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Suzanne Woolsey was Chief Communications Officer for the publisher of the transphobic 2003 book The Man Who Would Be Queen by J. Michael Bailey.

Background

Suzanne Haley “Sue” Woolsey was born in 1941. Woolsey is spouse of James Woolsey, who, among other things, served as Jimmy Carter’s first director of the CIA. James Woolsey is also a notable neoconservative, reaching that philosophy via a circuitous route through the corridors of liberal power.

Suzanne Woolsey’s 1970 dissertation was titled “Effects of experimenter race and segregated or desegregated school experience on some aspects of the social interaction of white and negro children.” Interestingly, experimenter effect is one of the chief scientific criticisms of the methodology used by Bailey, Ray Blanchard, and Anne Lawrence.

During the Carter Administration Woolsey served in high level positions in the Office of Management and Budget. During the Reagan Administration Woolsey worked outside of the government.

Woolsey began work at the National Academy of Sciences in 1989 as Executive Director of the Commission on Behavioral and Social Sciences, responsible for oversight of all of the boards in those fields. Later Woolsey became chief operating officer of the NAS and then Chief Communications Officer whose responsibilities included National Academies Press and Joseph Henry Press.

Woolsey’s canned response

Woolsey sent the following form letter to anyone who wrote to express concern about the lack of science in J. Michael Bailey’s The Man Who Would Be Queen. I received my copy on 22 May 2003.

Office of Communications

500 Fifth Street, NW
Washington, DC 20001
Phone: 202 334 1212
Fax: 202 334 1210
E-mail: [email protected]
www.nationalacademies.org

We have received your message about the book, The Man Who Would Be Queen, by J. Michael Bailey, and I am responding on behalf of the National Academies. We appreciate knowing of your concerns and recognize that the contents of this book are controversial. The copyright page of the book carries the following notice: “Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this volume are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Academy of Sciences or its affiliated institutions.” This statement applies to all books published by the Joseph Henry Press. Joseph Henry Press publications are not reports of the National Academies, but are individually authored works on topics related to science, engineering, and medicine.

In our opinion, the best response to writing with which one disagrees is more writing. Those who hold views contrary to those expressed in this book are encouraged to present and publish the evidence and reasoning in support of their conclusions.

Sincerely,
Suzanne H. Woolsey, Ph.D.
Chief Communications Officer

After the book controversy

In January 2004, Woolsey became a director of Fluor Corporation, which has $1.6 billion in Iraq related contracts. Woolsey also served as a director of the Institute for Defense Analyses which also has war interests, and received modest compensation for that role according to the article.

The Woolseys’ overlapping affiliations are part of a growing pattern in Washington in which individuals play key roles in quasi-governmental organizations advising officials on major policy issues but also are involved with private businesses in related fields. Such activities generally are not covered by conflict of interest laws or ethics rules. They underscore an insiders network in which contacts and relationships developed inside the government can meld with individual financial interests.

Suzanne Woolsey is also affiliated with other firms, including the Paladin Capital Group, a Washington venture capital firm in which Woolsey’s spouse is a partner. Suzanne Woolsey did not respond to messages left at Paladin and at Fluor.

References

Roche, WF (8 August 2004). Private, Public Roles Overlap in Washington. Los Angeles Times. [archive]

Holloway J, Boyette L. (27 January 2004.). Fluor Adds Suzanne H. Woolsey to Board of Directors. Fluor website.
http://investor.fluor.com/visitors/print_release.cfm?ReleaseID=127565 [archive]

Clemons SC (8 August 2004). Woolsey’s web: Structure and corruption in Iraq. The Washington Note.
http://www.thewashingtonnote.com/archives/000015.html [archive]

Ted Barlow (born 1974) is a former J. Michael Bailey student at Northwestern University who wrote a biased undergraduate paper on transsexualism. Barlow’s paper is a good indication of how Bailey teaches students harmful ideas about gender identity and expression, sexuality, and attraction to transgender people.

Bailey’s exploitative undergraduate human sexuality course was permanently canceled by Northwestern in 2011.

Background

Barlow attended Northwestern from 1992–1996, earning a BS in psychology in 1996. His senior honors thesis was done with J. Michael Bailey, where Barlow served as a sort of wing man as they trolled Chicago bars for attractive young trans women to “research.”

He earned an MA in psychology from the University of Chicago in 1998 and an MBA from UT Austin in 2008. He has held various roles in the legal services industry in Texas.

Barlow had an extensive online presence as a blogger prior to going into legal services. He has since tried to minimize his connections to past published work.

Resources

Blogspot (blogspot.com)

  • tedbarlow.blogspot.com
  • A few things that I learned studying transsexuals [archive]
  • http://tedbarlow.blogspot.com/2002_12_15_tedbarlow_archive.html

Crooked Timber (crookedtimber.org)

  • Author: Ted [surname apparently removed by author request]

Lynn Conway (lynnconway.com)

LinkedIn (linkedin.com)

BVA Group (bvagroup.com)

  • Ted Barlow
  • https://www.bvagroup.com/team/ted-barlow
  • https://www.bvagroup.com/viewer/?path=/pdf/bios/Ted-Barlow.pdf

Daniel “Dan” Seligman (1924–2009) was a Forbes columnist and member of the neo-eugenics group the Human Biodiversity Institute founded by Steve Sailer. As with other members, he praised J. Michael Bailey‘s anti-transgender book The Man Who Would Be Queen in Forbes in 2003.

Transsexuals and the Law (2003)

The legal uncertainties reflect widespread puzzlement about the basic science. What is transsexualism’s connection to homosexuality? Does it signify mental illness? The American Psychiatric Association long ago (1973) eliminated homosexuality from its list of mental disorders, but its fourth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV) still lists “gender identity disorder,” also mystifying to many people. Why does it cause thousands of Americans to powerfully desire membership in the opposite sex, leading some subset of this population to undergo transformative genital surgery? 

A good recently published guide to all these questions is The Man Who Would Be Queen: The Science of Gender-Bending and Transsexualism, by J. Michael Bailey, 46, a professor of psychology at Northwestern University who teaches an undergraduate course in human sexuality. The book is mostly about effeminate boys and men and how they got that way, but its concluding chapters zero in on the world of transsexuals–not all of whom were effeminate. The book has ignited a firestorm of protest from some transsexuals. 

This despite the fact that Bailey, himself a standard-model male heterosexual, is warmly sympathetic to gays and transsexuals and argues persuasively that for the great majority of individuals taking the male-to-female route, the decision is rational.

The size of the transsexual population is itself a matter of controversy, and their propagandists endlessly seek to inflate the numbers. DSM-IV estimates that 1 in 30,000 males (and 1 in 100,000 females) opts for the surgery. Bailey’s estimate is 1 in 12,000 males, implying 8,000 gender-crossers now living in the country.

Transsexual Lynn Conway–who has been a computer scientist at IBM and is a professor emeritus at the University of Michigan–is now an activist for the cause. She says the figure is 30,000 to 40,000.

But the transsexuals’ attack on the Bailey book is not based on his population estimates. The main point of the protests is Bailey’s explanation of the roots of gender-crossing. Relying heavily on the work of Ray Blanchard, who heads the clinical sexology program at the Clarke Institute of Psychiatry in Toronto, Bailey tells us that there are two different, quite distinct types of male-to-female transsexuals.

First is the “classic” homosexual type: the effeminate boy who, from early childhood, is profoundly convinced that he was meant to be a woman. A likely but still unproven interpretation of this feeling is that it traces back to an inadequate dose of male hormones six or seven weeks after conception. The result could be a young man sexually attracted to other men and gravitating toward a transsexual solution. 

The second type bears the label “autogynephilia,” a clunky term invented by Blanchard, who coined it to describe that sizable fraction (perhaps half) of male-to-female transsexuals that he found to have a different version of gender identity disorder. They are erotically stimulated not by other men, and not primarily by women, but by the image of themselves as women. Except for their cross-dressing propensities, these transsexuals tend to lead rather ordinary heterosexual lives.

I spoke recently with an eminent transsexual who Bailey believes to be autogynephilic. Deirdre McCloskey, 61, is distinguished professor of the liberal arts and sciences at the University of Illinois at Chicago. She is a quantitatively oriented Chicago-school economist, a huge fan of Milton Friedman, and a dazzling writer, who is also a professor in the university’s English and history departments. Until she underwent the sex change in the mid-1990s, her name was Donald McCloskey, and she was a cross-dresser with a wife and two grown kids.

