-lives-in-the-prison-system

Gersen, Jeannie Suk (January 25, 2016). Who’s Afraid of Gender-Neutral Bathrooms? The New Yorker https://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/whos-afraid-of-same-sex-bathrooms

Dunham, Cyrus Grace (November 19, 2015). Stuck in Stonewall. The New Yorker https://www.newyorker.com/culture/culture-desk/stuck-in-stonewall

Weinstein, Michael M. (November 17, 2015). Transgender Portraits and the Things a Body Won’t Tell. The New Yorker https://www.newyorker.com/culture/photo-booth/transgender-portraits-and-the-things-a-body-wont-tell

Burt, Stephanie (July 27, 2015). Kim, Caitlyn, and the People We Want to See. The New Yorker https://www.newyorker.com/culture/cultural-comment/kim-caitlyn-and-the-people-we-want-to-see

Mead, Rebecca (June 2, 2015). Caitlyn Jenner’s Big Début. The New Yorker https://www.newyorker.com/culture/cultural-comment/caitlyn-jenners-big-debut

Scott, Andrea K. (May 8, 2015). Zanele Muholi. The New Yorker https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2015/05/18/out-look

La Force, Thessaly (April 26, 2015). Bruce Jenner and the Modern American Family. The New Yorker https://www.newyorker.com/culture/culture-desk/bruce-jenner-and-the-modern-american-family

Goldberg, Michelle (July 28, 2014). What Is a Woman? The dispute between radical feminism and transgenderism. The New Yorker https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2014/08/04/woman-2

Editors (July 28, 2014). Out Loud: Radical Feminism Vs. Transgenderism. The New Yorker https://www.newyorker.com/culture/culture-desk/loud-radical-feminism-vs-transgenderism

Als, Hilton (April 18, 2011). Self-Made Woman. The New Yorker https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2011/04/25/self-made-woman

Levy, Ariel (November 19, 2009). Either/Or. The New Yorker https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2009/11/30/caster-semenya-profile-either-or

Als, Hilton (July 13, 2009). Diva Deconstructed. The New Yorker https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2009/07/20/diva-deconstructed

Media

(May 31, 2024). The Trans Athletes Who Changed the Olympics—in 1936 https://www.newyorker.com/podcast/the-new-yorker-radio-hour/the-trans-athletes-who-changed-the-olympics-in-1936

(March 15, 2024). Judith Butler Can’t “Take Credit or Blame” for Gender Furor. https://www.newyorker.com/podcast/the-new-yorker-radio-hour/judith-butler-cant-take-credit-or-blame-for-gender-furor

(June 9, 2023). At an Embattled Moment, the New York Times’ Publisher Makes a Stand https://www.newyorker.com/podcast/the-new-yorker-radio-hour/at-an-embattled-moment-the-new-york-timess-publisher-makes-a-stand

(March 13, 2023). Masha Gessen on the War Against Trans Rights https://www.newyorker.com/podcast/political-scene/masha-gessen-on-the-war-against-trans-rights

(November 4, 2022). Confronting Harassment in “Night Ride” https://www.newyorker.com/culture/screening-room/confronting-harassment-in-night-ride

(June 1, 2022). Rethinking Identity and Testosterone in “Imagine a Body” https://www.newyorker.com/culture/the-new-yorker-documentary/rethinking-identity-and-testosterone-in-imagine-a-body

(May 20, 2022). The Attack on Gender-Affirming Medical Care https://www.newyorker.com/podcast/the-new-yorker-radio-hour/the-attack-on-gender-affirming-medical-care

(October 27, 2021). A Texan Housepainter’s Journey to Gender Confidence https://www.newyorker.com/culture/the-new-yorker-documentary/a-texan-housepainters-journey-to-gender-confidence

Long, Crispin (June 24, 2020). “Raising Baby Grey” Explores the World of Gender-Neutral Parenting https://www.newyorker.com/culture/the-new-yorker-documentary/raising-baby-grey-explores-the-world-of-gender-neutral-parenting

Als, Hilton (January 7, 2019). Janet Mock Finds Her Voice. https://www.newyorker.com/podcast/political-scene/janet-mock-finds-her-voice

Sasha Weiss, Margaret Talbot, and Michelle Goldberg (July 28, 2014). Out Loud: Radical Feminism Vs. Transgenderism. https://www.newyorker.com/culture/culture-desk/loud-radical-feminism-vs-transgenderism

Resources

The New Yorker (newyorker.com)

Glenn Loury is an American economist and key figure in the intellectual dark web, a gateway to the far right.

Loury is connected to a number of anti-trans figures.

Podcast

Guests include:

References

Loury, Glenn (April 25, 2023). Does “T” Belong with “LGB”?-https://glennloury.substack.com/p/does-t-belong-with-lgb

The Wall Street Journal is an American media organization that publishes consistently anti-trans content, especially on the Opinion page.

Their journalism is considered center to center-right, and the editorial page is considered right-wing/conservative. The opinion section frequently promotes and platforms major anti-trans voices, including Ben Appel, Farr Curlin, Erin Friday, Roy Eappen, Gerald Posner, J. Michael Bailey, Abigail Shrier, Leor Sapir, and Colin Wright.

Contributors

In 2023, the WSJ significantly increased its anti-transgender coverage.

Leor Sapir and Colin Wright wrote a piece attacking academic publisher Springer after it retracted an unethical paper by J. Michael Bailey in 2023. The previous year, Wright had invoked the “tomboy erasure” conspiracy theory that claims gender diverse cisgender children are being forced to transition as a form of anti-LGB conversion therapy.

Abigail Shrier was allowed to complain about “The Transgender War on Women.”

Joe Barrett covered state recognition of trans identity documents. Jathon Sapsford and Stephanie Armour quoted anti-trans activist Leor Sapir, and Republican politicians Dan Crenshaw and Chris Christie, with rebuttal by Democrat Frank Pallone Jr. Stephanie Armour also covered Medicaid coverage of trans health services.

Laura Kusisto and Louise Radnofsky covered sex-segregated competitive sports. Ben Chapman and Laine Higgins also covered this.

Mariah Timms covered anti-trans developments in Missouri under AG Andrew Bailey.

Lindsay Wise, Simon J. Levien, and Isaac Yu covered Republican attempts to control the reproductive freedom and bodily autonomy of others.

Elizabeth Findell, Adolfo Flores and Peter Champelli covered the Texas ban on trans healthcare.

Mariah Timms and Laura Kusisto covered Tennessee’s ban on trans healthcare for minors.

Talal Ansari covered Zooey Zephyr’s removal from the Montana House floor.

