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John McWhorter is an American linguist and anti-transgender activist. McWhorter’s first public foray into discussing trans issues was banned by YouTube for violations of their hate speech policies.

Background

John Hamilton McWhorter V was born on October 6, 1965 in Philadelphia. McWhorter’s parents were both educators. McWhorter earned a bachelor’s degree from Rutgers University in 1985, a master’s degree from New York University, and a doctorate from Stanford University in 1993. McWhorter taught at Cornell University from 1993 to 1995 and at University of California, Berkeley from 1995 to 2003. McWhorter then joined the conservative Manhattan Institute. In 2008 McWhorter took a teaching position at Columbia University.

Views on trans issues

McWhorter has made a case for singular they as a gender neutral pronoun.

In 2023, McWhorter and Glenn Loury had anti-transgender activist Mark Goldblatt on to discuss Goldblatt’s transphobic book I Feel, Therefore I Am: The Triumph of Woke Subjectivism. YouTube removed the episode for violation of their terms of service.

McWhorter stated:

We are supposed to reform our sense of what a man and a woman are. And I think any idiot knows that there is a biological business with the chromosomes. Nobody’s going to deny that.

When Loury asked about transgender youth, McWhorter said:

My gut sense is that we’re allowing people to make decisions like that too early. I haven’t thought deeply about it because the topic is so disturbing and frightening and doesn’t apply to me just yet, but my sense is that we need to consider that people are not mentally mature until they’re about 25.

And of course the counter argument is that, “Yes, but by then certain things are already irreversible.” And I would say, “Well maybe that’s the way it has to be.” That’s my gut sense of it.

And in general, the recreational ease with which one can be called “transphobic” these days is something that I am radically opposed to, as one might predict.

Regarding evolving use of the terms man and woman, McWhorter differed from Goldblatt:

But I must admit, once again I’m the weird one here because I can’t… maybe it’s probably because I’m a linguist and I study language change… I can’t quite get what’s wrong with the fluidity of those terms in our modern times.

McWhorter later related a story about speaking with a trans woman:

About eight years ago, I was at a thing, and there was somebody who was talking to me at a certain length, knew some of my work. This was somebody who was certainly born with a Y chromosome, and needed a bit of a shave, and was speaking in a voice higher than what would be normal, and I’m sure this person was used to speaking that way, but that’s not how their voice would have come out if you woke them up in the middle of the night. And this person had long hair and was wearing a nice summer dress and high heels, and this person thought of themselves as a woman. And of course, a part of me, being somebody born in 1965, was thinking, “This is a man acting like a woman.” I can’t help thinking it. But this person thought of themselves as a woman. And I thought my job is to open my mind to the idea that this person is a woman, although this person shaves, this person– the past is clearly obvious, but this is a woman. You’re saying that I should’ve thought. “This person on that score needs help.”

Goldblatt made a case that trans people are deluded and mentally ill, and that refining and updating terms like man and woman involve forcing others to “deny reality.”

Loury reuploaded the episode to Substack after the hate speech violation.

References

Schuessler, Jennifer; Harris, Elizabeth A. (July 7, 2020). Harper’s Letter: Artists and Writers Warn of an ‘Intolerant Climate.’ – The Reaction Is Swift. New York Times https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/07/arts/harpers-letter.html

Selected writing by McWhorter

McWhorter, John (September 21, 2021). Gender Pronouns Are Changing. It’s Exhilarating. New York Times https://www.nytimes.com/2021/09/21/opinion/gender-pronouns-they.html

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

McWhorter, John (September 4, 2018). Call Them What They Wants. The Atlantic https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2018/09/the-new-they/568993/

McWhorter, John (April 30, 2013). The Royal They. The New Republic https://newrepublic.com/article/112896/tyranny-pronouns-fighting-singular-they

Media

Loury, Glenn (April 24, 2023) John McWhorter and Mark Goldblatt – I Feel, Therefore I Am. The Glenn Show https://glennloury.substack.com/p/john-mcwhorter-and-mark-goldblatt

Editor’s Note: YouTube took down the video of the above conversation, claiming that it violates their community standards. 

Maher, Bill (October 22, 2021). Andrew Yang & John McWhorter on Dave Chappelle and “Transphobia.” Real Time with Bill Maher (HBO) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WAUUgxQPwM0

Resources

Wikipedia (en.wikipedia.org)

The Progressive Magazine is an American media organization. Their coverage of transgender topics is consistently fair and accurate.

Background

The publication was founded in 1909 as La Follette’s Weeklyby Wisconsin Senator Robert M. La Follette Sr. and spouse Belle Case La Follette. It was later named La Follette’s. In 1929, it rebranded as The Progressive. In 1940, it came under the control of National Progressives of America / Progressive Inc.

Resources

The Progressive (progressive.org)

Wikipedia (en.wikipedia.org)

Facebook (facebook.com)

Bluesky (bsky.app)

X/Twitter (https://x.com/theprogressive)

Instagram (instagram.com)

LinkedIn (linkedin.com)

YouTube (youtube.com)

Candid (https://app.candid.org/)

  • Progressive Inc
  • https://app.candid.org/profile/7558852/progressive-inc-39-0773233
  • EIN 39-0773233 (1984)

The Atlantic is an American media organization. Their record on covering transgender people fairly and accurately is spotty.

Three major events highlight The Atlantic’s history of anti-transgender coverage:

The Atlantic has also profiled a number of trans people and published work by trans and gender diverse contributors, including Gillian Branstetter, Stephanie Burt, “Jenny Hall,” Andrea James, Robyn Kanner, Kinnon MacKinnon, Thomas Page McBee, Tey Meadow, Chase Strangio, Evan Urquhart, and Daniela Valdés. They have not had a transgender journalist on their masthead or staff since 1848.

Andrew Sullivan (1996 to 2011)

In 1991, at 28 years old, Andrew Sullivan was appointed editor of The New Republic and quickly became a high-profile contrarian conservative voice. By the mid-1990s, The New Republic saw circulation declining and faced financial issues. There were growing conflicts between Sullivan, the magazine’s owner Martin Peretz, and the staff over editorial direction, management style, and politics. Sullivan was seen by critics inside the magazine as erratic and polarizing, while supporters saw Sullivan as bold and original.

In March 1996, Peretz fired Sullivan. Later that year, Sullivan resurfaced at The Atlantic, which had just launched a digital strategy. Sullivan was named the founding editor of The Atlantic Monthly Online. In 2000, Sullivan launched The Daily Dish, one of the earliest and most influential political blogs. Sullivan moved the blog to The Daily Beast in 2011.

Sullivan is a key promoter of the “gay erasure” conspiracy theory that young people who would have grown up to be “gay” are now being medically transitioned. Sullivan is also a prominent gay separatist and has criticized the term “LGBTQ.” Sullivan has frequently claimed the “gay rights” movement has lost its way, writing in 2025, “My sexual orientation is based on a biological distinction between men and women: I’m attracted to the former and not to the latter. And now I was supposed to believe the difference didn’t exist?”

The Goldberg era of anti-trans coverage (2016–)

Under editor Jeffrey Goldberg starting in October 2016, The Atlantic shifted its coverage of trans topics significantly. Goldberg began hiring more bloggers and opinion-havers, and the publication’s previously fair and accurate coverage became increasingly biased.

Goldberg hired and greenlit writing by an unusually high proportion of trans-skeptical and anti-transgender staffers and contributors, including Jonathan Chait, Doriane Coleman, Conor Friedersdorf, David Frum, James Kirchick, Frieda Klotz, Helen Lewis, Michael Powell, Jesse Singal, Andrew Sullivan, and Emily Yoffe.

Before and during Goldberg’s time as editor, many Atlantic staffers and contributors have attempted to cover trans topics fairly, including Garrett Epps, David A. Graham, Emma Green, Spencer Kornhaber, Taylor Lorenz, Matt Vasilogambros, and Ed Yong. Many of them eventually left.