It is Bailey’s impression that the first type–the homosexual gender-crossers–are relatively indifferent to his book and that the protest emanates mainly from the autogynephiles. It is possible to understand their rage. The Blanchard diagnosis is hard to live with: Cross-dressing strikes most Americans as ridiculous, and its specified erotic role only makes matters worse. McCloskey, for one, is furious about the book and told the Northwestern newspaper: “He’s saying ‘Look, they’re driven by sex, sex, sex. They’re men, men, men.'”

The Bailey book sheds some much-needed light on the topic of transsexualism. But it is not destined to end the debate, or the lawsuits. Expect this difficult topic to keep judges and equal-opportunity commissions busy for a long while to come.

References

Seligman, Dan (October 13, 2003). Transsexuals And the Law. Forbes http://www.forbes.com/forbes/2003/1013/068.html

The National Review is an American media organization. It is consistently anti-transgender in its coverage.

Contributors

Contributors on trans topics include:

  • Luther Ray Abel
  • Abigail Anthony
  • Brittany Bernstein
  • Michael Brendan Dougherty
  • Caroline Downey
  • Andrew Follett
  • Diana Glebova
  • Nate Hochman
  • Jessica Hornik
  • Madeleine Kearns
  • Peter Kirsanow
  • Rich Lowry
  • Ryan Mills
  • Jimmy Quinn
  • Isaac Schorr
  • Wesley J. Smith
  • Sharon Supp
  • Ed Whelan

References

Savage, Luke (October 1, 2024). The Quiet Death of National Review. Jacobin https://jacobin.com/2024/10/the-quiet-death-of-national-review/

Resources

Wikipedia (en.wikipedia.org)

National Review (nationalreview.com)

National Review Institute (nrinstitute.org)

X/Twitter (x.com)

Facebook (facebook.com)

YouTube (youtube.com)

Instagram (instagram.com)

The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) is an American civil rights organization. They have been involved in fighting anti-transgender activism for decades through litigation, legislation, and education.

Background

Lawyers Morris Dees and Joe Levin incorporated SPLC in 1971, and activist Julian Bond was named the first president. They brought many lawsuits that confronted discrimination and hate in the South. Their work made them targets of threats and violence; their headquarters was firebombed in 1983 and destroyed.

In the 1990s, SPLC launched Teaching Tolerance (now Learning for Justice). It provides classroom materials on civil rights history and issues. In 2010 I participated in SPLC’s classroom film Bullied, about gay student Jamie Nabozny’s federal case against the local school district, which failed to protect himNabozny from homophobic harassment and assault.

Their Intelligence Project monitors hate groups and anti-government groups, including anti-LGBTQ hate groups.

In SPLC’s work for LGBTQ rights, they

  • Challenge gay-to-straight “conversion therapy” as fraudulent;
  • Obtain equal government benefits for veterans;
  • Protect LGBTQ children from violence and harassment in school;
  • Ensure the parental rights of LGBTQ people;
  • Protect the right to proper medical treatment and safe housing for transgender prisoners;
  • Force states to recognize the rights of same-sex couples; and
  • Protect the First Amendment rights of LGBTQ students.

The Man Who Would Be Queen

In 2003, SPLC helped in the response to anti-trans book The Man Who Would Be Queen by J. Michael Bailey.

After Lynn Conway found the connection between Bailey and the Human Biodiversity Institute project by conservative activist Steve Sailer, SPLC wrote several pieces alerting their readers about HBI.

Hate Map

One of SPLC’s long-term projects is a Hate Map that includes anti-LGBTQ organizations. Their 2024 list includes:

  • Abiding Word Baptist Church, Revival Baptist Church
  • Advocates Protecting Children (Arlington, Virginia)
  • All Scripture Baptist Church (Knoxville, Tennessee)
  • Alliance Defending Freedom (Scottsdale, Arizona)
  • American College of Pediatricians (Gainesville, Florida)
  • American Family Association (Franklin, Pennsylvania, Indianapolis, Indiana, Tupelo, Mississippi)
  • American Vision (Powder Springs, Georgia)
  • Americans for Truth About Homosexuality (Columbus, Ohio)
  • ATLAH Media Network (New York, New York)
  • California Family Council (Fresno, California)
  • The Campus Ministry USA (Terre Haute, Indiana)
  • Center for Christian Virtue (Columbus, Ohio)
  • Center for Family and Human Rights (C-FAM) (New York, New York)
  • Chalcedon Foundation (Vallecito, California)
  • Child and Parent Rights Campaign (Duluth, Georgia)
  • Church Militant/St. Michael’s Media (Ferndale, Michigan)
  • Concerned Christian Citizens (Temple, Texas)
  • D. James Kennedy Ministries (Fort Lauderdale, Florida)
  • Do No Harm (Glen Allen, Virginia)
  • Faith2Action (North Royalton, Ohio)
  • Faithful Word Baptist Church (Tempe & Tucson, Arizona)
  • Family Action Council of Tennessee (Franklin, Tennessee)
  • The Family Foundation of Virginia (Richmond, Virginia)
  • Family Research Council (Washington, District of Columbia)
  • Family Research Institute (Colorado Springs, Colorado)
  • Family Watch International (Gilbert, Arizona)
  • First Works Baptist Church (Anaheim, California)
  • Frontline Policy Council (Atlanta, Georgia)
  • Gays Against Groomers (Missouri / Monroe, North Carolina / Washington / Milwaukee, Wisconsin)
  • Generations (Elizabeth, Colorado)
  • Genspect (Palm Springs, California)
  • Heterosexuals Organized for a Moral Environment (H.O.M.E.) (Downers Grove, Illinois)
  • Illinois Family Institute (Tinley Park, Illinois)
  • Liberty Baptist Church (Rock Falls, Illinois)
  • Liberty Counsel (Orlando, Florida)
  • Louisiana Family Forum (Baton Rouge, Louisiana)
  • Mass Resistance (Idaho, Wyoming, Colorado, Texas, West Virginia, California, Massachusetts, Ohio)
  • Massachusetts Family Institute (Wakefield, Massachusetts)
  • Mission: America (Columbus, Ohio)
  • Montana Family Foundation (Laurel, Montana)
  • Pacific Justice Institute (Nevada, California, Florida, Oregon, Washington)
  • Partners for Ethical Care (Chicago, Illinois)
  • Pass the Salt Ministries (Hebron, Ohio)
  • Pennsylvania Family Institute (Harrisburg, Pennsylvania)
  • Pilgrims Covenant Church (Monroe, Wisconsin)
  • The Pray in Jesus Name Project (Colorado Springs, Colorado)
  • Probe Ministries (Plano, Texas)
  • Public Advocate of the United States (Merrifield, Virginia)
  • Revival Baptist Church (Clermont & Jacksonville, Florida)
  • Ruth Institute (Lake Charles, Louisiana)
  • Save California (Sacramento, California)
  • Scott Lively Ministries (Springfield, Massachusetts)
  • Society for Evidence-Based Gender Medicine (Twin Falls, Idaho)
  • Stedfast Baptist Church (Fort Worth, Texas & Oklahoma City, Oklahoma)
  • Strong Hold Baptist Church (Norcross, Georgia)
  • Sure Foundation Baptist Church (Seattle, Vancouver, & Spokane Valley, Washington)
  • Tom Brown Ministries (El Paso, Texas)
  • True Light Pentecost Church (Spartanburg, South Carolina)
  • United Families International (Gilbert, Arizona)
  • Verity Baptist Church (Sacramento, California)
  • Warriors for Christ (Mount Juliet, Tennessee)
  • Westboro Baptist Church (Topeka, Kansas)
  • World Congress of Families/International Organization for the Family (Rockford, Illinois)

2023 CAPTAIN report

In 2023, SPLC released a report titled Combating Anti-LGBTQ+ Pseudoscience Through Accessible Informative Narratives (CAPTAIN). It traces the origins of 21st-century anti-transgender extremism.