The editorial board opined about “Transgender Patients vs. Religious Doctors: The Franciscan Alliance might be the new Little Sisters of the Poor.”

2023 Endocrine Society attacks

After Roy Eappen and Ian Kingsbury of anti-trans group Do No Harm attacked the Endocrine Society, President Stephen R. Hammes responded with an outline of the medical consensus behind the Endocrine Society’s guidelines.

Hammes was then attacked by a group of anti-trans clinicians in a subsequent letter. The signatories are:

FINLAND

UNITED KINGDOM

SWEDEN

  • Angela Sämfjord, M.D. Senior consultant, Sahlgrenska University Hospital
  • Sven Román, M.D. Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist

NORWAY

  • Anne Wæhre, M.D., Ph.D. Senior consultant, Oslo University Hospital

BELGIUM

  • Em. Prof. Patrik Vankrunkelsven, M.D. Ph.D. Katholieke Universiteit Leuven Honorary senator
  • Sophie Dechêne, M.R.C.Psych. Child and adolescent psychiatrist
  • Beryl Koener, M.D., Ph.D. Child and adolescent psychiatrist

FRANCE

  • Prof. Celine Masson, Ph.D. Picardy Jules Verne University Psychologist, Oeuvre de Secours aux Enfants, Co-director, Observatory La Petite Sirène
  • Caroline Eliacheff, M.D. Child and adolescent psychiatrist, Co-director, Observatory La Petite Sirène
  • Em. Prof. Maurice Berger, M.D. Ph.D. Child psychiatrist

SWITZERLAND

  • Daniel Halpérin, M.D. Pediatrician

SOUTH AFRICA

  • Prof. Reitze Rodseth, Ph.D. University of Kwazulu-Natal
  • Janet Giddy, M.B.Ch.B., M.P.H. Family physician and public-health expert
  • Allan Donkin, M.B.Ch.B. Family physician

UNITED STATES

  • Clin. Prof. Stephen B. Levine, M.D. Case Western Reserve University
  • Clin. Prof. William Malone, M.D. Idaho College of Osteopathic Medicine Director, Society for Evidence Based Gender Medicine
  • Prof. Patrick K. Hunter, M.D. Florida State University Pediatrician and bioethicist

Hammes was also criticized by a group of parents that included Kathleen Dooley.

Anti-trans misinformation following Charlie Kirk shooting

In September 2025, during the search for the person who shot anti-trans activist Charlie Kirk, the Wall Street Journal published a live update under the headline “Ammunition in Kirk Shooting Engraved with Transgender, Antifascist Ideology, Sources Say.” The source was a leaked internal ATF bulletin first posted by anti-trans activist Steven Crowder. Crowder pinned the post on X, and it garnered over 29 million views.

After massive pushback about their irresponsible headline and reporting, WSJ edited the headline to read “Early Bulletin Said Ammunition in Kirk Shooting Engraved With Transgender, Antifascist Ideology; Some Sources Urge Caution.”

The term “transgender ideology” is an anti-trans conspiracy theory frequently invoked by right-wing activists. After it was confirmed that the engravings were references to memes used in toxic online communities like the Groyper Army fan base of anti-trans extremist Nick Fuentes, the WSJ added an editor’s note that did not retract the headline or their reporting about “transgender ideology,” writing:

Editor’s Note: An earlier version of this article detailed how an internal law enforcement bulletin said that ammunition recovered following the Charlie Kirk shooting was engraved with expressions of “transgender and anti-fascist ideology.” Justice Department officials later urged caution about the bulletin by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, saying it may not accurately reflect the messages on the ammunition, and the article was updated Thursday to reflect that. This editor’s note was appended on Friday, Sept. 12, after Utah Gov. Spencer Cox said the engravings included one that said “Hey fascist!” along with other messages and symbols. He gave no indication that the ammunition included any transgender references.

Other media outlets, including the Daily Beast, the New York Post, The Telegraph, and the Jerusalem Post uncritically repeated WSJ’s claims. None of those articles were immediately updated or retracted in light of accurate information.

References

Reberkenny, Joe (September 13, 2025). Wall Street Journal slammed for false link between trans community and Kirk shooter. The Blade https://www.washingtonblade.com/2025/09/13/wall-street-journal-charlie-kirk-claim-false-link-trans-community/

Prager, Stephen (September 12, 2025). WSJ, Media Outlets Slammed for Spreading Feds’ False Claim That Kirk Shooter Expressed ‘Transgender Ideology.’ Common Dreams https://www.commondreams.org/news/charlie-kirk-2673989947

Reed, Erin (September 12, 2025). Press Conference: No “Transgender” Or “LGBTQ” Symbols Found At Kirk’s Shooting. Erin In The Morning https://www.erininthemorning.com/p/press-conference-no-transgender-or

Bryant, Jacob (September 12, 2025). WSJ Torched for False Report of ‘Trans Ideology’ on Charlie Kirk Shooter’s Bullets, Muted Retraction: ‘So Little Accountability.’ The Wrap https://www.thewrap.com/wsj-trans-ideology-charlie-kirk-bullets-false-report/

Migdon, Brooke (September 12, 2025). HRC demands WSJ retract report linking Kirk shooting to transgender community. The Hill https://thehill.com/homenews/lgbtq/5501615-human-rights-campaign-wsj-retraction-kirk/

Wiggins, Christopher (September 12 2025). Wall Street Journal quietly walks back false claim Charlie Kirk shooter had pro-trans messages on his bullets. The Advocate https://www.advocate.com/news/wall-street-journal-charlie-kirk

Lopatto, Elizabeth (September 12, 2025). The WSJ carelessly spread anti-trans misinformation. The Verge https://www.theverge.com/politics/777630/wsj-trans-misinformation-charlie-kirk

Serano, Julia (May 7, 2024). “Gender Ideology” Is a Conspiracy Theory. Switch Hitter https://juliaserano.substack.com/p/gender-ideology-is-a-conspiracy-theory

Selected anti-trans articles

Appel, Ben (June 30, 2025). Opinion: ‘Transgender’ Kids Usually Grow Up Gay. Wall Street Journal https://www.wsj.com/opinion/transgender-kids-usually-grow-up-gay-c71b3cd8

Freeman, James (June 26, 2025). Opinion: Liberal Professors Who Oppose Sex Changes on Kids. Wall Street Journal

Curlin, Farr (June 23, 2025). Opinion: Transgender Treatments Distort the Purpose of Medicine. Wall Street Journal https://www.wsj.com/opinion/transgender-treatments-distort-the-purpose-of-medicine-ccd6e513