Helen Lewis (2019–)

In July 2019, Helen Lewis joined The Atlantic and embarked on an anti-trans crusade throughout the early 2020s.

Contributors

Contributors who have covered trans topics include:

Selected neutral coverage

Wood, Graeme (September 18, 2025). Why People Fell for an Outlandish Charlie Kirk Theory. The Atlantic https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2025/09/charlie-kirk-shooter-groyper/684244/

Burt, Stephanie (July 12, 2025). A Strange Time to Be Trans. The Atlantic https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2025/07/youth-gender-transition/683513/

Hosie, Duncan (June 30, 2025). Liberals Are Going to Keep Losing at the Supreme Court. The Atlantic https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2025/06/supreme-court-liberal-activism/683356/

Litman, Leah (June 24, 2025). The Archaic Sex-Discrimination Case the Supreme Court Is Reviving. The Atlantic https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2025/06/supreme-court-sex-discrimination-skrmetti/683296/

Kornhaber, Spencer (May 22, 2025). ‘What If I Don’t Keep Feeling Strident?’ The Atlantic https://www.theatlantic.com/culture/archive/2025/05/ezra-furman-goodbye-small-head-profile/682876/

Sarappo, Emma (March 24, 2025). Three Very Different Ways to Live Honestly. The Atlantic https://www.theatlantic.com/books/archive/2025/03/how-closet-really-works-for-transgender-people/682141/

Dempsey, Jason (March 7, 2025). Hegseth Has All the Wrong Enemies. The Atlantic https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2025/03/hegseth-brings-culture-war-combat/681960/

Wu, Katherine J. (January 31, 2025). CDC Data Are Disappearing. The Atlantic https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2025/01/cdc-dei-scientific-data/681531/

Serwer, Adam (January 29, 2025). The Attack on Trans Rights Won’t End There. The Atlantic https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2025/01/trans-rights-skrmetti-trump/681485/

Breland, Ali (September 11, 2024). Donald Trump Can’t Stop Posting. The Atlantic https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2024/09/donald-trump-debate-terminally-online/679800/

Godfrey, Elaine (September 3, 2024). Donald Trump’s Incredible ‘Transgender Thing.’ The Atlantic https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2024/09/donald-trump-schools-sex-change/679690/

Graham, David A. (June 26, 2024). New, Ominous Signs for Gay Rights Keep Emerging. The Atlantic https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2024/06/gay-rights-trump-gop/678797/

Rosenbaum, S. I. (May 7, 2024). The Conjoined Twins Who Refused to Be ‘Fixed.’ The Atlantic https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2024/05/schappell-twins-conjoined-disabled-transgender/678316/

Kornhaber, Spencer (December 7, 2023). Trump’s Plan to Police Gender. The Atlantic https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2024/01/trump-lgbtq-transgender-community-protections/676139/

Rosin, Hanna; Brooks, Ethan (August 31, 2023). When the State Has a Problem With Your Identity. The Atlantic https://www.theatlantic.com/podcasts/archive/2023/08/trans-texas/675188/

McLean, Danielle (May 25, 2023). A Trans Prom on the Capitol Lawn. The Atlantic https://www.theatlantic.com/family/archive/2023/05/trans-youth-prom-washington-dc/674146/

Valdes, Daniela; MacKinnon, Kinnon (January 18, 2023). Take Detransitioners Seriously. The Atlantic https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2023/01/detransition-transgender-nonbinary-gender-affirming-care/672745/

Retta, Mary (October 7, 2022). The Unexpected Power of Seeing Yourself as a Villain. The Atlantic https://www.theatlantic.com/culture/archive/2022/10/horror-movie-monsters-queer-coded-anthology-book/671669/

Jong-Fast, Molly (May 26, 2022). Bill Maher Isn’t a Liberal Anymore. The Atlantic https://www.theatlantic.com/newsletters/archive/2022/05/bill-maher-anti-lgbtq-transgender-comments/676673/

Gottlieb, Lori (July 6, 2020). Dear Therapist: I Love My Trans Daughter, but I’m Still Struggling. The Atlantic https://www.theatlantic.com/family/archive/2020/07/i-love-my-trans-daughter-but-im-still-struggling/613786/

Strangio, Chase (June 24, 2020). The Trans Future I Never Dreamed Of. The Atlantic https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2020/06/trans-future-i-never-dreamed/613405/

Sickels, Carter (June 20, 2020). Being Trans Shouldn’t Exclude Me From Health Laws. The Atlantic https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2020/06/being-trans-shouldnt-exempt-me-from-health-laws/613261/

Epps, Garrett (June 16, 2020). What ‘Because of Sex’ Really Means. The Atlantic https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2020/06/what-because-of-sex-really-means/613099/

Zhang, Sarah (December 23, 2019). Sleuths Are Haunted by the Cold Case of Julie Doe. The Atlantic https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2019/12/self-taught-sleuths-trying-solve-trans-murders/603976/

Burt, Stephanie (November 2019). Ways of Being: Three new books explore the variety of transgender experiences. The Atlantic https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2019/11/transgender-narratives/598354/

Green, Emma (October 8, 2019). The LGBTQ-Rights Movement Is Changing, and So Is the Supreme Court. The Atlantic https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2019/10/supreme-court-lgbtq/599608/

Epps, Garrett (September 26, 2019). Why ‘Because of Sex’ Should Protect Gay People. The Atlantic https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2019/09/title-vii-should-protect-gay-people/598825/

Green, Emma (August 17, 2019). America Moved On From Its Gay-Rights Moment—And Left a Legal Mess Behind. The Atlantic https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2019/08/lgbtq-rights-america-arent-resolved/596287/

Green, Emma (May 24, 2019). Why Trump Is Rolling Back LGBTQ Health-Care Protections. The Atlantic https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2019/05/trumps-rollback-lgbtq-protections-obamacare/590239/

Thompson, Matt (January 13, 2019). How to Spark Panic and Confusion in Three Tweets. The Atlantic https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2019/01/donald-trump-tweets-transgender-military-service-ban/579655

Yong, Ed (January 15, 2019). Young Trans Children Know Who They Are. The Atlantic https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2019/01/young-trans-children-know-who-they-are/580366/

Hamblin, James (October 21, 2018). Against a Federal Registry of Genitals. The Atlantic https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2018/10/trump-defines-gender-hhs/573544/

Pinsker, Joe (August 23, 2018). The Problem With ‘Hey Guys.’ The Atlantic https://www.theatlantic.com/family/archive/2018/08/guys-gender-neutral/568231/

Rauch, Jonathan (January 2019). It’s Time to Drop the ‘LGBT’ From ‘LGBTQ.’ The Atlantic https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2019/01/dont-call-me-lgbtq/576388/

Giorgis, Hannah (July 17, 2018). When Are Trans Actors Allowed to Act? The Atlantic https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2018/07/when-are-trans-actors-allowed-to-act/565286/

Lorenz, Taylor (June 22, 2018). Transitioning on YouTube. The Atlantic https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2018/06/how-youtube-star-miles-mckenna-is-helping-a-generation-of-fans-navigate-their-identity/563510/

Respoonses to Jesse Singal’s July 2018 anti-trans cover story When a Child Says She’s Trans:

Epps, Garrett (June 8, 2018). How Birth Certificates Are Being Weaponized Against Trans People. The Atlantic https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2018/06/how-birth-certificates-are-being-weaponized-once-again/562361/

Graham, David A. (March 24, 2018). The Murkiness of Trump’s New Transgender Military Ban. The Atlantic https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2018/03/trumps-new-transgender-military-ban/556445/