Contributors

  • R.G. Cravens (editor)
  • Quinnehtukqut McLamore
  • Lee Leveille
  • Emerson Hodges
  • Sophie Wunderlich
  • Lydia Bates

References

Beirich, Heidi; Moser, Bob (December 31, 2003). Northwestern University Psychology Professor J. Michael Bailey Looks Into Queer Science. SPLC https://www.splcenter.org/fighting-hate/intelligence-report/2003/northwestern-university-psychology-professor-j-michael-bailey-looks-queer-science

Moser, Bob (December 31, 2003) Violence Engulfs Transgender Population In D.C. SPLC https://www.splcenter.org/fighting-hate/intelligence-report/2003/violence-engulfs-transgender-population-dc

Cravens, R.G. (June 05, 2023). Documents Reveal ADF Requested Anti-Trans Research from American College of Pediatricians. SPLC https://www.splcenter.org/hatewatch/2023/06/05/documents-reveal-adf-requested-anti-trans-research-american-college-pediatricians

SPLC (2024). Anti-LGBTQ Hate Map. https://www.splcenter.org/fighting-hate/extremist-files/ideology/anti-lgbtq

Resources

Southern Poverty Law Center (splcenter.org)

Sounds Like Hate podcast (soundslikehate.org)

Britannica (britannica.com)

Wikipedia (en.wikipedia.org)

Facebook (facebook.com)

X/Twitter (x.com)

Instagram (instagram.com)

YouTube (youtube.com)

LinkedIn (linkedin.com)

Jeremy W. Peters is an American author and New York Times employee who contributes to and vigorously defends their anti-transgender coverage.

Peters and Adam Nagourney also claim there is a “medical disagreement” about trans healthcare. In actuality, there is clear medical consensus on best practices which is opposed by a conservative fringe minority.

Background

Jeremy Warren Peters was born on January 25, 1980. Peters earned a bachelor’s degree from University of Michigan in 2002, then worked as a freelance writer. Peters wrote for The Virgin Islands Daily News before joining the Times Detroit bureau, followed by the Albany bureau. While at Albany, Peters helped cover the Eliot Spitzer sex scandal.

In 2010 Bruce Headlam announced Peters would take over the publishing beat, covering both newspapers and magazines.

Peters’ book Insurgency came out in 2017. Peters also appears in the 2018 documentary series The Fourth Estate.

Peters is in a relationship with dermatologist Brendan Camp.

2023 attack on News Guild of New York 

After the union representing Times journalists noted the profound anti-trans discrimination and hostile workplace created by Carolyn Ryan, Peters attacked union leadership, drafting the letter below and gathering signatures from colleagues.

Dear Susan,

We are writing to you privately in response to your February 17th letter, which we were surprised to see.

Like you, we support the right to a non-hostile workplace where everyone is respected and supported. We believe The New York Times should never engage in biased or discriminatory practices of any kind. We all strive to be part of a truly diverse news organization where everyone is treated fairly. We welcome robust and respectful critical feedback from colleagues, either in direct conversation or through internal Times channels.

But your letter appears to suggest a fundamental misunderstanding of our responsibilities as journalists. Regretfully, our own union leadership now seems determined to undermine the ethical and professional protections that we depend on to guard the independence and integrity of our journalism.

Factual, accurate journalism that is written, edited, and published in accordance with Times standards does not create a hostile workplace.

Every day, partisan actors seek to influence, attack, or discredit our work. We accept that. But what we don’t accept is what the Guild appears to be endorsing: A workplace in which any opinion or disagreement about Times coverage can be recast as a matter of “workplace conditions.”
Our duty is to be independent. We pursue the facts wherever they may lead. We are journalists, not activists. That line should be clear.

Debates over fairness and accuracy are perfectly reasonable. We understand and respect that the Guild has an absolute duty to offer representation to members when they are subject to discipline by management. But we do not think it is the role of our union to be engaged in – and taking sides in – public debates over internal editorial decisions.

Our hope is that the coming days will bring more constructive internal dialogue among Times employees and with Guild leadership that can help unify and improve our news organization. And we ask that our union work to advance, not erode, our journalistic independence.

Sincerely,

Reed Abelson
Maria Abi-Habib
Peter Baker
Emily Bazelon
Brooks Barnes
Julian Barnes
Susan Beachy
Jack Begg
Ginia Bellafante
Walt Bogdanich
Alan Blinder
Kellan Browning
Russ Buettner
David Chen
Nicholas Confessore
Rob Copeland
Reid Epstein
Elizabeth Dias
Harvey Dickson
Susan Dominus
Joe Drape
Jesse Drucker
Sydney Ember
Maureen Farrell
Matt Flegenheimer
Ellen Gabler
Trip Gabriel
Robert Gebeloff
Adam Goldman
Ruth Graham
Michael Grynbaum
Danny Hakim
Anemona Hartocollis
Virginia Hughes
Sharon LaFraniere
Joshua Katz
Clifford Krauss
Nicholas Kulish
Steven Lee Myers
Lisa Lerer
Sarah Lyall
Veronica Majerol
Jonathan Mahler
Sapna Maheshwari
Apoorva Mandavilli
Mark Mazzetti
Mike McIntire
Jennifer Medina
Phyllis Messinger
Rebecca O’Brien
Dennis Overbye
Ken Paul
Michael Paulson
Ivan Penn
Jeremy Peters
Michael Powell
William Rashbaum
Rebecca Robbins
Matthew Rosenberg
Katie Rosman
Michael Rothfeld
Jim Rutenberg
Margot Sanger-Katz
Charlie Savage
Stephanie Saul
Jennifer Schuessler
Kim Severson
Jessica Silver-Greenberg
Jeff Sommer
Nicole Sperling
Emily Steel
Katie Thomas
Marcela Valdes
Ken Vogel
Nancy Wartik
Mark Walker
Ben Weiser
Elizabeth Williamson
Michael Wilson
Michael Wines
David Yaffe-Bellany
Kate Zernike

References

Reed, Erin (November 26, 2024). New York Times Journalist Says Solution For Trans Rights Is To Be Nicer To JK Rowling. Erin in the Morning https://www.erininthemorning.com/p/new-york-times-journalist-says-solution

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

Klein, Charlotte (February 21, 2023). Dozens of New York Times journalists hit staff union for its defense of trans coverage criticism. Vanity Fair https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2023/02/new-york-times-journalists-letter-guild

Koenig, Melissa (February 22, 2023). Gray lady at war! Top New York Times journalists attack paper’s union for backing woke staff who signed open letter denouncing its coverage of trans issues. Daily Mail https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11781669/New-York-Times-journalists-attack-papers-union-backing-woke-staff-trans-stories.html

Klein, Charlotte (February 27, 2023). Inside the New York Times blowup over transgender coverage. Vanity Fair https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2023/02/new-york-times-trans-coverage-debate

Romenesko, Jim (May 24, 2010). Peters to cover newspapers, magazines for NYT. Poynter https://www.poynter.org/reporting-editing/2010/peters-to-cover-newspapers-magazines-for-nyt/

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; 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 peopleThe 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 peopleThe 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 coverageNBC 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 peopleRolling 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 peopleBuzzFeed 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’ focusFox 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 TimesISSN 0362-4331.

Klein, Charlotte (February 15, 2023). Nearly 200 New York Times contributors are denouncing the paper’s anti-trans coverageVanity 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 warThe 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 peopleThe Hill. https://thehill.com/homenews/3862101-nyt-editors-paper-will-not-tolerate-its-journalists-protesting-coverage-of-transgender-people/amp/

Smith, Ben (October 18, 2022). Inside the identity crisis at The New York Times. Semafor https://www.semafor.com/article/10/18/2022/inside-the-identity-crisis-at-the-new-york-times

Remnick, David (December 22, 2017). A conversation with A.G. Sulzberger, the new leader of the New York Times. New York https://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/a-conversation-with-a-g-sulzberger-the-new-leader-of-the-new-york-times

Ember, Sydney (December 14, 2017). A.G. Sulzberger, 37, to Take Over as New York Times PublisherThe New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/14/business/media/a-g-sulzberger-new-york-times-publisher.html

Barron, James (October 20, 2016). A.G. Sulzberger: leading change at The New York Times as journalism evolvesThe New York Times. http://www.oregonlive.com/business/index.ssf/2018/02/ag_sulzberger_new_york_times_p.html

Rogoway, Mike (February 9, 2018). A.G. Sulzberger, New York Times’ publisher and former Oregonian reporter, talks journalism in the digital ageThe Oregonian.