Editorial Board (June 18, 2025). Good Supreme Court Sense on Trans Hormones. Wall Street Journal https://www.wsj.com/opinion/supreme-court-skrmetti-tennessee-transgender-hormone-treatments-e84d97f0

Steinmann, Jessica Hart; O’Neill, Leigh Ann (June 5, 2025). Opinon: Transgenderism Won’t Let Girls Say No. Wall Street Journal https://www.wsj.com/opinion/transgenderism-wont-let-girls-say-no-oregon-track-competition-bc03e205

Eappen, Roy (May 12, 2025). Letters: Trump Tells the Truth About ‘Trans’ Children. Wall Street Journal https://www.wsj.com/opinion/trump-tells-the-truth-about-trans-children-hhs-report-c0841b6c

O’Toole, Tim (April 29, 2025). Letters: A Way Out of Colorado’s Transgender Tyranny. Wall Street Journal https://www.wsj.com/opinion/a-way-out-of-colorados-transgender-tyranny-elections-center-a4906af5

Friday, Erin; Lee, Erin (April 17, 2025). Opinion: Colorado’s Totalitarian Transgenderism Bill. Wall Street Journal https://www.wsj.com/opinion/colorados-totalitarian-transgenderism-bill-parental-rights-freedom-e841acd2

Editorial Board (February 28, 2025). Maine’s Transgender Madness. Wall Street Journal https://www.wsj.com/opinion/maines-transgender-madness-8dabbfbe

Wright, Colin; Shapiro, Ilya (February 3, 2025). Opinion: Trump Can Ban Transgender Birth Certificates. Wall Street Journal https://www.wsj.com/opinion/trump-can-ban-transgender-birth-certificates-policy-protect-womens-spaces-d726a9fe

Editorial Board (December 13, 2024). The Trans Double-Mastectomy Lawsuit. Wall Street Journal https://www.wsj.com/opinion/clementine-breen-lawsuit-transgender-medicine-center-for-transyouth-health-us-v-skrmetti-e22382f3

Editorial Board (December 3, 2024). Transgender Minors at the Supreme Court. Wall Street Journal https://www.wsj.com/opinion/u-s-v-skrmetti-tennessee-law-transgender-minors-hormones-treatment-9be82071

Steve Marshall (December 2, 2024). Opinion: WPATH, ‘Transgender Healthcare’ and the Supreme Court. Wall Street Journal

Readers (July 26, 2023). Letters: Parents Need Answers on Pediatric Gender Medicine. Wall Street Journal https://www.wsj.com/articles/parents-trans-gender-diverse-kids-medical-care-endocrine-1287c55

Swaim, Barton (November 14, 2024). Opinion: Markets Foiled Transgender Ideology. Wall Street Journal https://www.wsj.com/opinion/markets-foiled-trans-ideology-dei-rollback-target-budlight-social-conservatism-b8d470e4

Editorial Board (October 13, 2024). Transgender Sports Is a 2024 Sleeper Issue. Wall Street Journal https://www.wsj.com/opinion/transgender-sports-is-a-2024-sleeper-issue-ads-ohio-wisconsin-montana-2a8d044b

Wright, Colin (August 7, 2024). Opinion: Does Imane Khelif Belong in the Women’s Ring? Wall Street Journal https://www.wsj.com/opinion/does-imane-khelif-belong-in-the-womens-ring-olympics-boxing-transgender-ideology-b227f2cd

Morrell, Travis J. (July 26, 2024). Opinion: Ideology in Medical Schools Threatens Everyone’s Health. Wall Street Journal https://www.wsj.com/opinion/ideology-in-medical-schools-threatens-everyones-health-f6887ae3

Conservative signatories (July 14, 2023). Youth Gender Transition Is Pushed Without Evidence. Wall Street Journal https://www.wsj.com/articles/trans-gender-affirming-care-transition-hormone-surgery-evidence-c1961e27

Hammes, Stephen R. (July 4, 2023). Endocrine Society Responds on Gender-Affirming Care It improves the well-being of transgender and gender-diverse people. Wall Street Journal https://www.wsj.com/amp/articles/trans-gender-affirming-care-endocrine-society-evidence-fdb8562c

Sapsford, Jathon; Armour, Stephanie (June 19, 2023). U.S. Becomes Transgender-Care Outlier as More in Europe Urge Caution. Wall Street Journal https://www.wsj.com/amp/articles/u-s-becomes-transgender-care-outlier-as-more-in-europe-urge-caution-6c70b5e0

Sapir, Leor; Wright, Colin (June 9, 2023). Opinion: Medical Journal’s False Consensus on ‘Gender-Affirming Care.’ Wall Street Journal https://www.wsj.com/opinion/medical-journals-false-consensus-on-gender-affirming-care-sex-change-procedure-transgender-f10cd52b

Eappen, Roy; Kingsbury, Ian (June 28, 2023). The Endocrine Society’s Dangerous Transgender Politicization. Members we spoke with take exception to the group’s guidelines on ‘gender-affirming care.’ Wall Street Journal https://www.wsj.com/amp/articles/the-endocrine-societys-dangerous-politicization-endocrinologists-gender-affirming-care-arkansas-dac768bd

Resources

The Wall Street Journal (wsj.com)

  • Transgender
  • wsj.com/search?query=transgender&mod=searchresults_viewallresults

X/Twitter (x.com)

YouTube (youtube.com)

Instagram (instagram.com)

Facebook (facebook.com)

LinkedIn (linkedin.com)

The New York Times is an American media organization. With some notable exceptions, their coverage of transgender issues has been neutral to negative. The Science, Opinion, and Books sections have been particularly biased on trans issues.

No transgender journalist has appeared on the New York Times masthead since its founding in 1851. Due to the hostile work environment, no transgender reporters worked there according to a 2023 San Francisco Chronicle report.

Assessments

It is considered a paper of record for the United States, along with The Washington Post.

Ad Fontes Media (adfontesmedia.com)

  • New York Times
  • Reliability: 47.50 out of 64 (32+ is “generally good”)
  • Bias: -4.01 (9.5% left-leaning bias)

NewsGuard (as of January 2020)

  • Approximate score: 100
  • Standards failed: None

Anti-transgender coverage crisis

Decades of anti-transgender coverage culminated in a newsroom revolt in 2023:

According to Times sources, there used to be open Slack channels where staff could discuss any issues they had with coverage, and they freely voiced objections at all-hands meetings with the masthead editors. But now, with the advent of virtual meetings, management doesn’t pick the uncomfortable questions during Q&A.

And, that employee said, there are still no out trans reporters on staff at the paper. 