Echenique, Martín (March 14, 2018). The Power of A Fantastic Woman‘s Oscar Win. The Atlantic https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2018/03/a-fantastic-woman-oscar-chile-gender-identity-bill/555461/

Kornhaber, Spencer (March 6, 2018). It’s Time for Drag Race to Move Past the Binary. The Atlantic https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2018/03/rupaul-transgender-drag-race-all-stars-comments/554963/

Yong, Ed (January 2, 2018). The Transgender Scientist Who Changed How We See the Brain. [about Ben Barres] The Atlantic https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2018/01/remembering-the-transgender-scientist-who-changed-our-understanding-of-the-brain/549458/

Epps, Garrett (November 1, 2017). Trump’s Tweets Take Down His Military Ban on Trans People. The Atlantic https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2017/11/pricking-of-his-thumbs/544547/

Green, Emma (October 30, 2017). A Federal Court Pushes Back on Trump’s Transgender Military Ban. The Atlantic https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2017/10/a-federal-court-pushes-back-on-trumps-transgender-military-ban/544373/

Green, Emma (October 5, 2017). The Department of Justice Takes a Stand Against Transgender Rights in the Workplace. The Atlantic https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2017/10/the-department-of-justice-takes-a-stand-against-transgender-rights-in-the-workplace/542154/

Graham, David A. (August 25, 2017). Commander in Chaos. The Atlantic https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2017/08/trump-news-dump-transgender-arpaio-gorka-harvey/538116/

Newkirk, Vann R. II (August 25, 2017). The White House Formalizes Its Military Transgender Ban. The Atlantic https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2017/08/the-white-house-follows-through-on-its-transgender-ban/538113/

Epps, Garrett (August 11, 2017). How Trump’s Transgender Ban Compromises His Military Authority. The Atlantic https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2017/08/how-trumps-transgender-ban-compromises-his-military-authority/536574/

Hall, Jenny (August 4, 2017). Transgender Soldiers Want the Dignity of Serving Their Country. The Atlantic https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2017/08/transgender-soldiers-will-not-be-erased/535950/

Green, Emma (July 28, 2017). Trump’s Battle Over LGBT Discrimination Is Just Beginning. The Atlantic https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2017/07/title-vii/535182/

Graham, David A. (July 27, 2017). Trump Gives an Order Too Vague for His Generals to Obey. The Atlantic https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2017/07/trump-the-generals-and-transgender-troops/535155/

Hamblin, James (July 26, 2017). The Cost of Banning Transgender Service Members. The Atlantic https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2017/07/things-that-cost-more-than-medical-care-for-transgender-soldiers/534945/

Green, Emma (July 26, 2017). Trump’s Transgender Ban Could Force Out Thousands of Service Members. The Atlantic https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2017/07/trump-bans-transgender-americans-from-serving-in-the-military/534939/

Phippen, J. Weston (July 17, 2017). The Businesses Against the Texas Bathroom Bill. The Atlantic https://www.theatlantic.com/news/archive/2017/07/business-against-texas-bathroom-bill/533928/

O’Donnell, B.R.J. (June 12, 2017). Becoming the Mentor You Wish You’d Had. The Atlantic https://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2017/06/mentorship-transgender-athletes/529719/

Landman, Keren (April 21, 2017). Making Primary Care Trans-Friendly. The Atlantic https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2017/04/trans-medicine/523731/

Graham, David A. (March 31, 2017). ‘I Don’t Think You Can Compromise on Civil Rights.’ The Atlantic https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2017/03/hb-2-what-happens-now/521394/

Mathew, Teresa (March 27, 2017). When Nuns Tried to Kick-Start India’s First Transgender School. The Atlantic https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2017/03/when-nuns-tried-to-kickstart-indias-first-transgender-school/519957/

“Hall, Jenny” (March 20, 2017). Coming Out as Transgender Made Me a More Effective CIA Officer. The Atlantic https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2017/03/transgender-cia/520050/

Graham, David A. (March 30, 2017). North Carolina Is Finally Repealing Its Bathroom Bill. The Atlantic https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2017/03/north-carolina-hb2-repeal/521301/

Green, Emma (March 6, 2017). The Trump Administration May Have Doomed Gavin Grimm’s Case. The Atlantic https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2017/03/the-trump-administration-may-have-doomed-gavin-grimm/518676/

Green, Emma (February 22, 2017). The Federal Government’s Reversal: Let the States Deal With Transgender Kids. The Atlantic https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2017/02/transgender-guidance/517530/

Graham, David A. (January 9, 2017). What’s Behind the New Wave of Transgender ‘Bathroom Bills.’ The Atlantic https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2017/01/states-see-a-new-wave-of-transgender-bathroom-bills/512453/

Graham, David A. (December 19, 2016). The End of North Carolina’s HB2? The Atlantic https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2016/12/the-end-of-north-carolinas-hb2/511052/

Anderson, Melinda D. (December 2, 2016). What Is the Future of the Office for Civil Rights? The Atlantic https://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2016/12/what-is-the-future-of-the-education-office-for-civil-rights/509348/

White, Bryony (November 15, 2016). The Link Between Autism and Trans Identity. The Atlantic https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2016/11/the-link-between-autism-and-trans-identity/507509/

Higgins, Marissa (October 18, 2016). LBGT Students Are Not Safe at School. The Atlantic https://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2016/10/school-is-still-not-safe-for-lgbt-students/504368/

Kornhaber, Spencer (September 29, 2016). Modern Family Tip-Toes Around Its First Transgender Character. The Atlantic https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2016/09/modern-family-a-stereotypical-day-transgender-child-actor-jackson-millarker/502196/

Calamur, Krishnadev (September 14, 2016). The End of Chelsea Manning’s Hunger Strike. The Atlantic https://www.theatlantic.com/news/archive/2016/09/chelsea-manning-hunger-strike-ends/499925/

Graham, David A. (September 13, 2016). Why the NCAA Is Pulling Championships From North Carolina. The Atlantic https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2016/09/ncaa-kos-nc-on-hb2/499733/

Zimmerman, Sacha (September 2, 2016). At Work in Two Genders. The Atlantic https://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2016/09/at-work-in-two-genders/498440/

Branstetter, Gillian (August 31, 2016). Sketchy Pharmacies Are Selling Hormones to Transgender People. The Atlantic https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2016/08/diy-hormone-replacement-therapy/498044/

McGill, Andrew (August 25, 2016). Americans Are Embracing Transgender Rights. The Atlantic https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2016/08/americans-are-embracing-transgender-rights/497444/

Graham, David A. (August 26, 2016). A Federal Judge’s Ruling Against North Carolina’s HB2. The Atlantic https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2016/08/a-federal-judges-ruling-against-north-carolinas-hb2/497762/

Wheeler, David R. (August 25, 2016). LGBT Seniors Are Being Pushed Back Into the Closet. The Atlantic https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2016/08/lgbt-seniors/497324/

Green, Emma (August 22, 2016). Why a Court Blocked the Obama Administration’s Guidelines on Trans Students. The Atlantic https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2016/08/why-a-court-blocked-the-obama-administrations-transgender-guidelines/496850/

Green, Emma (August 18, 2016). Why Religious Employers Can Fire Trans People, According to a Michigan Court. The Atlantic https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2016/08/in-michigan-its-totally-legal-to-fire-trans-people-for-their-gender-identity/496559/

Green, Emma (August 5, 2016). Why the Courts Can’t Save LGBT Americans From Discrimination. The Atlantic https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2016/08/why-the-courts-cant-save-trans-kids/494687/

Green, Emma (July 7, 2016). The Gay-Rights State That Took Years to Protect Transgender Citizens. The Atlantic https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2016/07/massachusetts-the-gay-rights-state-that-took-years-to-protect-transgender-citizens/485417/