Wemple, Erik (December 14, 2017). A.G. Sulzberger to assume publisher role at New York Times on Jan. 1The Washington Post. https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/erik-wemple/wp/2017/12/14/a-g-sulzberger-to-assume-publisher-role-at-new-york-times-on-jan-1/

Benton, Joshua (May 15, 2014). The leaked New York Times innovation report is one of the key documents of this media ageNiemanLab. https://www.niemanlab.org/2014/05/the-leaked-new-york-times-innovation-report-is-one-of-the-key-documents-of-this-media-age/

Snyder, Gabriel (February 12, 2017). The New York Times claws its way into the futureWired. https://www.wired.com/2017/02/new-york-times-digital-journalism/

Levitz, Eric (October 19, 2016). A.G. Sulzberger Vanquishes His Cousins, Becomes Deputy Publisher of the New York TimesNew York. https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2016/10/a-g-sulzberger-becomes-deputy-publisher-of-new-york-times.html

Benton, Joshua. This is The New York Times’ digital path forwardNiemanLab. https://www.niemanlab.org/2017/01/this-is-the-new-york-times-digital-path-forward/

Sulzberger, A. G. (October 7, 2015). Our Path Forward (PDF). The New York Times Company. https://nytco-assets.nytimes.com/m/Our-Path-Forward.pdf

Sulzberger, A. G. (January 1, 2018). A Note from Our New PublisherThe New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2018/01/01/opinion/Arthur-Gregg-Sulzberger-The-New-York-Times.html

Selected trans coverage by Peters

Peters, Jeremy W. (November 26, 2024). Transgender Activists Question the Movement’s Confrontational Approach. New York Times https://www.nytimes.com/2024/11/26/us/politics/transgender-activists-rights.html

Peters, Jeremy W. (November 2, 2024). In Shift From 2020, Identity Politics Loses Its Grip on the Country. New York Times https://www.nytimes.com/2024/11/02/us/politics/election-2024-harris-progressives.html

Goldmacher, Shane [Peters contributed reporting] (October 8, 2024). Trump and Republicans Bet Big on Anti-Trans Ads Across the Country. New York Times https://www.nytimes.com/2024/10/08/us/politics/trump-republican-transgender-ads.html

Nagourney, Adam; Peters, Jeremy W. (April 16, 2023). How a campaign against transgender rights mobilized conservatives. New York Times https://www.nytimes.com/2023/04/16/us/politics/transgender-conservative-campaign.html

Peters, Jeremy W. (March 29, 2021). Why Transgender Girls Are Suddenly the G.O.P.’s Culture-War Focus. New York Times https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/29/us/politics/transgender-girls-sports.html

Peters, Jeremy W. (November 3, 2019). A Conservative Push to Make Trans Kids and School Sports the Next Battleground in the
Culture War.
New York Times https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/03/us/politics/kentuckytransgender-school-sports.html

Peters, Jeremy W. (December 15, 2009). Transgender State Workers Expected to Gain Bias Protection. New York Times https://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/16/nyregion/16transgender.html

Davis, Julie Hirschfeld; Cooper, Helene [Peters contributed reporting] (December 15, 2009). Trump Says Transgender People Will Not Be Allowed in the Military. New York Times https://www.nytimes.com/2017/07/26/us/politics/trump-transgender-military.html

Resources

Wikipedia (en.wikipedia.org)

X/Twitter (x.com)

  • @jwpetersNYT [deleted April 2023]

New York Times (nytimes.com)

Muck Rack (muckrack.com)

LinkedIn (linkedin.com)

Instagram (instagram.com)

Drew Pinsky is an American physician who has covered issues related to trans and gender diverse people.

Background

David Drew Pinsky was born on September 4, 1958 in Pasadena, California to physician Morton Pinsky (1926–2009) and entertainer Helene Stanton (1925–2017).

After graduating from Polytechnic School in 1976, Pinsky earned a bachelor’s degree from Amherst College in 1980 and a medical degree from University of Southern California in 1984.

Pinsky had a longstanding goal of covering medical issues in the media. After about a decade of radio appearances, Pinsky’s radio show Loveline was syndicated in 1995. MTV premiered a television version in 1996, hosted by Pinsky and Adam Carolla. From 2007-2008 Pinsky hosted Dr. Drew Live. From 2015 to 2019, Pinsky co-hosted Dr. Drew Midday Live. Loveline continued until 2016.

Pinsky hosted several other TV programs, including Strictly Sex with Dr. Drew, Strictly Dr. Drew, Sex…with Mom and Dad, Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew, Sex Rehab with Dr. Drew, Dr. Drew On Call . Pinsky has made many cameos and is often sought for comment on medical issues, especially drug and alcohol use.

Pinsky and spouse Susan Sailer married on July 21, 1991 and had triplets Douglas, Jordan, and Paulina in 1992. Pinsky has had treatments for prostate cancer. Pinksy has espoused libertarian and sometimes conservative views.

Transgender coverage

Pinsky hosted the program “Transgender in America” on August 26-27 2015 on HLN. The show included Ian Harvie, Marci Bowers, Bamby Salcedo, and D’Lo.

In 2015, Pinsky invited anti-trans extremist Ben Shapiro and trans journalist Zoey Tur on an episode of Dr. Drew on Call to discuss an award won by Caitlyn Jenner. After Shapiro insulted trans people in general and Tur in particular, Tur told Shapiro “You should cut that out now, or you’ll go home in an ambulance.” Shapiro, visibly shaken, later threatened to file police reports and lawsuits, but nothing came of any of it. Pinsky later apologized to Shapiro.

Pinksky has appeared on numerous podcasts hosted by anti-transgender activists, including Greg Gutfeld, Megyn Kelly, Bill Maher, Bridget Phetasy, Dave Rubin, and Debra Soh.

References

Ennis, Dawn (August 26, 2015). Can Dr. Drew Capture the Trans Experience? The Advocate https://www.advocate.com/transgender/2015/08/26/can-dr-drew-capture-trans-experience

Pinksky, Drew (August 25, 2015). Transgender In America: A Two-Night Event. Dr. Drew https://drdrew.com/2015/transgender-in-america-a-two-night-event/

Robinson, Judah (August 26, 2015). Dr. Drew Says Special On Transgender Issues Was Inspired By Caitlyn Jenner. HuffPost https://www.huffpost.com/entry/dr-drew-special-transgender-caitlyn-jenner_n_55ddb666e4b04ae49705143e

https://www.salon.com/2015/07/17/ben_shapiro_tries_and_spectacularly_fails_to_humiliate_trans_woman_zoey_tur_what_are_your_genetics_sir/

Resources

Dr. Drew (drdrew.com)

Mary Kate Fain is an American publisher and anti-transgender extremist. Fain created gender critical projects Spinster and 4W and is co-host of Identity Crisis with Plebity cofounder Sasha White. Fain also jelped with the initial launch of Ovarit after r/gendercritical was banned from reddit.

Background

Mary Kate Fain was born in October 1992, one of six children born to Karen Marie Fain (1965–2015) and Michael L. Ozlek (born 1954).

Fain graduated from Phoenixville Area High School and earned a bachelor’s degree from Ithaca College in 2013. From 2016 to 2018, Fain founded and ran animal rights organization Liberation Philadelphia.

Fain’s concerns center around maintaining sex segregation in remaining institutions and in creating platforms that allow participants to express anti-trans opinions.

Resources

M. K. Fain (marykatefain.com)

4W (4w.pub)

LinkedIn (linkedin.com)

Spinster (spinster.xyz)

Fediverse (jointhefedi.com)

Facebook (facebook.com)

X/Twitter (x.com)

GitHub (github.com)

Magdalen Berns was a British anti-transgender activist.

Background

Berns was born May 8, 1983 in London to parents who were involved in communist activism. They split up soon after Berns was born.

Berns attended Hampstead School in Camden, London. After working as a sound engineer and computer programmer as a young adult, Berns returned to college, making early forays into anti-drag and anti-trans activism. Berns earned a bachelor’s degree from University of Edinburgh in 2016.

Berns died from brain cancer on September 13, 2019 at age 36 in Edinburgh.

Anti-transgender activism

Berns was a sex segregationist and a trans-exclusionary lesbian. Berns was opposed to the idea that a lesbian can date a trans woman who had not had bottom surgery, saying “There is no such thing as a lesbian with a penis.” Berns also opposed gender self-identification and worked to change Scotland’s laws around it. Berns also opposed value neutral terms like sex assigned at birth:

“You don’t get ‘assigned’ reproductive organs … males are defined by their biological sex organs. Likewise, homosexuals are people who are attracted to the same biological sex.”

Berns compared trans women to “blackface actors.” Berns often said, “Trans women are men” and described trans activism as a “men’s rights movement.”

Berns attacked a number of trans inclusive organizations, including LGBT charity Stonewall.