Ho (2023)

Key people

Current

Former

Contributors

Cisgender

Trans+

References

Wilkins, Riki (2024). Bad Ink: How The New York Times Sold Out Transgender Teens. Riverdale Avenue Books, ISBN 9781626016828

Urquhart, Evan (January 8, 2025). Bias at NYT: Trans Former Employee Speaks Out. Assigned Media https://www.assignedmedia.org/breaking-news/former-editor-nyt-biased-on-trans-hiring

Bolies, Corbin (March 7, 2023). The New York Times’ Trans Coverage Debacle Was Years in the Making. The Daily Beast. https://www.thedailybeast.com/how-the-new-york-times-trans-coverage-debacle-was-years-in-the-making

Ho, Soliel (August 31, 2023). Inside the New York Times’ trans coverage: ‘I wonder if people at the top fully believe in trans people’s humanity.’ San Francisco Chronicle https://www.sfchronicle.com/opinion/article/new-york-times-trans-18214925.php

Resources

New York Times (nytimes.com)

Britannica (britannica.com)

Wikipedia (en.wikipedia.org)

WorldCat (worldcat.org)

David Rubin is an American marketing executive. Rubin was responsible for communications at the New York Times during its sharp increase in anti-transgender coverage in the 2020s.

No transgender journalist has appeared on the New York Times masthead since its founding in 1851.

Note: for the “intellectual dark web” media figure, see Dave Rubin.

Background

Rubin earned a bachelor’s degree in history from Yale in 1993 and an MBA from Wharton in 1999.

Rubin joined Unilever in 1999, rising to vice president for its US hair brands. Rubin joined Pinterest in 2014 but left 18 months later.

Rubin joined the Times in 2016 and is responsible for communications, enterprise-wide brand strategy, creative, and media, as well as audience definition, strategy and targets.

References

Reilly, Patrick (February 15, 2023). New York Times accused of ‘editorial bias’ in coverage of transgender issues. New York Post https://nypost.com/2023/02/15/new-york-times-blasted-for-editorial-bias-in-transgender-coverage/

Bolies, Corbin (March 7, 2023). The New York Times’ Trans Coverage Debacle Was Years in the Making. The Daily Beast https://www.thedailybeast.com/how-the-new-york-times-trans-coverage-debacle-was-years-in-the-making

Bolies, Corbin; Cartwright, Lachlan (February 16, 2023). New York Times blasts staffers who condemned paper’s trans coverage. The Daily Beast https://www.thedailybeast.com/new-york-times-blast-staffers-who-condemned-papers-trans-coverage

Eckert, AJ. What the New York Times gets wrong about puberty blockers for transgender youth. Science-Based Medicine https://sciencebasedmedicine.org/what-the-new-york-times-gets-wrong-about-puberty-blockers-for-transgender-youth/

USPATH and WPATH respond to NY Times article “They Paused Puberty, But Is There a Cost? published on November 14, 2022 (PDF). https://www.wpath.org/media/cms/Documents/Public%20Policies/2022/USPATHWPATH%20Statement%20re%20Nov%2014%202022%20NYT%20Article%20Nov%2022%202022.pdf

Urquhart, Evan (November 17, 2022). The NYT’s big piece on puberty blockers mucked up the most important point about them. Slate https://slate.com/technology/2022/11/puberty-blockers-side-effects-controversy.html

Oladipo, Gloria (February 18, 2023). Nearly 1,000 contributors protest New York Times’ coverage of trans people. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/feb/17/new-york-times-contributors-open-letter-protest-anti-trans-coverage

Migdon, Brooke (February 15, 2023). NYT contributors blast paper’s coverage of transgender people. The Hill. https://thehill.com/homenews/media/3859501-nyt-contributors-blast-papers-coverage-of-transgender-people/

Yurcaba, Jo (February 16, 2023). N.Y. Times contributors and LGBTQ advocates send open letters criticizing paper’s trans coverage. NBC News. https://www.nbcnews.com/nbc-out/out-news/ny-contributors-lgbtq-advocates-send-open-letters-criticizing-papers-t-rcna70800

Paul, Larisha (February 15, 2023). Gabrielle Union, Tommy Dorfman, more accuse NYT of ‘Harmful’ coverage of trans people. Rolling Stone. https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-news/new-york-times-coverage-of-trans-people-open-letter-1234680299/

Kalish, Lil. These New York Times contributors say the paper’s coverage of gender issues is hurting trans people. BuzzFeed News. https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/lilkalish/trans-writers-open-letter-nyt-biased-coverage

Hays, Gabriel (February 15, 2023). Celebs rip into New York Times for ‘irresponsible’ transgender coverage: Demand end to ‘both sides’ focus. Fox News. https://www.foxnews.com/media/celebs-rip-new-york-times-irresponsible-transgender-coverage-demand-end-both-sides-focus

Dunlap, David W. (June 19, 2017). How The Times gave ‘gay’ its own voice (again). The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331.

Klein, Charlotte (February 15, 2023). Nearly 200 New York Times contributors are denouncing the paper’s anti-trans coverage. Vanity Fair. https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2023/02/new-york-times-trans-coverage

Davies, Rachel (February 16, 2023). The NYT knew what it was doing with its ‘Defense of J.K. Rowling’. The Mary Sue. https://www.themarysue.com/the-nyt-knew-what-it-was-doing-with-its-defense-of-j-k-rowling/

Warrington, James (February 16, 2023). How the New York Times was engulfed by a trans culture war. The Telegraph. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2023/02/15/new-york-times-accused-writers-anti-trans-bigotry/

Mastrangelo, Dominick (February 16, 2023). NYT editors: Paper ‘will not tolerate’ its journalists protesting coverage of transgender people. The Hill. https://thehill.com/homenews/3862101-nyt-editors-paper-will-not-tolerate-its-journalists-protesting-coverage-of-transgender-people/amp/

O’Reilly, Laura (December 16, 2015) Pinterest’s head of brand is leaving after 18 months in the role. Insider https://www.businessinsider.com/pinterest-head-of-brand-david-rubin-is-leaving-2015-12

Resources

The New York Times Company (nytco.com)

LinkedIn (linkedin.com)

X/Twitter (x.com)

Pinterest (pinterest.com)

Instagram (instagram.com)

Graham Linehan is an Irish comedy writer and anti-transgender extremist. Linehan is associated with anti-trans hate group Genspect and has become one of the most prominent and strident anti-trans activists in history.