Koren, Marina (June 30, 2016). The U.S. Military’s Welcome for Transgender Troops. The Atlantic https://www.theatlantic.com/news/archive/2016/06/transgender-military/489584/

Khazan, Olga (June 26, 2016). Kim to Caitlyn: ‘You Gotta Rock It Every Day.’ The Atlantic https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2016/06/kim-kardashians-advice-to-caitlyn-jenner/488822/

Bodenner, Chris (2016). Transgender Debate series. The Atlantic https://www.theatlantic.com/category/a-good-faith-debate-about-transgender-rights/

Greeen, Emma (May 31, 2016). America’s Profound Gender Anxiety. The Atlantic https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2016/05/americas-profound-gender-anxiety/484856/

Vasilogambros, Matt (May 25, 2016). The Attacks Against Transgender Activists in Pakistan. The Atlantic https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2016/05/transgender-attacks-pakistan/484319/

Khazan, Olga (May 19, 2016). The True Harm of Bathroom Bills. The Atlantic https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2016/05/transgender-bathrooms-suicide/483351/

Green, Emma (May 16, 2016). The Federal Government Quietly Expands Transgender Rights. The Atlantic https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2016/05/department-of-health-and-human-services-transgender-rights/482934/

Fournier, Ron (May 18, 2016). The Counterproductive Politicization of Transgender Rights. The Atlantic https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2016/05/democrats-republicans-transgender-rights/483330/

Ford, Matt (May 12, 2016). Schools Are Put on Notice to Respect Transgender Rights. The Atlantic https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2016/05/transgender-bathroom-letter/482646/

Vasilogambros, Matt (April 21, 2016). Curt Schilling’s Downfall. The Atlantic https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2016/04/curt-schillings-fired/479286/

Vasilogambros, Matt (May 11, 2016). A Transgender First in the Philippines. The Atlantic https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2016/05/philippines-transgender/482271/

Graham, David A. (May 9, 2016). Loretta Lynch Takes on North Carolina’s Bathroom Bill. The Atlantic https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2016/05/state-sponsored-discrimination-loretta-lynch-takes-on-north-carolinas-hb2/481986/

Epps, Garrett (May 6, 2016). Anti-Trans Discrimination Is Sex Discrimination. The Atlantic https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2016/05/a-scalia-decision-sets-the-precedent-for-why-hb2-is-illegal/481569/

Graham, David A. (April 22, 2016). Did Trump Change His Mind on North Carolina’s Transgender Law? The Atlantic https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2016/04/trump-north-carolina-transgender-law/479547/

Godfrey, Elaine (April 21, 2016). The Edge: Trump: Let People Use Whatever Bathroom They Want. The Atlantic https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2016/04/the-edge-trump-let-people-use-whatever-bathroom-they-want/479433/

Graham, David A. (April 21, 2016). Donald Trump’s Case for Tolerance. The Atlantic https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2016/04/trump-transgender-bathroom-north-carolina/479316/

Graham, David A. (April 12, 2016). North Carolina’s Nearly Meaningless Executive Order on Discrimination. The Atlantic https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2016/04/pat-mccrory-north-carolina-hb2/477936/

Graham, David A. (March 24, 2016). North Carolina Overturns LGBT-Discrimination Bans. The Atlantic https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2016/03/north-carolina-lgbt-discrimination-transgender-bathrooms/475125/

Graham, David A. (March 24, 2016). Why Did N.C.’s Anti-LGBT Law Pass While Others Failed? The Atlantic https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2016/03/why-did-ncs-anti-lgbt-law-pass-while-others-failed/624563/

Wong, Alia (February 25, 2016). The Power Struggle Over Transgender Students. The Atlantic https://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2016/02/the-power-struggle-over-transgender-students/470886/

Kornhaber, Spencer (December 14, 2015). The Brilliant Challenge of Transparent. The Atlantic https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2015/12/transparent-season-two-review/419943/

Graham, David A. (December 8, 2015). The Atlantic‘s Case for the Singular, Gender-Neutral ‘They’—in 1879. The Atlantic https://www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2015/12/the-atlantics-case-for-the-singular-gender-neutral-theyin-1879/625570/

Vasilogambros, Matt (December 3, 2015). The Difficult, Confusing, and Frightening Path to Medical Care for Transgender People. The Atlantic https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2015/12/the-difficult-confusing-and-frightening-path-to-medical-care-for-transgender-people/433533/

Sandstrom, Aleksandra (December 3, 2015). Religious Groups’ Policies on Transgender Members Vary Widely. The Atlantic https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2015/12/religious-groups-policies-on-transgender-members-vary-widely/433536/

Beck, Julie (December 1, 2015). Covering Transgender Care Is Good Economics for Insurance Companies. The Atlantic https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2015/12/covering-transgender-health-care-is-good-economics-for-insurance-companies/417804/

Green, Emma (November 7, 2015). Hating Queerness Without Hating the Queer. The Atlantic https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2015/11/hating-queerness-without-hating-the-queer/413587/

Green, Emma (November 5, 2015). Reform Jews: Transgender People Are Welcome Here. The Atlantic https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2015/11/reform-jews-transgender-people-are-welcome-here/414415/

Berman, Russell (November 3, 2015). How Bathroom Fears Conquered Transgender Rights in Houston. The Atlantic https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2015/11/how-bathroom-fears-conquered-transgender-rights-in-houston/414016/

Cantarella, Terence (September 17, 2015). Inside New York’s First Transgender Modeling Agency. The Atlantic https://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2015/09/new-york-citys-first-transgender-modeling-agency/405718/

Sims, David (September 15, 2015). The Oscar Hopefuls Gathering Early Buzz in Toronto. The Atlantic https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2015/09/oscars-toronto-film-festival/405436/

Ford, Matt (September 3, 2015). An Important Ruling for Transgender Rights. The Atlantic https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2015/09/transgender-rights-ninth-circuit/626780/

Perry, Mo (August 12, 2015). The Challenge of Being Transgender in a Nursing Home. The Atlantic https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2015/08/transgender-nursing-home-aging/400580/

Wong, Alia (July 9, 2015). The K-12 Binary. The Atlantic https://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2015/07/the-k-12-binary/398060/

Schiavenza, Matt (June 28, 2015). LGBT Activists Are Still Fighting. The Atlantic https://www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2015/06/ice-transgender-lgbt-immigrants/397046/

Chandler, Adam (June 4, 2015). Barnard’s Admission of Transgender Students. The Atlantic https://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2015/06/barnard-transgender-colleges/394928/

Kornhaber, Spencer (June 1, 2015). ‘Call Me Caitlyn’: The Radical Simplicity of Vanity Fair‘s Cover. The Atlantic https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2015/06/call-me-caitlyn-the-radical-simplicity-of-vanity-fairs-cover/394601/

Owens, Caitlin (May 11, 2015). Obama Administration Addresses Obamacare Coverage Requirements for Transgender Individuals. The Atlantic https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2015/05/obama-administration-addresses-obamacare-coverage-requirements-for-transgender-individuals/452100/

Ford, Matt (April 25, 2015). Bruce Jenner, Transgender American. The Atlantic https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2015/04/bruce-jenner-interview/391472/

Saini, Shivam (January 26, 2015). Learning to Talk Like a Woman. The Atlantic https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2015/01/learning-to-talk-like-a-woman/384519/

Eveleth, Rose (December 17, 2014). Transgender People Face Outsized Barriers to Genital Surgery. The Atlantic https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2014/12/transgender-people-face-outsized-barriers-to-genital-surgery/383788/

Beck, Julie (November 15, 2014). What Doctors Don’t Know About LGBT Health. The Atlantic https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2014/11/what-doctors-dont-know-about-lgbt-health/382792/

James, Andrea (November 15, 2014). Why Is Elle Fanning Taking a Role From a Transgender Actor? The Atlantic https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2014/11/is-elle-fanning-taking-a-role-from-a-transgender-actor/382635/ edited headline: Is Elle Fanning Taking a Role From a Transgender Actor?