Berns co-founded the non-profit organization For Women Scotland in 2018. Their goal was to advocate for sex-based rights, maintaining the remaining sex-segregated institutions like bathrooms, sports, children’s organizations, and prisons.

In 2019, British author and anti-trans activist J.K. Rowling helped raise Berns’ profile. After Berns died, Rowling revealed that they had spoken directly. Rowling called Berns “an immensely brave young feminist and lesbian” and “a great believer in the importance of biological sex [who] didn’t believe lesbians should be called bigots for not dating trans women with penises.”

Media

Caelan Conrad and Amanda Hootman (30 July 2024). Magdalen Berns: Your Favorite TERF’s Favorite TERF. Respect The Dead https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Bc9jkJU96Q

Kathleen Stock and Julie Bindel (2 February 2024). Episode 12 FREE: being a young gender-critical feminist. The Lesbian Project Podcast https://www.thelesbianprojectpod.com/p/episode-12-free-being-a-young-gender

“E” and “M” (1 March 2021). Ep12: A Magdalen Berns Night Supper- Transphobia in Scotland. Blood and Terf Podcast

Graham Linehan (13 September 2020). Remembering Magdalen with Elizabeth Berns https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QrrsxbwyvdU

Nicole Jones, Kathleen Stock, Julie Bindel (10 September 2020). Gender Ideology. The State Media https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Zkc4P0rpI4

(25 September 2020). 9. Well, what a week – Dedicated to Magdalen Berns The Speak Up For Women Podcast

Julia Long (21 September 2016) Thinking Differently – 09 Magdalen Berns https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oWSjAFYiF9U

References

Carr, Stewart (21 January 2023). The lesbian who launched 1,000 feminists: Story of same sex rights campaigner whose work inspired JK Rowling’s activism. Daily Mail https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11568569/Tragic-story-feminist-campaigner-work-inspired-JK-Rowlings-activism.html

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

Bindel, Julie (2021). Feminism for Women: The Real Route to Liberation. Hachette UK. p. 177. ISBN 978-1-4721-3260-4. https://books.google.com/books?id=py6cDwAAQBAJ&pg=PT177

Mos-Shogbamimu, Shola (2021). This is Why I Resist: Don’t Define My Black Identity. Headline Publishing Group. pp. 140–141. ISBN 978-1-4722-8079-4.

Joaquina (2 January 2021). Transphobia and AntisemitismThe Social Review https://www.thesocialreview.co.uk/2021/01/02/transphobia-and-antisemitism/

Andrews, Penny (20 November 2020). Choose your fighter: Loyalty and fandom in the free speech culture wars. Manchester University Press. p. 259. ISBN 978-1-5261-5255-8 –

Hyland, Jennifer (6 September 2020). Women’s rights campaigners ‘living in fear of trans attack’ after vile abuse directed at groupDaily Record https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scottish-news/womens-rights-campaigners-living-fear-22635235

Staff report (3 July 2020). Permanently suspended: How Father Ted co-creator Graham Linehan has become the ‘most hated man’ on the internetIrish Independent. https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/permanently-suspended-how-father-ted-co-creator-graham-linehan-has-become-the-most-hated-man-on-the-internet-39336272.html

Fordy, Tom (29 June 2020). How did Graham Linehan, the creator of Father Ted, become the most hated man on the internet? The Daily Telegraph https://www.telegraph.co.uk/tv/0/did-father-ted-creator-graham-linehan-become-hated-man-internet/

Rowling, J.K. (10 June 2020). J.K. Rowling writes about her reasons for speaking out on sex and gender issuesJKRowling.com https://www.jkrowling.com/opinions/j-k-rowling-writes-about-her-reasons-for-speaking-out-on-sex-and-gender-issues/

Jack, Malvern (11 June 2020). JK Rowling details ‘scars of abuse’ in heartfelt riposte to activistsThe Times https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/jk-rowling-details-scars-of-abuse-in-heartfelt-riposte-to-activists-lcrp96q6j

Yasharoff, Hannah (10 June 2020). J.K. Rowling reveals she’s a sexual assault survivor; Emma Watson reacts to trans commentsUSA Today. [archive] https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/celebrities/2020/06/07/j-k-rowling-harry-potter-author-slammed-transphobic-comments/3169833001/

Licea, Melkorka (10 June 2020). J.K. Rowling defends controversial trans comments in lengthy essayNew York Post https://nypost.com/2020/06/10/j-k-rowling-defends-her-controversial-trans-comments-in-lengthy-essay/amp/

Ahsan, Sadaf (19 December 2019). J.K. Rowling sparks major backlash by supporting a researcher fired for transphobic tweetsThe Guardian (Charlottetown). P.E.I. Canada. [archived] https://www.saltwire.com/prince-edward-island/lifestyles/entertainment/jk-rowling-sparks-major-backlash-by-supporting-a-researcher-fired-for-transphobic-tweets-390185/

Robertson, Julia Diana (13 October 2019). Mourning the loss of lesbian feminist leader Magdalen BernsThe Velvet Chronicle https://thevelvetchronicle.com/mourning-loss-of-lesbian-feminist-magdalen-berns/

McCarty, Meghan (13 September 2019). What’s Current: Lesbian feminist shero Magdalen Berns passes away at 36Feminist Current https://www.feministcurrent.com/2019/09/13/whats-current-lesbian-feminist-shero-magdalen-berns-passes-away-at-36/

Linehan, Graham (13 September 2019). Magdalen Berns 1983–2019Women Are Important. https://glinner.co.uk/stunning-and-brave-magdalen-berns-1983-2019/

Kearns, Madeleine (4 September 2019). Magdalen Berns, a ‘shero’ among womenNational Review. https://www.nationalreview.com/corner/magdalen-berns-a-shero-among-women/

Flaherty, Colleen (3 September 2019). College supports trans scholar under fireInside Higher Ed https://www.insidehighered.com/quicktakes/2019/09/03/college-supports-trans-scholar-under-fire

Davidson, Gina (1 September 2019). Mixed sex loos in Scottish schools break regulations, warn campaignersThe Scotsman. [archive] https://www.scotsman.com/news/politics/mixed-sex-loos-in-scottish-schools-break-regulations-warn-campaigners-1-4995254

Staff report (1 September 2019). Transgender professor defends celebrating deaths of those deemed ‘transphobic’The College Fix. [archive] https://www.thecollegefix.com/transgender-professor-defends-celebrating-the-death-of-those-deemed-transphobic/

Schiferl, Jenna (29 August 2019). The tweet heard ’round the world: Charleston professor sparks global Twitter debateThe Post and Courier https://www.postandcourier.com/news/the-tweet-heard-round-the-world-charleston-professor-sparks-global/article_4a462cda-c9c7-11e9-8134-d32dc721835d.html

Rhodes, Mandy (26 August 2019). The Scottish Government’s clumsy attempts to reform the Gender Recognition Act have inadvertently opened a hornet’s nestHolyrood https://www.holyrood.com/editors-column/view,the-scottish-governments-clumsy-attempts-to-reform-the-gender-recognition-a_10717.htm

Smith-Engelhardt, Joe (28 June 2019). J.K. Rowling faces backlash for allegedly displaying transphobic behaviourAlternative Press https://www.altpress.com/news/j-k-rowling-transphobic-behavior/

Maurice, Emma (25 June 2019). JK Rowling under fire for following a ‘proud transphobe’ on TwitterPinkNews https://www.pinknews.co.uk/2019/06/25/jk-rowling-under-fire-following-transphobe-twitter/

Aberle, Connor (15 November 2018). YouTube loves to hate meThe Wesleyan Argus. http://wesleyanargus.com/2018/11/15/youtube-loves-to-hate-me/

Mitchell, Hilary (5 October 2018). “Hateful” anti-trans stickers have been spotted in toilets and in public spaces around EdinburghEdinburgh Live [archive] https://www.edinburghlive.co.uk/news/edinburgh-news/hateful-anti-trans-stickers-been-15242299

Berns, Magdalen; et al. (15 April 2018). Allowing boys to be Guides is wrongThe Times. [archive] https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/allowing-boys-to-be-guides-is-wrong-v0dngnvjp

Murphy, Meghan (27 September 2016). ‘We need to be braver’ — women challenge ‘gender identity’ and the silencing of feminist discourseFeminist Current. https://www.feministcurrent.com/2016/09/27/need-braver-feminists-challenge-silencing/

Singleton, Mary Lou (25 July 2016). Thinking Differently conferenceWomen’s Liberation Front http://womensliberationfront.org/thinking-differently-conference/

Blunden, Mark (15 July 2016). ‘Medical threat’ to transgender children on puberty-blocking drugsEvening Standard. [archive] https://www.standard.co.uk/news/uk/medical-threat-to-transgender-children-on-pubertyblocking-drugs-a3296471.html

Berns, Magdalen (9 January 2016). Let them call me whorephobicButterflies and Wheels. [archive] http://www.butterfliesandwheels.org/2016/guest-post-let-them-call-me-whorephobic/

Benson, Ophelia (12 October 2015). How to know what is “whorephobic”Butterflies and Wheels. [archive] http://www.butterfliesandwheels.org/2015/how-to-know-what-is-whorephobic/

Resources

For Women Scotland (forwomen.scot)

Wikipedia (en.wikipedia.org)

YouTube (youtube.com)

X/Twitter] (x.com)

Facebook (facebook.com)

Patreon (patreon.com)

  • patreon.com/Magdalen [removed]

Paypal (paypal.com)

Minds (minds.com)

Instagram (instagram.com)

.