Background

Linehan was born on May 22, 1968 in Dublin. Linehan’s initial career was as a comedy writer. Linehan helped create and write on shows including Father Ted, Black Books, The IT Crowd, Count Arthur Strong, Brass Eye, and The Fast Show.

Linehan was married to writer Helen Serafinowicz from 2004 to 2020. They have two children.

Anti-transgender activism

Linehan became an anti-transgender activist after the 2008 The IT Crowd episode “The Speech” was criticized as transphobic. Channel 4 pulled the episode from their streaming service in 2020, infuriating Linehan.

Linehan’s subsequent fixation on trans people led to the end of both Linehan’s comedy career and marriage. A review of Linehan’s 2023 book Tough Crowd summarizes “the extremity of Linehan’s rhetoric”:

In my view, and that of his critics, some of his online remarks have been plainly and unapologetically transphobic: Linehan has characterised the trans rights movement as “paedophilic” and called trans activists and allies “groomers”. It’s true enough that his former life is in tatters: the controversies led to the end of his marriage, the abandonment of a planned, lucrative Father Ted musical, and his agent dropping him.

[…] Often, Linehan paints trans women as predators, men looking to insinuate themselves into women’s spaces in order to assault them with greater ease. When convenient, they are made out to be victims, brainwashed and exploited young queer people who are convinced to “mutilate” their bodies in the name of ideology. 

[…] To an extent, the book’s very existence disputes the pretence of Linehan to have been deplatformed. If Linehan had siloed his anti-trans views somewhat, rather than warp them into a life-consuming vocation, his once-glittering TV career might well have remained intact to this day.

In 2018, Linehan received a verbal warning from police following a dispute with Stephanie Hayden, a trans woman who sued Linehan for defamation.

In April 2025 Linehan was charged with harassment and criminal damage following a 2024 confrontation with Sophia Brooks, a 17-year-old transgender activist whose phone was reportedly damaged by Linehan, Linehan pleaded not guilty and was released on bail on the condition Linehan not contact Brooks. Linehan was cleared of the harassment charge and was ordered to pay a fine over the broken phone.

In September 2025, Linehan was arrested on suspicion of inciting violence after encouraging followers on X to assault trans women they find in sex-segregated spaces.

The Mess We’re In podcast

Linehan started an interview show in 2020 that frequently has conservative, ex-trans, and anti-transgender guests.

For the full episode list with guests, see The Mess We’re In.

References

Staff report (October 25, 2025). Linehan cleared of harassing trans activist but guilty of damaging phone. BBC News https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cjrj4520rrwo

Melley, Brian (October 20, 2025). TV writer Graham Linehan won’t face charges for transgender post that sparked UK debate. AP News https://apnews.com/article/graham-linehan-father-ted-transgender-posts-arrest-bbf936f63a152c3abe162198084f546b

Riedel, Samantha (September 4, 2025). Father Ted‘s Graham Linehan in Court For “Harassing” Trans Teen Days After Arrest Over Transphobia. them https://www.them.us/story/graham-linehan-transphobia-anti-trans-arrest-court

Stff report (September 2, 2025). TV writer Graham Linehan’s arrest over transgender posts sparks free speech outcry in the UK. AP News https://apnews.com/article/graham-linehan-father-ted-x-posts-arrest-b5728b93a1e5b3b0d833c3321c8ea51d

Chilton, Louis (October 13. 2023). The problems with Graham Linehan’s memoir Tough Crowd. The Independent https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/books/features/graham-linehan-tough-crowd-book-trans-b2428578.html

Williamson, Harriet (April 16, 2023). Anti-trans mouthpiece Graham Linehan suspended from Twitter…again. PinkNews https://www.thepinknews.com/2023/04/16/anti-trans-graham-linehan-suspended-twitter-again/

Burrows, Marc (December 30, 2022). Opinion: Why do people like Graham Linehan keep choosing this hill to die on? The Independent https://www.independent.co.uk/voices/graham-linehan-twitter-trans-rights-b2253532.html

Wakefield, Lily (1 October 2022). Anti-trans activist Graham Linehan says he’s no longer sure about COVID vaccines or climate change. PinkNews https://www.pinknews.co.uk/2022/10/01/graham-linehan-covid-transphobia-climate-change/

Crellin, Zac (April 19, 2022). Father Ted creator rallies global support for Katherine Deves and her anti-trans comments. The New Daily https://thenewdaily.com.au/news/politics/australian-politics/federal-election-2022/2022/04/19/katherine-deves-graham-linehan-trans/

Dodds, Io; Woodward, Alex (April 14, 2022). The GOP ‘grooming’ smear is sparking a new wave of anti-LGBT+ violence. The Independent https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/republicans-disney-groomer-harassment-lgbt-people-b2058272.html

Rose, Anna (March 25, 2022). ‘Father Ted’ musical axed following Graham Linehan’s controversial views. NME https://www.nme.com/news/tv/father-ted-musical-axed-following-graham-linehans-controversial-views-3190721

Dalwood, Charlotte (January 6, 2022). The alt-internet of anti-trans activists. rabble.ca. [archive]

Moore, Sam (October 25, 2021). Matt Berry comments on ‘transphobic’ IT Crowd episode. The Independent https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/news/matt-berry-transphobic-it-crowd-episode-b1944874.html

Berlatsky, Noah (April 20, 2021). Harassers Use Substack Sign-Ups to Spam Trans People and Allies. The Observer https://observer.com/2021/04/substack-transphobia-email-sign-ups-harassment/

Clute, Emily (April 18, 2021). The IT Crowd: The Controversial Episode that Killed the Hit Comedy Series. Screenrant https://screenrant.com/it-crowd-controversy-graham-linehan-april-transphobic-bad/

Kelleher, Patrick (21 February 2021). Graham Linehan joined a queer women’s dating app to share trans people’s profiles. It backfired, badly. PinkNews [archive]

Wakefield, Lily (December 3, 2020). Disgraced comedy writer Graham Linehan boasts he’s back on Twitter with a ‘new sim card’ after being kicked off for a second time. PinkNews https://www.pinknews.co.uk/2020/12/03/graham-linehan-twitter-new-account-transphobia-sim-card-ban-hateful-conduct/

Wakefield, Lily (December 1, 2020). Disgraced comedy writer Graham Linehan, booted from Twitter for hateful conduct, returns with fake ‘trans guy’ account. PinkNews https://www.pinknews.co.uk/2020/12/01/graham-linehan-twitter-scarlysimon-trans-rights-sock-account-colm-ogorman/

Krol, Charlotte (October 9, 2020). Channel 4 pulls IT Crowd episode over transphobic content. NME https://www.nme.com/news/tv/channel-4-pulls-it-crowd-episode-over-transphobic-content-2778346