Thomas, Jake (October 22, 2014). Delaying Puberty With the Help of the State. The Atlantic https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2014/10/delaying-puberty-with-the-help-of-the-state/381366/

Deshane, Eve (October 14, 2014). This Is My Voice: YouTube and the Transgender Autobiography. The Atlantic https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2014/10/this-is-my-voice-youtube-and-the-transgender-autobiography/381368/

Liebegott, Ali (September 28, 2014). ‘Can a TV Show Save Lives?’ The Atlantic https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2014/09/tv-shows-save-lives/380855/

Kohli, Sonali (September 26, 2014). Pop Culture’s Transgender Moment: Why Online TV Is Leading the Way. The Atlantic https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2014/09/why-online-streaming-wins-with-transgender-portrayals/380822/

Blank, Paula (September 24, 2014). Will ‘Cisgender’ Survive? The Atlantic https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2014/09/cisgenders-linguistic-uphill-battle/380342/

Mimms, Sarah (August 22, 2014). House Staffers Banned From Wikipedia Over Anti-Transgender Edits. The Atlantic https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2014/08/house-staffers-banned-from-wikipedia-over-anti-transgender-edits/449847/

Li, Shirley (July 17, 2014). Army to Begin Chelsea Manning’s Gender Treatment. The Atlantic https://www.theatlantic.com/national/2014/07/army-to-begin-chelsea-mannings-gender-treatment/374641/

Flanagin, Jake (February 28, 2014). Creating a ‘Living Image’ of a Transgender Woman. The Atlantic https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2014/02/creating-a-living-image-of-a-transgender-woman/284131/

John, Arit (February 24, 2014). Piers Morgan’s Many Haters Want Credit for His Show’s Demise. The Atlantic https://www.theatlantic.com/culture/2014/02/piers-morgans-many-haters-want-credit-his-shows-demise/358440/

Ohlheiser, Abby (February 13, 2014). Facebook Finally Gives Users a Customizable Gender Option.The Atlantic https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/2014/02/facebook-finally-gives-users-customizable-gender-option/358073/

Schiavenza, Matt (January 22, 2014). Dr. V, Sports Journalism, and Why Sensitivity Matters. The Atlantic https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2014/01/dr-v-sports-journalism-and-why-sensitivity-matters/283235/

Feeney, Nolan (January 21, 2014). A Transgender, Life-Affirming, Punk-Rock Survival Guide for Everybody. The Atlantic https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2014/01/a-transgender-life-affirming-punk-rock-survival-guide-for-everybody/283213/

Fondas, Nanette (November 18, 2013). Schools Are Failing Minority LGBT Students. The Atlantic https://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2013/11/schools-are-failing-minority-lgbt-students/281600/

Abad-Santos, Alexander (November 4, 2013). Unfireable Drag Queens: The Ways Activists Say ENDA Would Hurt America. The Atlantic https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/2013/11/all-scary-things-will-happen-if-enda-passes/354693/

Segran, Elizabeth (October 3, 2013). Harvard Business School’s First Transgender Student Speaks Out. The Atlantic https://www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2013/10/harvard-business-schools-first-transgender-student-speaks-out/280228/

Duron, Matt (September 5, 2013). My Son Wears Dresses; Get Over It. The Atlantic https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2013/09/my-son-wears-dresses-get-over-it/279333/

Keenan, Jillian (August 23, 2013). Getting Hormones and Surgery for Transgender Prisoners. The Atlantic https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2013/08/getting-hormones-and-surgery-for-transgender-prisoners/278998/

Schuster, Terry (August 22, 2013). How Will Bradley Manning Be Treated in Prison as a Woman? The Atlantic https://www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2013/08/how-will-bradley-manning-be-treated-in-prison-as-a-woman/278961/

Lieberman, Amy (July 18, 2013). Gay and Transgender Migrants Face Staggering Violence in Mexico. The Atlantic https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2013/07/-gay-and-transgender-migrants-face-staggering-violence-in-mexico/277915/

Turkewitz, Julie (June 21, 2012). Transgender Rights in the Workplace Are Still Unclear. The Atlantic https://www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2012/06/transgender-rights-in-the-workplace-are-still-unclear/258822/

Villarica, Hans (January 20, 2012). Professional Help: 5 Tips for Those Raising Transgender Children. The Atlantic https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2012/01/professional-help-5-tips-for-those-raising-transgender-children/251407/

Hunt, Jerome (June 27, 2012). Opinion: Celebrate, Embrace LGBT Diversity Beyond June. The Atlantic https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2012/06/opinion-celebrate-embrace-lgbt-diversity-beyond-june/427977/

Czekalinski, Stephanie (June 8, 2012). Only 37% of LGBT Teens Say They’re Happy. The Atlantic https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2012/06/only-37-of-lgbt-teens-say-theyre-happy/427746/

Selected anti-trans coverage

Lewis, Helen (September 24, 2025). The Gaza Left and the Gender Left. The Atlantic https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2025/09/uk-your-party-corbyn-sultana/684343/

Lewis, Helen (September 2, 2025). The Arrest That Demonstrates Europe’s Free-Speech Problem. The Atlantic https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2025/09/graham-linehan-arrest-europe-free-speech/684081/

Lewis, Helen (June 29, 2025). The Liberal Misinformation Bubble About Youth Gender Medicine. The Atlantic https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2025/06/transgender-youth-skrmetti/683350/

Lewis, Helen (June 9, 2025). The Trump Administration’s Nasty Campaign Against Trans People. The Atlantic https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2025/06/trump-transgender-treatments-gender/683046/

Lewis, Helen (April 18, 2025). Britain Rules on What a Woman Is. The Atlantic https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2025/04/britain-rules-woman-supreme-court/682511/

Lewis, Helen (March 30, 2025). The White Lotus Is the First Great Post-‘Woke’ Piece of Art. The Atlantic https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2025/03/white-lotus-is-post-woke-art/682231/

Lewis, Helen (February 24, 2025). The Internet’s Favorite Sex Researcher.The Atlantic https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2025/02/aella-internet-sex-researcher/681813/

Lewis, Helen (December 30, 2024). What the Left Refused to Understand About Women’s Sports. The Atlantic https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2024/12/democrats-trans-rights-sports/681130/

Lewis, Helen (December 16, 2024). The Push for Puberty Blockers Got Ahead of the Research. The Atlantic https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2024/12/why-supreme-court-puberty-blockers/680998/

Chait, Jonathan (November 27, 2024). Moderation Is Not the Same Thing as Surrender. The Atlantic https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2024/11/transgender-rights-election-public-opinon/680813/

Lewis, Helen (November 10, 2024). The Democrats Need an Honest Conversation on Gender Identity. The Atlantic https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2024/11/democrats-dishonest-gender-conversation-2024-election/680604/

Lewis, Helen (October 23, 2024). The Positions That the Democrats Won’t Defend. The Atlantic https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2024/10/trump-rachel-levine-trans-issues/680333/

Kirchick, James (August 12, 2024). How the Gay-Rights Movement Lost Its Way. The Atlantic https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2024/08/glaad-hrc-gay-rights-movement-obsolescence/679402/

Lewis, Helen (August 9, 2024). The Olympics Could Have Avoided the Ugly Boxing Debate. The Atlantic https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2024/08/olympic-boxing-gender-debate-imane-khelif/679410/

Lewis, Helen (April 12, 2024). Britain Is Leaving the U.S. Gender-Medicine Debate Behind. The Atlantic https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2024/04/cass-report-youth-gender-medicine/678031/

Lewis, Helen (March 19, 2024). The Worst Argument for Youth Transition. The Atlantic https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2024/03/trans-youth-transition-andrea-long-chu/677796/