Sarah Mittermaier aka “Eliza Mondegreen” and “elizaoltramare” is an American-Canadian anti-transgender activist. Mittermaier is affiliated with numerous anti-trans organizations and figures:

Mittermaier has a Substack titled gender:hacked and has appeared on numerous media platforms hosted by anti-trans activists, including Benjamin Boyce, Leslie Elliott Boyce, Meghan Daum, Wesley Yang, Louise Perry, Women’s Declaration International, and The Center for Bioethics Culture & Network.

Background

Sarah Beth Mittermaier was born in May 1987 to Paul Mittermaier, an Episcopal minister, and Beth (Wagel) Mittermaier, an artist. Both parents are from Ohio, but Sarah Mittemaier grew up in Wisconsin.

Mittermaier attended University of Wisconsin-Madison, earning a bachelor’s degree in 2009. Mittermaier was a copy editor at the Daily Cardinal and a contributor to the Badger Herald. Mittermaier worked at several organizations, including the Prevention Institute, before returning to school at McGill University in Montreal.

Mittermaier was a member of WPATH while residing in Washington, DC.

Anti-transgender activism

In 2021 Mittermaier and Kitty Robinson founded the “LGB erasure” conspiracy website Unspeakable for “finding a language for female experiences in the LGBTQ+ community.” It allowed people to post anonymous rants, mostly from anti-trans people who identify as lesbian.

Mittermaier earned a master’s degree from McGill University in 2024. Mittermaier’s thesis was on “detransition” in the context of reddit communities, especially r/detrans. Mittermaier’s advisors were Samuel Veissière and Cecile Rousseau. Mittermaier includes a disclosure about being involved with SEGM:

During my time as an M.Sc. student, I worked with the Society for Evidence-Based Gender Medicine to help organize three conferences for researchers and clinicians working in the area of youth gender dysphoria. The first conference took place at Tampere University in Finland in June 2023, drawing researchers and clinicians from 17 countries with the objective of facilitating dialogue across the divide between affirming and exploratory approaches to youth gender distress. The second conference took place in New York City in October 2023. The third—Questioning Gender: Psychotherapeutic Approaches to Youth Gender Dysphoria—will be hosted by the Medical School of Athens in October 2024.

Mittermaier’s profile for the 2024 SEGM conference states:

Researcher and writer exploring the online communities where young people adopt new attitudes and beliefs about gender and set expectations and intentions for transition. Her MSc. thesis, Questions and doubts in online trans communities, will be available this autumn through McGill University. She writes gender:hacked on Substack.

The group blog and podcast Informed Dissent was created in December 2024 and includes contributors Ben Appel, Cori Cohn, Lisa Selin Davis, “Eliza Mondegreen,” and Jamie Reed.

References

Society for Evidence-Based Gender Medicine (October 2024). Questioning Gender: Psychotherapeutic Approaches to Youth Gender Dysphoria. https://trans.so/files/SEGM24_AgendaPrint_9-16-24.pdf

Mittermaier, Sarah (October 26, 2018). PI’s Weekly Media Digest: New report on reproductive coercion in abusive relationships, and how Trump admin has reframed media coverage of immigrants and asylum-seekers. Prevention Institute https://www.preventioninstitute.org/blog/pis-weekly-media-digest-new-report-reproductive-coercion-abusive-relationships-and-how-trump

Selected anti-trans writing by Mittermaier

“Mondegreen, Eliza” (November 22, 2024). Democrats refuse to change course on trans The party’s unpopular position is losing voters. UnHerd https://unherd.com/newsroom/democrats-refuse-to-change-course-on-trans/

“Mondegreen, Eliza” (October 23, 2024). Why are gender clinicians withholding research? UnHerd https://unherd.com/newsroom/why-are-gender-clinicians-withholding-research/

“Mondegreen, Eliza” (August 14, 2024). NYT columnist refuses to accept Cass Review findings Lydia Polgreen insists on the importance of youth gender transitions. UnHerd https://unherd.com/newsroom/nyt-columnist-refuses-to-accept-cass-review-findings/

“Mondegreen, Eliza” (August 5, 2024). Boxing chief questions eligibility of Imane Khelif and Lin Yu-ting at Olympics Chris Roberts criticised the IOC for not acting on the information he provided. UnHerd https://unherd.com/newsroom/boxing-chief-questions-eligibility-of-imane-khelif-and-lin-yu-ting-at-olympics/

“Mondegreen, Eliza” (July 9, 2024). The Guardian is ignoring the risks of testosterone on trans people The paper is more concerned about its implications for menopausal women. UnHerd https://unherd.com/newsroom/why-is-the-guardian-ignoring-the-risks-of-testosterone-on-trans-people/

“Mondegreen, Eliza” (June 12, 2024). Gender dysphoria cases soar after pandemic A new study warns about a rising social contagion. UnHerd https://unherd.com/newsroom/gender-dysphoria-cases-soar-after-pandemic/

“Mondegreen, Eliza” (May 28, 2024). The hidden long-term risks of youth gender transition New research raises concerns about testosterone use among trans patients. UnHerd https://unherd.com/newsroom/the-hidden-long-term-risks-of-youth-gender-transition/

“Mondegreen, Eliza” (May 23, 2024). Youth gender transition bans split red and blue states South Carolina is the latest state to restrict the practice. UnHerd https://unherd.com/newsroom/youth-gender-transition-bans-split-red-and-blue-states/

“Mondegreen, Eliza” (April 30, 2024).The grim truth about egg-freezing A new report details just how risky the practice is. UnHerd https://unherd.com/newsroom/the-grim-truth-about-egg-freezing-is-coming-out/

“Mondegreen, Eliza” (April 17, 2024). ‘Polycule’ relationships are a bureaucratic nightmare When 20 people are in the one relationship, someone’s bound to be a loser. UnHerd https://unherd.com/newsroom/polycule-relationships-are-a-bureaucratic-nightmare/

“Mondegreen, Eliza” (April 2, 2024). Women’s group blames patriarchy for trans sport exclusion: The National Organization for Women has embraced intersectionality. UnHerd https://unherd.com/newsroom/national-organization-for-women-blames-patriarchy-for-trans-exclusion-in-sport/

“Mondegreen, Eliza” (March 27, 2024). Judith Butler faces difficult questions on book tour Even in liberal California, public opinion is turning on the theorist. UnHerd https://unherd.com/newsroom/judith-butler-faces-difficult-questions-on-book-tour/

“Mondegreen, Eliza” (March 13, 2024). Andrea Long Chu’s gender advice is a danger to children The writer’s rationale for trans surgery is ill-informed. UnHerd https://unherd.com/newsroom/andrea-long-chus-gender-advice-is-a-danger-to-children/

“Mondegreen, Eliza” (March 7, 2024). WPATH files fallout is just the beginning The public finally has a window into what goes on behind closed doors. UnHerd https://unherd.com/newsroom/the-wpath-files-fallout-is-just-the-beginning/

“Mondegreen, Eliza” (February 26, 2024). ‘Instagram moms’ are facilitating paedophiles — report A New York Times article lays bare the disturbing rise of girl influencers. UnHerd https://unherd.com/newsroom/investigation-instagram-moms-are-facilitating-paedophiles/

“Mondegreen, Eliza” (February 8, 2024). Major trans survey avoids mention of detransitioners A new report provides a skewed view of gender surgeries. UnHerd https://unherd.com/newsroom/major-trans-survey-avoids-mention-of-detransitioners/