Horbury, Ezra; Yao, Christine (1 August 2020). Empire and Eugenics: Trans Studies in the UK. Transgender Studies Quarterly. 3 (7): 445–454. https://doi.org/10.1215/23289252-8553104

Andrews, Penny (2020). Choose your fighter: Loyalty and fandom in the free speech culture wars. Manchester University Press, ISBN 978-1-5261-5255-8

Burns, Katelyn (December 19, 2019). J. K. Rowling’s transphobia is a product of British culture. Vox https://www.vox.com/identities/2019/12/19/21029874/jk-rowling-transgender-tweet-terf

Wakefield, Lily (June 12, 2019). NSPCC employee who hired Munroe Bergdorf gets homophobic abuse. PinkNews https://www.pinknews.co.uk/2019/06/12/nspcc-employee-hired-munroe-bergdorf-homophobic-abuse/

Staff report (January 22, 2019). Gamer Hbomberguy hands funding row charity Donkey Kong boost. BBC News https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-leeds-46961883

Asarch, Steven (January 20, 2019). Twitch stream pulls in $250,000 for Mermaids charity featuring Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Owen Jones and more. Newsweek https://www.newsweek.com/twitch-stream-pulls-250000-mermaids-charity-featuring-alexandria-ocasio-1298710

Duffy, Nick (October 11, 2018). Father Ted writer Graham Linehan compares trans activism to Nazism. PinkNews https://www.thepinknews.com/2018/12/11/father-ted-graham-linehan-trans-nazis/

Staff report (October 7, 2018). Father Ted writer given harassment warning. BBC News https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-45777689

Gentleman, Amelia (October 19, 2015). How heartbreak led Helen and Graham Linehan to campaign for abortion in Ireland. The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/oct/19/graham-helen-linehan-ireland-abortion-amnesty-international

Gabbatiss, Josh (July 7, 2018). London Pride: Anti-trans activists disrupt parade by lying down in the street to protest ‘lesbian erasure.’ The Independent https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/anti-trans-protest-london-pride-parade-lgbt-gay-2018-march-lesbian-gay-rights-a8436506.html

Jones, Alice (May 30, 2015). Inside the comic world of Peter Serafinowicz: The spoof video master is heading to Hollywood. The Independent https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/profiles/inside-the-comic-world-of-peter-serafinowicz-the-spoof-video-master-is-heading-to-hollywood-10279558.html

Edemariam, Aida (June 11, 2011). The Saturday Interview: Graham Linehan. The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/theguardian/2011/jun/11/the-saturday-interview-graham-linehan

Anti-trans coverage

Boffey, Daniel (September 3, 2025). How Graham Linehan’s gender activism led to career armageddon. The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2025/sep/03/how-graham-linehan-gender-activism-led-to-comedian-career-and-personal-armageddon

Brown, Lee (March 17, 2023). ‘Father Ted’ creator Graham Linehan blames trans war for ending his marriage. New York Post https://nypost.com/2023/03/17/father-ted-creator-trans-war-left-me-broke-and-single/

McGowan, Michael (April 14, 2022). NSW Liberal candidate likens anti-trans activism to opposing the Holocaust. The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2022/apr/14/nsw-liberal-candidate-likens-anti-trans-activism-to-opposing-the-holocaust

O’Connor, Wayne (March 14, 2021). TV writer Graham Linehan: How my transgender views cost me my marriage. Belfast Telegraph https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/republic-of-ireland/tv-writer-graham-linehan-how-my-transgender-views-cost-me-my-marriage-40194554.html

Blackall, Molly (June 27, 2020). Twitter closes Graham Linehan account after trans comment. The Guardian

Gataveckaite, Gabija (June 10, 2020). Hozier and Father Ted creator Graham Linehan join Twitter row over JK Rowling comments. Irish Independent https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/hozier-and-father-ted-creator-graham-linehan-join-twitter-row-over-jk-rowling-comments-39276937.html

Falvey, Deirdre (January 21, 2019). Graham Linehan: Trans activists ‘don’t realise the damage’ they do. The Irish Times https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/tv-radio-web/graham-linehan-trans-activists-don-t-realise-the-damage-they-do-1.3765979

Haugh, Ben (December 18, 2019). Father Ted creator Linehan creates own social network to defy Twitter after transgender row. The Times https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/father-ted-creator-linehan-creates-own-social-network-to-defy-twitter-after-transgender-row-cfzw7xls0

Murphy, Sandra (January 22, 2019). How Graham Linehan went from national treasure to divisive figure for trans community. extra.ie https://extra.ie/2019/01/22/news/irish-news/video-graham-linehan-trans-views-cost-him-national-treasure-title

Lyons, Izzy (October 7, 2018). Transgender lawyer launches UK’s first ‘deadnaming’ case against Father Ted writer Graham Linehan. The Telegraph https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2018/10/07/transgender-lawyer-launches-uks-first-deadnaming-case-against/

Coyle, Colin (October 7, 2018). Father Ted writer Graham Linehan warned by police after ‘trolling’ transgender activist. The Sunday Times https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/father-ted-writer-graham-linehan-warned-by-police-after-trolling-transgender-activist-wqfwqgsxn

Halliday, Josh (October 7, 2018). Graham Linehan given police warning after complaint by transgender activist. The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2018/oct/07/graham-linehan-police-warning-complaint-by-stephanie-hayden-transgender-activist-twitter

Kelly, Guy (January 16, 2015). Graham Linehan interview: ‘On the streets, Twitter trolls would be considered sociopaths.’ The Telegraph https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/11342851/Graham-Linehan-interview-On-the-streets-Twitter-trolls-would-be-considered-sociopaths.html

Selected writing by Linehan

See Linehan’s Substack The Glinner Update for a running anti-trans commentary.