Lewis, Helen (December 8, 2023). The Left Can’t Afford to Go Mad. The Atlantic https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2024/01/trump-biden-democratic-left-opposition/676141/

Lewis, Helen (August 8, 2023). The Gender War Is Over in Britain. The Atlantic https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2023/08/uk-trans-rights-labour-party/674944/

Lewis, Helen (June 18, 2023). The Feminists Insisting That Women Are Built Differently. The Atlantic https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2023/06/reactionary-feminism-differences-between-sexes/674447/

Lewis, Helen (May 4, 2023). The Only Way Out of the Child-Gender Culture War. The Atlantic https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2023/05/texas-puberty-blockers-gender-care-transgender-rights/673941/

Lewis, Helen (May 4, 2023). The Hogwarts Legacy Boycott That Wasn’t. The Atlantic https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2023/04/hogwarts-legacy-game-jk-rowling-transphobia-accusation/673583/

Klotz, Frieda (April 28, 2023). A Teen Gender-Care Debate Is Spreading Across Europe. The Atlantic https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2023/04/gender-affirming-care-debate-europe-dutch-protocol/673890/

Friedersdorf, Conor (April 21, 2023). How the Gender Debate Veered Off Track. The Atlantic https://www.theatlantic.com/newsletters/archive/2023/04/how-the-gender-debate-veered-off-track/673819/

Lewis, Helen (February 15, 2023). What Happens When Politicians Brush Off Hard Questions About Gender. The Atlantic https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2023/02/nicola-sturgeon-resignation-scotland-transgender-bill/673067/

Lewis, Helen (September 2, 2022). What If Joan of Arc Wasn’t a Woman? The Atlantic https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2022/09/joan-of-arc-nonbinary-globe/671321/

Lewis, Helen (August 18, 2022). How Social Justice Became a New Religion. The Atlantic https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2022/08/social-justice-new-religion/671172/

Friedersdorf, Conor (March 28, 2022). 20 Reader Views on Transgender People in Competitive Sports. The Atlantic https://www.theatlantic.com/newsletters/archive/2022/03/20-reader-views-on-transgender-people-in-competitive-sports/629410/

Lewis, Helenn (May 14, 2022). The Abortion Debate Is Suddenly About ‘People,’ Not ‘Women.’ The Atlantic https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2022/05/abortion-rights-debate-women-gender-neutral-language/629863/

Lewis, Helen (February 27, 2022). The Twitching Generation. The Atlantic https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2022/02/social-media-illness-teen-girls/622916/

Lewis, Helen (26 October 2021). In Defense of Saying ‘Pregnant Women.’ The Atlantic https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2021/10/pregnant-women-people-feminism-language/620468/ [headline stealth edited to Why I’ll Keep Saying ‘Pregnant Women’]

Lewis, Helen (13 October 2021). Dave Chappelle’s Rorschach Test. The Atlantic https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2021/10/dave-chappelle-the-closer/620364/

Green, Emma (September 17, 2021). The Culture War Over ‘Pregnant People.’ The Atlantic https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2021/09/pregnant-people-gender-identity/620031/

Krotoszynski, Ronald J. Jr. (May 16, 2021). The War on Trans Kids Is Totally Unconstitutional. The Atlantic https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2021/05/anti-transgender-children-laws-unconstitutional/618864/

Lewis, Helen (March 16, 2021). The Identity Hoaxers. The Atlantic https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2021/03/krug-carrillo-dolezal-social-munchausen-syndrome/618289/

Lewis, Helen (April 2021). What Happened to Jordan Peterson? The Atlantic https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2021/04/what-happened-to-jordan-peterson/618082/

Lewis, Helen (July 14, 2020). How Capitalism Drives Cancel Culture. The Atlantic https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2020/07/cancel-culture-and-problem-woke-capitalism/614086/

Lewis, Helen (July 2020). Why Millennial Harry Potter Fans Reject JK Rowling. [stealth edited to How J. K. Rowling Became Voldemort] The Atlantic https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2020/07/why-millennial-harry-potter-fans-reject-jk-rowling/613870/

Lewis, Helen (February 27, 2020). Feminism’s Purity Wars. The Atlantic https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2020/02/feminism-mens-rights-activism-cancel-culture/607057/

Kirchick, James (June 28, 2019). The Struggle for Gay Rights Is Over. The Atlantic https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2019/06/battle-gay-rights-over/592645/

Fridersdorf, Conor (May 1, 2019). Camille Paglia Can’t Say That. The Atlantic https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2019/05/camille-paglia-uarts-left-deplatform/587125/

Khazan, Olga (October 23, 2018). Why the Trump Administration’s New Gender Definition Worries Doctors. The Atlantic https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2018/10/what-the-trump-eras-new-transgender-definition-means-for-patients/573694/

Singal, Jesse (June 18, 2018). When a Child Says She’s Trans. The Atlantic https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2018/07/when-a-child-says-shes-trans/561749/

Green, Emma (September 28, 2016). Half of Americans Don’t Think Transgender People Should Be Able to Pick Their Bathroom. The Atlantic https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2016/09/half-of-americans-dont-think-transgender-people-should-be-able-to-pick-their-bathroom/501947/

Green, Emma (October 2, 2016). If Americans Can Be Transgender, Can They Be Transracial? The Atlantic https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2016/10/trans-brubaker-race-gender/502397/

Green, Emma (January 6, 2016). Can States Protect LGBT Rights Without Compromising Religious Freedom? The Atlantic https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2016/01/lgbt-discrimination-protection-states-religion/422730/

Delman, Edward (July 24, 2015). An Ambiguous Victory for Gay Rights in Europe. The Atlantic https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2015/07/gay-rights-italy-europe/399572/

Garber, Megan (June 2, 2015). The Paradigm Lag: Why It’s (Still) Awkward to Talk About Caitlyn Jenner. The Atlantic https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2015/06/the-paradigm-lag-why-its-awkward-to-talk-about-caitlyn-jenner/394715/

Rosin, Hanna (November 2008). A Boy’s Life. https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2008/11/a-boys-life/307059/ alt title: SHOULD CHILDREN HAVE SEX CHANGES? [cover headline]

Sullivan, Andrew (November 8, 2007). Incrementalism and Gay Rights. https://www.theatlantic.com/daily-dish/archive/2007/11/incrementalism-and-gay-rights/223783/

Sullivan, Andrew (October 10, 2009). The Battered Wife Syndrome Of The Human Rights Campaign. https://www.theatlantic.com/daily-dish/archive/2009/10/the-battered-wife-syndrome-of-the-human-rights-campaign/195585/

Sullivan, Andrew (October 3, 2007). Who Added The Ts? https://www.theatlantic.com/daily-dish/archive/2007/10/who-added-the-ts/224879/

Sullivan, Andrew (November 9, 2007). The LGBTQRSTZ “Community.” http://www.theatlantic.com/daily-dish/archive/2007/11/the-lgbtqrstz-community/223771/

Media

The Atlantic with Hanna Rosin and Sarah McBride (April 17, 2025). Sarah McBride Is Used to the Hate. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m9wls2XjLTE see also Democrats Need ‘Imperfect Allies’ https://www.theatlantic.com/podcasts/archive/2025/04/sarah-mcbride-is-used-to-the-hate/682368/

The Atlantic with Luz (July 9, 2019). The Horrific Untold Story of Trans ICE Detention. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VYcggAs_Mg0 alt title: “Luz’s Story”

The Atlantic (June 27, 2019). The LGBTQ+ Generation Gap. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y3H-qLMw17M

The Atlantic with Isaiah, Bettina, and Tatenda Ngwaru (June 6, 2019). What It’s Like to Be Intersex. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eEXpeq-38Sw alt title “She’s Not a Boy”