“Mondegreen, Eliza” (February 2, 2024). New York Times gets braver with gender coverage The paper is no longer shying away from difficult questions around transitioning. UnHerd https://unherd.com/newsroom/new-york-times-gets-braver-with-gender-coverage/

“Mondegreen, Eliza” (January 25, 2024). Was Jon Stewart always this insufferable? The presenter’s late-night return is no cause for excitement. UnHerd https://unherd.com/newsroom/why-isnt-jon-stewart-funny-anymore/

“Mondegreen, Eliza” (January 18, 2024). Trans activists have a new target: the Middle Ages A new paper explores the rich history of ‘transmisogyny’ during the Byzantine era. UnHerd https://unherd.com/newsroom/trans-activists-have-a-new-target-the-middle-ages/

“Mondegreen, Eliza” (January 10, 2024). Activists are deceiving the public on gender reassignment surgery A misinformation war over trans issues is taking place in Ohio. UnHerd https://unherd.com/newsroom/activists-are-deceiving-the-public-on-gender-reassignment-surgery/

“Mondegreen, Eliza” (January 3, 2024). 2024 could be the year America’s trans bubble bursts The public’s position on gender identity is hardening. UnHerd https://unherd.com/newsroom/2024-could-be-the-year-americas-trans-bubble-bursts/

“Mondegreen, Eliza” (December 28, 2023). WHO quietly announces controversial gender guidance The organisation used the Christmas period to slip out the news. UnHerd https://unherd.com/newsroom/who-quietly-publishes-controversial-gender-guidance/

“Mondegreen, Eliza” (December 17, 2023). Civil rights group condemns feminists as white supremacists The ‘Captain Report’ is an exercise in misinformation about the trans movement. UnHerd https://unherd.com/newsroom/southern-poverty-law-center-condemns-feminists-as-white-supremacists/

“Mondegreen, Eliza” (December 14, 2023). The secret life of gender clinicians. UnHerd https://unherd.com/2023/12/the-secret-life-of-gender-clinicians/

“Mondegreen, Eliza” (December 12, 2023). PEN America’s new president is no free speech champion: Jennifer Finney Boylan disowned a letter signed by J.K. Rowling. UnHerd https://unherd.com/thepost/pen-americas-new-president-is-no-free-speech-champion/

“Mondegreen, Eliza” (December 3, 2023). New York Times publishes bizarre case for youth gender transition: The paper’s latest op-ed is littered with half-truths and misdirections. UnHerd https://unherd.com/thepost/new-york-times-publishes-bizarre-case-for-youth-gender-transition/

“Mondegreen, Eliza” (November 28, 2023). Puberty blocker use on the rise in the UK: The NHS’s clampdown on the controversial treatment is failing. UnHerd https://unherd.com/thepost/puberty-blocker-use-on-the-rise-in-the-uk/

“Mondegreen, Eliza” (November 23, 2023). The American Academy of Pediatrics is doubling down: Evidence of medical harm among minors is still being ignored. UnHerd https://unherd.com/thepost/the-american-academy-of-pediatrics-is-doubling-down/

“Mondegreen, Eliza” (November 13, 2023). Netflix’s ‘Escaping Twin Flames’ is wrong about trans: A new show ignores the community’s own cultish streak. UnHerd https://unherd.com/thepost/netflixs-escaping-twin-flames-is-wrong-about-trans/

“Mondegreen, Eliza” (November 9, 2023). Disciplinary ordeal continues for nurse who backed J.K. Rowling: Canadian Amy Hamm is being investigated for her gender-critical beliefs. UnHerd https://unherd.com/thepost/legal-ordeal-continues-for-nurse-who-backed-j-k-rowling/

“Mondegreen, Eliza” (October 31, 2023). America’s trans surgeons could learn from European whistleblowers: A pioneer of ‘gender-affirming care’ has spoken out against the practice. UnHerd https://unherd.com/thepost/americas-trans-surgeons-could-learn-from-european-whistleblowers/

“Mondegreen, Eliza” (October 23, 2023). Detransitioner files lawsuit against ‘gender-affirming’ clinicians: Layton Ulery’s case has shone a light on highly experimental practices. UnHerd https://unherd.com/thepost/detransitioner-files-lawsuit-against-gender-affirming-clinicians/

“Mondegreen, Eliza” (October 16, 2023). New play features ‘interview’ with JK Rowling over her trans views: One playwright has resorted to putting words in the author’s mouth. UnHerd https://unherd.com/thepost/trans-activist-to-interview-jk-rowling-in-new-play/

“Mondegreen, Eliza” (October 4, 2023). US states hit the brakes on ‘gender-affirming care’: Nebraska is the latest to follow the Scandivanian model on trans treatment UnHerd https://unherd.com/thepost/us-states-hit-the-brakes-on-gender-affirming-care/

“Mondegreen, Eliza” (September 25, 2023). Gavin Newsom is changing his tune on trans issues: Is the California Governor laying the groundwork for a presidential run?. UnHerd https://unherd.com/thepost/gavin-newsom-is-changing-his-tune-on-trans-issues/

“Mondegreen, Eliza” (September 21, 2023). In Canada, the gender wars are now a national issue: Thousands of Canadians protested against trans ideology this week. UnHerd https://unherd.com/thepost/in-canada-the-gender-wars-are-now-a-national-issue/

“Mondegreen, Eliza” (September 12, 2023). The pullback from youth gender transition has begun: States are pressuring hospitals to stop prescribing puberty blockers. UnHerd https://unherd.com/thepost/the-pushback-against-youth-gender-transition-has-begun/

“Mondegreen, Eliza” (September 11, 2023). Trans Journalists Association rolls out ‘refreshed’ style guide: Reporters are now advised against referring to biological sex. UnHerd https://unherd.com/thepost/trans-journalists-association-rolls-out-refreshed-style-guide/

“Mondegreen, Eliza” (September 2, 2023). In defence of Róisín Murphy: The singer does not deserve to lose her career over gender-critical views. UnHerd https://unherd.com/thepost/in-defence-of-roisin-murphy/

“Mondegreen, Eliza” (August 28, 2023). The dark truth about gender surgeries: Medical complications are being reframed as opportunities. UnHerd /https://unherd.com/thepost/the-dark-truth-about-gender-surgeries/

“Mondegreen, Eliza” (August 4, 2023). Medical groups are memory-holing their trans guidance: The American Academy of Pediatrics wants to review youth gender treatments. UnHerd https://unherd.com/thepost/medical-groups-are-memory-holing-their-trans-guidance/

“Mondegreen, Eliza” (July 11, 2023). Gender surgeon promotes bizarre range of ‘nonbinary surgeries’: Blair Peters’s field has strayed from the core tenets of medical care UnHerd https://unherd.com/thepost/gender-surgeon-promotes-bizarre-range-of-nonbinary-surgeries/

“Mondegreen, Eliza” (June 29, 2023). GLAAD pushes Big Tech to censor trans ‘disinformation’: The organisation called for a clampdown on discussing gender-affirming care UnHerd https://unherd.com/thepost/glaad-pushes-big-tech-to-censor-trans-disinformation/

“Mondegreen, Eliza” (June 12, 2023). Publisher doubles down on retracted gender paper: Springer Nature has once again bowed to trans activist pressure. UnHerd https://unherd.com/thepost/publisher-doubles-down-on-retracted-gender-paper/

“Mondegreen, Eliza” (June 1, 2023). Glamour magazine celebrates Pride with a pregnant man: Logan Brown shows that miracles do happen. UnHerd https://unherd.com/thepost/glamour-magazine-celebrates-pride-with-a-pregnant-man/

“Mondegreen, Eliza” (May 26, 2023). The New York Times is caving to trans activist pressure: The paper’s latest piece on gender issues is dangerously misguided. UnHerd https://unherd.com/thepost/the-new-york-times-is-caving-to-trans-activist-pressure/

“Mondegreen, Eliza” (May 18, 2023). What the New York Times gets wrong about detransitioning: The newspaper is painting a one-sided picture. UnHerd https://unherd.com/thepost/what-the-new-york-times-doesnt-understand-about-destransitioning/

“Mondegreen, Eliza” (March 29, 2023). The violent rhetoric of trans activists has to stop: The shooting in Nashville is a wake-up call. UnHerd https://unherd.com/thepost/the-violent-rhetoric-of-trans-activists-has-to-stop/

“Mondegreen, Eliza” (August 26, 2022). The American Academy of Pediatrics is denying reality: Frustrated doctors are beginning to go public. UnHerd https://unherd.com/thepost/the-american-academy-of-pediatrics-is-denying-reality/