Linehan, Graham (September 2, 2025). I Posted on X. The British Police Arrested Me. The Free Press https://www.thefp.com/p/i-posted-on-x-the-british-police-arrested-me-free-speech

Book

Linehan, Graham (2023). Tough Crowd: How I Made and Lost a Career in Comedy. Eye Books Ltd, ISBN 978-1785633065

Media analysis

Brigitte Empire (February 3, 2024). Dissecting Graham Linehan’s Transphobic Book (ft. The Leftist Cooks). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MbHbYnlJtPs

Paul The Robin (March 5, 2021). Graham Linehan: A Study – A Decline into Transphobia, Bigotry & Brainrot. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S_35QK–u7Q

Media

Spiked with Georgina Mumford and Graham Linehan (December 3, 2025). ‘They’re little Hitlers’ | Graham Linehan on his decade-long persecution by trans activists. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lsdj6cCLeKs

TRIGGERnometry with Konstantin Kisin, Francis Foster and Graham Linehan (November 30, 2025). Graham Linehan: Arrested for Trans Tweets. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9BMdCpttzd0

Timcast with Tim Pool and Graham Linehan (October 17, 2025). Leftist NO KINGS Protest Begins, Antifa EMBEDS, Riots & Violence FEARED Nationwide | Timcast IRL. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B-IpmerAIBU

Megyn Kelly with Graham Linehan (September 8, 2025). Comedy Writer Graham Linehan on the Social Media Posts Defending Women Leading to His ARREST in UK. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4aXFEYlieAc

Jordan B. Peterson with Andrew Doyle and Graham Linehan (September 2, 2025). Europe Imploding | Andrew Doyle & Graham Linehan | EP 506. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ykfUbIjtjEY

Spiked with Brendan O’Neill and Graham Linehan (August 14, 2025). Graham Linehan: Is Britain a lost cause? | The Brendan O’Neill Show. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G2aOqM7l050

The Joe Rogan Experience with Joe Rogan and Graham Linehan (August 6, 2025). Joe Rogan Experience #2361 – Graham Linehan. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=03V2ZnXyEDA

Spiked with Graham Linehan, Tom Slater, and Fraser Myers (April 25, 2025). The trans meltdown, with Graham Linehan | spiked podcast. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iH9gfix3ro8

Genspect with Graham Linehan (March 15, 2025). How Institutions Were Captured Without a Fight – Graham Linehan. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mSE4bpVmYUE

heretics with Andrew Gold and Graham Linehan (September 23, 2024). Gender Insanity Went VIRAL Because of THESE Celebrities – Graham Linehan (4K) | heretics. 94. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JtliX5oSvGk

Quillette with Zoe Booth and Graham Linehan (Aprill. 11, 2024). Graham Linehan Was Right About Gender Ideology. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D-yZ3vGJ_7o

The New Culture Forum with Amy Gallagher and Graham Linehan (March 3, 2024). “I Popularised the Term ‘Grooming’ ‘”. “Trans is Middle-Class Nihilism” (Graham Linehan). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0lmLQD5o5aE

Spiked with Graham Linehan (December 27, 2023). Graham Linehan’s last laugh | A spiked documentary. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WxgRbPnucg8

TRIGGERnometry with Konstantin Kisin, Francis Foster and Graham Linehan (December 20, 2023). Backstabbed By Comedy Industry – Graham Linehan. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=va6hXYTMBDI

Gender: A Wider Lens with Stella O’Malley, Sasha Ayad, and Graham Linehan (November 30, 2023). EP 144: Glinner is a TERF with Graham Linehan. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uJHyJ15mJ-A

heretics with Andrew Gold and Graham Linehan (November 18, 2023). The World’s Most Canceled Man – IT Crowd Creator Graham Linehan | heretics. 1. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bhMkwSPGUt0

UnHerd with Graham Linehan (October 17, 2023). Graham Linehan: I lost my comedy career to a mass delusion. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IQyXIp-Rs2E

Karl Martin (September 22, 2023). Graham Linehan, woman (arrested for objecting to man in female toilets) speak #LetWomenSpeakDublin. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-FnVCrs2Scw

Graham Linehan (March 24, 2022). My interview with Stephen Nolan. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3St5XimKi6U&t=345s

UK Parliament (March 9, 2021). Subject: Freedom of expression online. Communications and Digital Committee. parliamentlive.tv https://parliamentlive.tv/event/index/5236fc59-47ae-41c9-93f7-4ea16b5782c3

BBC / Newsnight with Sarah Smith and Graham Linehan (February 11, 2020). Father Ted creator Graham Linehan on trans rights.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e79k6LILL1I alt url https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p08305wc

GBNews (August 16, 2022). Graham Linehan: ‘Trans activists tried to destroy my life’ after BBC interview on Tavistock Centre. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9IhgIXf2_WE

Triggernometry https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XOriXC2O4x0

Derrick Jensen and Graham Linehan (9 December 2018). Resistance Radio – Guest: Graham Linehan (Podcast). Podbean. The opposition is so extreme and so frightening that eventually everyone is asking you to stop. My feeling is that I can’t, because it’s too important. It’s too important to the women in my life and it’s too important to me. I’m now in a position where I can answer the question honestly of, if you were around at the time of something terrible happening like Nazism, or whatever it happened to be, would you be one of the people who said “no, this is wrong”, despite being opposed? I feel happy in myself that I’ve been one of the people standing up and saying “no, this is wrong”, despite everyone telling me not to do it.

The Same Drugs with Meghan Murphy and Graham Linehan (January 23, 2019). Graham Linehan on Twitter, trans activism, and why he won’t just shut up. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2mP6RZud4ls

Resources

Wikipedia (en.wikipedia.org)

RationalkWiki (rationalwiki.org)

IMDb (imdb.com)

X/Twitter (x.com)

Substack (substack.com)

WordPress (wordpress.com)

YouTube (youtube.com)

The Free Press (thefp.com)

Hadley Freeman is an American-British journalist best known for manipulating notable authors into making statements about trans issues that they later must disavow. Freeman’s interviews with Margaret Atwood and Judy Blume both required the authors to issue statements.

Freeman has written for several anti-trans publications, including UnHerd, New Statesman, The Guardian, The Times, and The Sunday Times.

Background

Hadley Clare Freeman was born May 15, 1978 in New York City. As an adolescent, Freeman was hospitalized several times for self-imposed food restrictions. Freeman read English literature at St Anne’s College, Oxford.

Freeman and sports writer Andy Bull have three children.

Anti-trans activism

Freeman wrote for The Guardian starting in 2000. Freeman and Suzanne Moore both left The Guardian around the same time in 2022 amid public pushback over their anti-trans views.