The Atlantic with Carey Callahan (June 18, 2018). Reversing a Gender Transition. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V6V0p3_bd6w alt title: “Detransitioned: The Lives of Carey Callahan”

The Atlantic (April 10, 2018). ‘It’s Difficult for Trans People to Enter Public Spaces.’ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j3ZgNTUAThQ alt title “The Swimming Club”

The Atlantic (January 29, 2018). The Third Gender. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jlzhXBjmaUw alt title “The Muxes”

The Atlantic with Jennifer Finney Boylan (August 30, 2017). Lessons From a Life in Two Genders. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X-v0p1RjrIo

The Atlantic with Caitlyn Jenner (February 1, 2017). Caitlyn Jenner on Looking in the Mirror and Not Recognizing Yourself. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QhP9KfAi6vI

The Atlantic (October 27, 2016). Meet the Latino Drag Queens Defying North Carolina’s Anti-LGBT Law. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1UTNxm30bVw

The Atlantic with Emma Green (July 22, 2016). Can Religious Freedom and LGBT Rights Co-Exist? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IYVfqvXo7WY

Resources

The Atlantic (theatlantic.com)

Wikipedia (en.wikipedia.org)

Instagram (instagram.com)

Threads (threads.com)

Facebook (facebook.com)

YouTube (youtube.com)

X/Twitter (x.com)

Bluesky (bsky.app)

David French is an American lawyer, writer, and anti-transgender extremist.

French is an initial signatory of the anti-trans 2017 Nashville Statement by the Council on Biblical Manhood & Womanhood.

In 2023, Kathleen Kingsbury and Patrick Healy brought French on to the notoriously anti-trans Opinion section at the New York Times. Their decision was a major event in the Times’ anti-transgender coverage crisis of the 2020s.

Background

David Austin French was born on January 24, 1969 in Opelika, Alabama.

French earned a bachelor’s degree from Lipscomb University in 1991 and a law degree from Harvard in 1994.

French has been a prominent conservative activist. French served as legal counsel for the American Center for Law and Justice and the Alliance Defending Freedom. French was president of Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE) until 2005. From 2007 to 2014 French served in the Army as a judge-advocate general officer stationed in Iraq.

Following discharge, French wrote for National Review from 2015 to 2019 and was a senior fellow at the National Review Institute. French is a senior editor for The Dispatch and has authored several books.

French and spouse Nancy live in Franklin, Tennessee and have three adult children.

2017 Nashville Statement

French was a signatory of the anti-gay and anti-trans Nashville Statement. Other anti-trans signatories include:

Anti-trans writing

In 2022, French wrote in The Dispatch:

“I’m a person who believes in the traditional Christian doctrines of marriage and sexual morality. I don’t believe in sex outside of marriage between a man and a woman. I don’t agree that trans men are “men” or that trans women are “women,” and while I strive to treat every person I encounter with dignity and respect, I don’t use preferred pronouns because their use is a form of assent to a system of belief to which I don’t subscribe.”

References

Staff report (January 4, 2023). GLAAD responds to New York Times hiring anti-LGBTQ attorney as opinion columnist. GLAAD https://glaad.org/releases/glaad-responds-new-york-times-hiring-anti-lgbtq-attorney-opinion-columnist/

Anti-trans coverage

Kingsbury, Katie; Healy, Patrick (January 3, 2023). David French Joins The Times as an Opinion Columnist. New York Times Company https://www.nytco.com/press/david-french-joins-the-times-as-an-opinion-columnist/

Selected writing by French

French, David (October 2, 2022). When Culture Wars Go Way Too Far: State efforts to break families over transgender issues threaten foundational American rights. The Dispatch https://thedispatch.com/newsletter/frenchpress/when-culture-wars-go-way-too-far/

Resources

The Dispatch (thedispatch.com)

Nancy French (nancyfrench.com)

The Council on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood (cbmw.org)

Wikipedia (en.wikipedia.org)

X/Twitter (x.com)

National Review (nationalreview.com)

New York Times (nytimes.com)

Facebook (facebook.com)

Instagram (instagram.com)

Bipartisan Report was an American group blog that had a consistently left-wing bias despite their name. Generally considered a clickbait site that often published misinformation. Their coverage of trans issues was generally positive.

Its site went offline in late 2024.

References

Bhattacharya, Ananya (July 20, 2022). Here’s a handy cheat sheet of false and misleading “news” sites. Quartz https://qz.com/839160/heres-a-handy-cheat-sheet-of-false-and-misleading-news-sites

Westneat, Danny (November 18, 2016). Seattle’s own ‘click-bait’ news site serves up red meat for liberals. The Seattle Times https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/seattles-own-click-bait-news-site-serves-up-red-meat-for-liberals/

Garcia, Arturo (October 28, 2016). Fox News Said the Benghazi Probe Was a Hoax.. Snopes Archived from the original on 2022-08-27. Retrieved 2022-08-27.

Osmundsen, Mathias; Bor, Alexander; Vahlstrup, Peter Bjerregaard; Bechmann, Anja; Petersen, Michael Bang (2021). Partisan Polarization Is the Primary Psychological Motivation behind Political Fake News Sharing on Twitter. American Political Science Review, 115(3), 999–1015. https://doi.org/10.1017/s0003055421000290

Resources

Bipartisan Report (bipartisanreport.com) [archive]

Politifact (politifact.com)

Ad Fontes Media (adfontesmedia.com)

Facebook (facebook.com)

X/Twitter (x.com)

The Stranger is an alternative newspaper based in Seattle, Washington. The publication is generally progressive politically, with some issues around anti-trans writing by Dan Savage, Alice Dreger, and Katie Herzog.

Background

Founded in 1991 as a weekly print publication supported by coupon ads, it switched to a biweekly magazine format in 2017. It suspended print operations in 2020, then resumed them in 2023. In 2024, the paper was sold to Noisy Creek.

Transgender coverage

Since its founding, The Stranger has published a sex column by Dan Savage called Savage Love. Over the years, Savage has published a number of columns about trans and gender diverse people that have been criticized. In addition to work like the It Gets Better project that has helped some in the community, Savage has a long history of supporting and defending sexologists and journalists who have also been accused of anti-trans bias.

In 2011, The Queer Issue edited by Christopher Frizzelle and Savage included a piece by Alice Dreger, who has long voiced opposition to the affirmative model of care for trans and gender diverse youth, especially any kind of medical options:

The great majority of young children who declare they are a gender that doesn’t match their birth sex grow out of the mismatch. […]

But somehow if we wrap these major interventions around gender identity, we’re supposed to believe they are not that big a deal in terms of planning for a child’s future? And the clinician who tries to get a gender dysphoric kid to learn to like her or his innate body really is a Nazi? Not buying it. […]

I am also sick and tired of trans-rights advocates acting like a certain current-day endocrinologist is ever-so-progressive because he essentially starts prepping genderqueer kids for surgery the moment they are presented by their distraught parents. Reminds me a little too much of Iran, you know?

The Stranger also employed Katie Herzog, whose 2017 article on “detransition” was sourced from a group of anti-transgender people associated with the “ex-trans movement.” Seven years later, The Stranger finally updated that story to note that key source Ky Schevers has disavowed the views made in the piece.