“Mondegreen, Eliza” (July 5, 2022). The dangers of gender-affirmative care. UnHerd https://unherd.com/2022/07/the-dangers-of-gender-affirmative-care/

“Mondegreen, Eliza” (June 14, 2022). Why should lesbians have sex with men? UnHerd https://unherd.com/2022/06/why-should-lesbians-have-sex-with-men/

Mittermaier, Sarah (10 Jun 2021). Written Comment: Title IX Public Hearing (don’t equate sex with gender identity) https://ocrcas.ed.gov/sites/default/files/storage/correspondence/202106-titleix-publichearing-comments/smittermaier.pdf

Somji, Alisha’ Mittermaier, Sarah (December 7, 2017). How we all together can build a future free from sexual harassment. San Francisco Chronicle https://web.archive.org/web/20171208115210/https://www.sfchronicle.com/opinion/openforum/article/How-we-all-together-can-build-a-future-from-12414346.php

Mittermaier, Sarah; Fields-Johnson, Dana (March 15, 2019). Civil suits will transform the way we understand the problem of opioids. The Hill https://thehill.com/opinion/healthcare/434095-civil-suits-will-transform-the-way-we-understand-the-problem-of-opioids/

Selected academic writing

Mittermaier, Sarah (August 2024). Questions and doubts in online trans communities. [master’s thesis] McGill University https://escholarship.mcgill.ca/concern/theses/m326m754q?locale=en

Rousseau C, Johnson-Lafleur J, Ngov C, Miconi D, Mittermaier S, Bonnel A, Savard C, Veissière S. (2023). Social and individual grievances and attraction to extremist ideologies in individuals with autism: Insights from a clinical sample. Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders (Vol. 105, p. 102171) https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rasd.2023.102171

Sims J, Baird R, Aboelata MJ, Mittermaier S (2022). Cultivating a Healthier Policy Landscape: The Building Healthy Communities Initiative. Health Promotion Practice (Vol. 24, Issue 2, pp. 300–309). https://doi.org/10.1177/15248399221114341

Rousseau C et al. (May 2022). Living together in socially polarized contexts: vulnerability and resilience in the university community. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/668953bc9928de19ab00ca30/t/668c485eae44874a0f854c51/1720469603062/Final_RapportUniversite_EN_v0.01.pdf

Media

Ben Appel, Cori Cohn, Lisa Selin Davis, “Eliza Mondegreen,” Jamie Reed (Apr 05, 2025). Episode 18: “Be Kind and Rewind.” Informed Dissent https://informeddissentpodcast.substack.com/p/episode-18-be-kind-and-rewind

Genspect (Feb 26, 2025). Gender as a Body-Modification Youth Sub(cult)ure – Eliza Mondegreen. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uqrdj4sVpd4

Benjamin Boyce (Nov 5, 2024). “The Right to Regret” and other Gender Insanity | with Jamie Reed & Eliza Mondegreen. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I3FnZAJ26z0

Benjamin Boyce (Jul 9, 2024). Lies, Darn Lies, and Journalism | with Eliza Mondegreen & Lisa Selin Davis. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BH8NGP24dhc

Benjamin Boyce (Mar 9, 2024). California Foster Care’s Gender Meat Grinder | with Laura Haynes & Eliza Mondegreen. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ejIERSUPl3E

Transparency (Feb 4, 2024). 78: The New York Times “Opinion” Piece & USPATH’s “Medical” Conference – with Eliza Mondegreen. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pz2xO8Ctc4w

Sandra Ramírez (Feb 1, 2024). Eliza Mondegreen, USA/Canada, The secret life of gender clinicians #FQT #WDI. Women’s Declaration International https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wrbxNvEc-bY

Sasha White (Jan 29, 2024). Why Young Women and Girls Struggle with Identity | Eliza Mondegreen. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7_djzA-x78M

Chloe Pacey and Keshia Tognazzini (Jan 22, 2024). Exploring Affirmative Care: Navigating Online Trans Communities with Eliza Mondegreen. The Road To Wisdom Podcast https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=APK-0Cw3DV0

Benjamin Boyce (Dec 14, 2023). Coming of Age in the Internet Era | with Eliza Mondegreen. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YutbI1e63rs

Benjamin Boyce (Oct 25, 2023). Fixing/Spaying “Gender Medicine” | with Eliza Mondegreen & Jamie Reed. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n8hzatAUjAo

Meghan Daum (Oct 24, 2023). Down The Rabbit Hole: Gender and Online Communities with Eliozan Mondegreen and Sarah Haider. A Special Place in Hell https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TJew30KNxqk

Genspect (Oct 24, 2023). The Bigger Picture Conference: Shame, Resistance and Ethical Challenges – Q&A. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pv9jbEOE8Y4

Genspect (Oct 14, 2023). The Bigger Picture Conference: Preliminary Findings from Online Trans/Detrans Communities. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=42N1U0NP3Zo

Louise Perry (Oct 8, 2023). When girls think they’re boys – Eliza Mondegreen | Maiden Mother Matriarch 34. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_SoRYl_e1tQ

Benjamin Boyce (Sep 23, 2023). Weirdos of the World, Unite | with Eliza Mondegreen & Jessie Mannisto. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qJ8mQSMsBgE

Benjamin Boyce (Jul 21, 2023). The Gauntlet of Modern Girlhood | with Eliza Mondegreen & Lisa Marchiano. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uUZubRe4bFM

Leslie Elliott Boyce (Jul 12, 2023). Eliza Mondegreen: Gender as an Idiom of Distress. The Radical Center https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YICE24MknGg

Wesley Yang (Jun 21, 2023). In the Belly of the Gender Beast [Eliza Mondegreen, Lisa Selin Davis, Corinna Cohn]. Year Zero https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cBChnNon0Ec

Benjamin Boyce (Jun 13, 2023). So Over The Rainbow | with Alasdair Gunn & Eliza Mondegreen. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WCpKJ9DXavk

Benjamin Boyce (May 27, 2023). Fatal Flaws in “Gender Affirming” Care | with Eliza Mondegreen & Aaron Terrell. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6f2-a7fY9Zc

Gender: A Wider Lens (May 26, 2023). EP 115: How Online Communities Shape, Thought, Desire, & Doubt about Transition, w/ Eliza Mondegreen. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3tAvRWq7wOA

Benjamin Boyce (Mar 28, 2023). The Dangerous Radicalization of Gender Rhetoric | with Stella O’Malley & Eliza Mondegreen. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=63-bfpx2yy0

Genspect (Mar 26, 2024). Webinar Four: Writers’ Roundtable- Eliza Mondegreen and Jonathan Kay. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZiJWHUu65Ac

Transparency (Feb 19, 2023). EP57 – The Eunuch Makers – With Eliza Mondegreen. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NB069ziTUNc

Sarah Phillimore (Feb 14, 2023). Eliza Mondegreen on WPATH conference, research on gender affirming care and more. [Rona Duwe, Eliza Mondegreen, Shannon Thrace] Women’s Declaration International https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f6NFf8e3Is8

Benjamin Boyce (Jan 28, 2023). Smells Like Social Contagion | with Eliza Mondegreen. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UGEezaAPp20

Benjamin Boyce (Nov 30, 2022). Medical Fads & Fanatics | with Eliza Mondegreen & Mia Ashton. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2b2DxfTeSjw

The Center for Bioethics Culture & Network (Nov 30, 2022). A conversation with Eliza Mondegreen & Jennifer Lahl. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d_Xs5FCRAJI

Benjamin Boyce (Nov 4, 2022). Gender Medicine Has Gone INSANE | An Inside Investigation, with Eliza Mondegreen. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jk0-s9LEAxM

Julia Long (Jul 4, 2022). Language and the Values that Underlie Our Movement [Kara Dansky, Eliza Mondegreen, Jesika Gonzalez, and Amanda Stulman]. Women’s Declaration International https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P6oKt-wLo5g

Resources

Unspeakable (unspeakablelgbtq.weebly.com)

X/Twitter (x.com)

Substack (substack.com)

UnHerd (unherd.com)

World Professional Association for Transgender Health (wpath.org)

  • Sarah MIttermaier, BA, Washington, DC

Quora (quora.com)

Flickr (flickr.com)

Isthmus (https://isthmus.com/api/search.html?q=mittermaier)

Reddit (reddit.com)

Facebook (facebook.com)