References

Reed, Erin (April 20, 2025). Anti-Trans Activist Hadley Freeman Thinks UK Court Win Means People Have To Be Her Friend. Erin In The Morning https://www.erininthemorning.com/p/anti-trans-activist-hadley-freeman

Mack, Daniel (April 17, 2023). Judy Blume Blasted An Article Linking Her To J.K. Rowling’s Anti-Trans Views As “Bullshit.” BuzzFeed News https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/davidmack/judy-blume-transgender-jk-rowling-hadley-freeman

Tani, Max (April 3, 2023). Inside the Guardian’s civil war over trans coverage. Semafor https://www.semafor.com/article/04/02/2023/inside-the-guardians-civil-war-over-trans-coverage

Milton, Josh (February 19, 2022). ‘Gender critical’ journalist tries to grill Margaret Atwood on trans rights. It backfires, badly. PinkNews https://www.thepinknews.com/2022/02/19/margaret-atwood-hadley-freeman-trans-gender-critical/

Hansford, Amelia (20 January 2023). Journalist Hadley Freeman condemned for ‘dangerous’ comments about suicidal trans kids. PinkNews https://www.thepinknews.com/2023/01/10/hadley-freeman-suicidal-trans-youth/

Ewens, Hannah (16 June 2020). Inside the Great British TERF War. Vice https://www.vice.com/en/article/889qe5/trans-rights-uk-debate-terfs

Valens, Ana (2 April 2018). There’s nothing feminist about attacking trans women. The Daily Dot https://www.dailydot.com/irl/attacking-trans-women-feminist/

Persio, Sofia Lotto (3 November 2018). Guardian US journalists denounce newspaper’s “transphobic” editorial. PinkNews https://www.pinknews.co.uk/2018/11/03/guardian-transphobic-editorial-concern/

Levin, Sam; Chalabi, Mona; Siddiqui, Sabrina (2 November 2018). Why we take issue with the Guardian‘s stance on trans rights in the UK. The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/nov/02/guardian-editorial-response-transgender-rights-uk

Anti-trans coverage

Moore, Suzanne (December 6, 2022). The Guardian is hiding the truth about trans. Both Hadley Freeman and I left the paper after not being allowed to write as we wished – including on subjects such as gender. The Telegraph https://www.telegraph.co.uk/columnists/2022/12/06/guardian-hiding-truth-trans/

Singh, Anita (5 December 2022). Hadley Freeman: ‘Atmosphere of fear’ governs Guardian trans coverage. The Telegraph https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2022/12/05/hadley-freeman-atmosphere-fear-governs-guardian-trans-coverage/

Kanter, Jake (February 21, 2022). Guardian columnist Hadley Freeman says left-wing media bows down to trans bullies. The Times https://www.thetimes.com/uk/society/article/guardian-columnist-hadley-freeman-says-paper-bows-down-to-trans-bullies-79kk9d0d7

Selected writing by Freeman

Freeman, Hadley (November 23, 2025,). At Cambridge, three brave students are taking on the trans bullies. The Times https://www.thetimes.com/comment/columnists/article/cambridge-students-trans-bullies-gc03ff6q3

Freeman, Hadley; Urwin, Rosamund; Yorke, Harry; Turvill, William; Hauschild, Dominic (April 20, 2025). Supreme Court victors getting death threats in gender ruling backlash. The Times https://www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/article/women-threatened-statues-defaced-supreme-court-trans-mwv6dvpz2

Freeman, Hadley (April 19, 2025). I lost friends and a job in the trans witch-hunt. Hordes of cowards caved in to the fantasy. A few brave women did not. The Times https://www.thetimes.com/comment/columnists/article/trans-witch-hunt-supreme-court-women-xj7zlq0fv

Freeman, Hadley (August 6, 2023). My Sting interview farce shows how entrenched trans ideology has become. The Sunday Times https://www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/article/my-sting-interview-farce-shows-how-entrenched-trans-ideology-has-become-djwsftgph

Freeman, Hadley (December 20, 2022). Why I stopped being a good girl Women can no longer afford to sit out the gender wars. UnHerd https://unherd.com/2022/12/why-i-stopped-being-a-good-girl-2/

Freeman, Hadley (November 29, 2022). Mermaids’ useful idiots. UnHerd https://unherd.com/2022/11/mermaids-useful-idiots/

Freeman, Hadley (August 9, 2022). Why the Tavistock won’t talk to me. UnHerd https://unherd.com/2022/08/why-the-tavistock-wont-talk-to-me/

Freeman, Hadley (July 14, 2022). Why I’m suing Survivors’ Network: Rape victims need female-only spaces. UnHerd https://unherd.com/2022/07/why-im-suing-survivors-network/

Freeman, Hadley (June 13, 2022). The kids aren’t alright. UnHerd https://unherd.com/2022/06/are-the-kids-alright/

Freeman, Hadley (May 4, 2022). American feminism has turned its back on women. UnHerd https://unherd.com/2022/05/american-feminism-has-turned-its-back-on-abortion/

Freeman, Hadley (April 7, 2022). The week the trans spell was broken. UnHerd https://unherd.com/2022/04/the-week-the-trans-spell-was-broken/

Freeman, Hadley (February 19, 2022). Margaret Atwood on feminism, culture wars and speaking her mind: ‘I’m very willing to listen, but not to be scammed.’ The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/books/ng-interactive/2022/feb/19/margaret-atwood-on-feminism-culture-wars

Freeman, Hadley (June 26, 2021). People have told me I’m on the wrong side of history, but I still want to be their friend. The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2021/jun/26/people-have-told-me-i-am-on-the-wrong-side-of-history-but-i-still-want-to-be-their-friend

Freeman, Hadley (March 6, 2019). Sport can help to clarify the trans debate. The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2019/mar/06/sport-trans-martina-navratilova

Freeman, Hadley (July 5, 2018). An aversion to dolls and dresses is no proof you’re a man. The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/jul/05/dolls-dresses-no-proof-not-girl-pink-v-blue

Freeman, Hadley (March 31, 2018). Don’t you just love it when a man explains to you what it means to be a woman? The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2018/mar/31/man-explains-what-means-be-woman

Freeman, Hadley (March 18, 2017). Identity is the issue of our age: so why can’t we talk more honestly about trans women? The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2017/mar/18/identity-issue-our-age-talk-more-honestly-trans-women

Freeman, Hadley (March 19, 2016). Hadley Freeman: the trouble with Caitlyn Jenner. The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2016/mar/19/caitlyn-jenner-donald-trump-car-crash-hadley-freeman

Resources

Books

  • The Meaning of Sunglasses: And a Guide to Almost All Things Fashionable (2008)
  • Be Awesome: Modern Life for Modern Ladies (2013)
  • Life Moves Pretty Fast: The Lessons We Learned from Eighties Movies (and Why We Don’t Learn Them from Movies Anymore) (2016)
  • House of Glass: The Story and Secrets of a Twentieth-Century Jewish Family (2020)
  • Good Girls: A Story and Study of Anorexia (2023)

Wikipedia (en.wikipedia.org)

The Guardian (theguardian.com)

New Statesman (newstatesman.com)

X/Twitter (x.com)

Journalisted (journalisted.com)

UnHerd (unherd.com)