References

Hiruko, Ashley (July 29, 2024). The Stranger newspaper sold to former state legislator Brady Walkinshaw. KUOW https://www.kuow.org/stories/the-stranger-newspaper-sold-to-former-state-legislator-brady-walkinshaw

Eckert, AJ; McLamore, Quinnehtukqut  May 14, 2023). Detransition, Retransition, and What Everyone Gets Wrong. Science-Based Medicine https://sciencebasedmedicine.org/detransition-retransition-and-what-everyone-gets-wrong/

Owen, Greg (November 1, 2022,). Darling of the “detransition” movement comes out again as transgender. LGBTQ Nation https://www.lgbtqnation.com/2022/11/darling-detransition-movement-comes-transgender/

Schevers, Ky (March 6, 2022). Ky Schever’s experience with ideologically driven detransition. Trans Safety Network https://transsafety.network/posts/ky-schevers-life-in-detransition/

Leveille, Lee (July 5, 2021). The Mechanisms of TAnon: Where it Came From. Health Liberation Now! https://healthliberationnow.com/2021/07/05/the-mechanisms-of-tanon-where-it-came-from/

Schevers, Ky (March 25, 2021). The Reality Behind the Story I Told: What My Life was Like When I was Interviewed for the Stranger. Reclaiming Trans https://reclaimingtrans.com/2021/03/25/the-reality-behind-the-story-i-told-what-my-life-was-like-when-i-was-interviewed-for-the-stranger/

Doyle, Jude Ellison S. (March 24, 2021). What’s So Scary About Detransitioning? Medium https://gen.medium.com/whats-so-scary-about-detransitioning-a8340daf3132

Urquhart, Evan (February 1, 2021). An “Ex-Detransitioner” Disavows the Anti-Trans Movement She Helped Spark. Slate https://slate.com/human-interest/2021/02/detransition-movement-star-ex-gay-explained.html

Schevers, Ky (December 22, 2020). Detransition as Conversion Therapy: A Survivor Speaks Out. An Injustice! https://aninjusticemag.com/detransition-as-conversion-therapy-a-survivor-speaks-out-7abd4a9782fa

Selected writing in The Stranger

Schevers, Ky (June 24, 2024). The Reality Behind the Story I Told The Stranger. The Stranger https://www.thestranger.com/queer-issue-2024/2024/06/05/79545098/the-reality-behind-the-story-i-told-the-stranger

Wood, Natalie (June 20, 2018). What Happens After the Person You Married Tells You They’re Transgender. The Stranger https://www.thestranger.com/queer-issue-2018/2018/06/20/27820946/what-happens-after-the-person-you-married-tells-you-theyre-transgender

Herzog, Katie (July 3, 2017). A Response to the Uproar Over My Piece, “The Detransitioners.” The Stranger https://www.thestranger.com/slog/2017/07/03/25262759/a-response-to-the-uproar-over-my-piece-the-detransitioners

Herzog, Katie (June 28, 2017). The Detransitioners: They Were Transgender, Until They Weren’t. The Stranger. https://www.thestranger.com/features/2017/06/28/25252342/the-detransitioners-they-were-transgender-until-they-werent

Savage, Dan (June 7, 2014). About That Hate Crime I Committed at University of Chicago. The Stranger https://www.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2014/06/07/about-that-hate-crime-i-committed-at-university-of-chicago

Dreger, Alice (2011). Trans Advocates (At Least Where Genderqueer Kids Are Concerned). The Stranger https://www.thestranger.com/seattle/trans-advocates/Content?oid=8743338

Savage, Dan (August 12, 2010). Golden Oldie. The Stranger https://www.thestranger.com/seattle/SavageLove?oid=4642012

Savage, Dan (August 12, 2010). Bad Tranny. The Stranger https://www.thestranger.com/seattle/SavageLove?oid=13054

Savage, Dan (March 26, 2009). Deep Thought. The Stranger https://www.thestranger.com/seattle/SavageLove?oid=1192438

Resources

The Stranger (thestranger.com)

Wikipedfia (en.wikipedia.org)

LinkedIn (linkedin.com)

Facebook (facebook.com)

X/Twiiter (x.com)

Instagram (instagram.com)

YouTube (youtube.com)

Bluesky (bsky.app)

Reason is an American group blog that promotes libertarian viewpoints. Its coverage of trans topic is generally negative.

Contributors

Contributors who have covered trans issues include:

  • Jonathan H. Adler
  • Billy Binion
  • Elizabeth Nolan Brown
  • Emma Camp
  • Nick Gillespie
  • Joe Lancaster
  • Katherine Mangu-Ward
  • Charles Oliver
  • John Osterhoudt
  • Michael Rosman
  • Joe Setyon
  • Scott Shackford
  • Stephanie Slade
  • Robby Soave
  • John Stossel
  • Peter Suderman
  • Jacob Sullum
  • Eugene Volokh
  • Jesse Walker
  • Zach Weissmueller
  • Matt Welch
  • Liz Wolfe

Resources

Reason (reason.com)

Reason Foundation (reason.org)

Wikipedia (en.wikipedia.org)

Facebook (facebook.com)

X/Twitter (x.com)

YouTube (youtube.com)

Instagram (instagram.com)

The Federalist is a conservative American media organization. Their coverage of trans issues is consistently among the most anti-transgender.

Contributors

Contributors who have covered trans issues include:

  • Ryan Bangert
  • Eleanor Bartow
  • Christopher Bedford
  • Nick Bell
  • Nathanael Blake
  • Kelsey Bolar
  • J.C. Bourque
  • Jordan Boyd
  • Jennifer Braceras
  • Giancarlo Canaparo
  • Jeremy Carl
  • J. Allen Cartwright
  • Casey Chalk
  • Natasha Chart
  • Margot Cleveland
  • Sophia Corso
  • Rich Cromwell
  • Kara Dansky
  • John Daniel Davidson
  • Bailey Duran
  • Jared Eckert
  • Libby Emmons
  • Shawn Fleetwood
  • Karalee Geis
  • Julio Gonzalez
  • Chad Felix Greene
  • Carrie Gress
  • Kylee Griswold
  • Olivia Hajicek
  • Elad Hakim
  • Laura Bryant Hanford
  • Kristan Hawkins
  • Amy Haywood
  • Josh Herring
  • Walt Heyer
  • Curtis Hill
  • David Hogberg
  • Maggie Hronich
  • Nicole Imhof
  • Emily Jashinsky
  • Tristan Justice
  • Gabe Kaminsky
  • Jeremiah Keenan
  • Matt Keener
  • M.D. Kittle
  • Spencer Lindquist
  • Jean C. Lloyd
  • John Lucas
  • Sophia Martinson
  • Roy Maynard
  • Emily McNally
  • Auguste Meyrat
  • Jamie Metzgar
  • Stella Morabito
  • Emma Sofia Mull
  • Asra Q. Nomani
  • Dan O’Connell
  • Madeline Osburn
  • Peter Pischke
  • Joy Pullmann
  • Jason Rantz
  • Reagan Reese
  • Elle Reynolds
  • Paula Rinehart
  • Jane Robbins
  • Marco Rubio
  • Kyle Sammin
  • Eddie Scarry
  • Terry Schilling
  • Jon Schweppe
  • Denise Shick
  • J.B. Shurk
  • Glenn T. Stanton
  • Samantha Stephenson
  • Haley Strack
  • Sharon Supp
  • Jeremy Tedesco
  • Geoff Thatcher
  • Tanya Thatcher
  • Jonathan S. Tobin
  • Kaeley Triller
  • Logan Washburn
  • Dennis Weisman
  • Beth Whitehead

Resources

The Federalist (thefederalist.com)

Drudge Report is an American conservative group blog. Their coverage of trans topics is consistently negative.

Resources

Drudge Report (drudgereport.com)

Wikipedia (en.wikipedia.org)

Library of Congress (loc.gov)

Democracy Now! is an American media organization. It publishes consistently fair and accurate coverage of transgender topics.

Democracy Now! also produces a podcast.

Resources

Democracy Now! (democracynow.org)

  • Transgender
  • democracynow.org/search?utf8=%E2%9C%93&query=transgender

Wikipedia (en.wikipedia.org)

Instagram (instagram.com)

X/Twitter (x.com)

Facebook (facebook.com)

YouTube (youtube.com)

TikTok (tiktok.com)

Bluesky (bsky.app)