David Frum is a conservative Canadian-American political commentator and anti-transgender activist. Frum was a major figure in anti-LGBT activism in the 1990s, though Frum has since acknowledged some of those views were wrong.
Background
David Jeffrey Frum was born June 30, 1960 in Toronto. Frum is a nepo baby whose family was also involved in writing and publishing. Frum earned a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree from Yale University in 1982 and a law degree from Harvard in 1987.
A major figure in the neoconservative movement that led America into the Iraq War, Frum wrote for the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, the Manhattan Institute, the Weekly Standard, and the National Post.
Frum was tapped to write speeches for George W. Bush, leaving in 2002. Frum joined neocon think tank American Enterprise Institute and continued litigating support for the Iraq invasion. Frum became a US citizen in 2007. Frum was a blogger for National Review and worked on Rudy Giuliani’s presidential run. Frum was asked to leave American Enterprise Institute in 2010.
Frum married “mommy blogger” and anti-transgender activist Danielle Crittenden Frum in 1988. They have three children, Miranda Ann Frum (1991â2024), Nathaniel Saul Frum (born 1993) and Beatrice Sarah Worthy Frum (born 2001).
Anti-LGBT activism
Frum was a strong opponent of same-sex marriage. Frum later acknowledged this was wrong.
Frum joined The Atlantic as a senior editor in March 2014. During that time, under editor and anti-trans activist Jeffrey Goldberg, the magazine ramped up its attacks on the transgender rights movement.
Frum commented on the transphobic 2018 cover story about the ex-transgender movement by Jesse Singal:
Frum was certainly right about that.
In 2020, Frum analyzed the transgender political positions of Bernie Sanders, Joe Biden, and Elizabeth Warren, name dropping Joe Rogan’s views on transgender athletes: “After the transgender mixed martial arts fighter Fallon Fox beganâliterallyâsmashing opponentsâ heads…”
Frum made several appearances on the anti-transgender podcast The Femsplainers co-hosted by Frum’s spouse and Christina Hoff Sommers.
References
Coyne, Andrew; Frum David (December 1995). How Far Do We Take Gay Rights? Saturday Night, pp. 66-75.
Frum, David (March 11, 1997). Gay Marriage. Slate https://slate.com/news-and-politics/1997/03/gay-marriage-2.html
Frum, David (June 27, 2011). I was wrong about same-sex marriage. CNN https://www.cnn.com/2011/OPINION/06/27/frum.gay.marriage/index.html
Frum, David (October 11, 2007). “Rudy & Me”. National Review. Archived from the original
Frum, David (2020). Bernie Can’t Win. The Atlantic https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2020/01/bernie-sanderss-biggest-challenges/605500/
Frum, David (March 21, 2024) Miranda’s Last Gift. The Atlantic https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2024/05/david-frum-miranda-daughter-grief/677815/
Obituary (February 21, 2024). Miranda Frum. The Globe and Mail https://www.legacy.com/ca/obituaries/theglobeandmail/name/miranda-frum-obituary?id=54427346
Resources
David Frum (davidfrum.com)
New Majority (newmajority.com) [archive]
FrumForum (frumforum.com)
Wikipedia (en.wikipedia.org)
Ayaan Hirsi Ali is a Somali-born Dutch-American activist and former politician. Ali is an anti-Islam and anti-transgender activist. Ali is often associated with the intellectual dark web, a gateway to the far right.
Background
Ayaan Hirsi Magan was born November 13, 1969 in Mogadishu. Ali’s parent Hirsi Magan Isse was a political prisoner who escaped Somalia in 1977, eventually settling the family in Kenya.
In 1992 Ali sought asylum in The Netherlands to avoid an arranged marriage. Ali worked as a translator while earning a master’s degree in 2000 from Leiden University. Ali became a Muslim apostate around that time. Ali’s 2004 film “Submission” with Theo Van Gogh criticized Islam and led to Van Gogh’s murder. Ali faced threats and went into hiding. In 2006 an exposĂ© revealed Ali lied on the Dutch asylum application. Ali resigned from Parliament and was ultimately allowed to retain Dutch citizenship. Ali took a position at the American Enterprise Institute in the US, getting her green card in 2007.
In 2016, the Southern Poverty Law Center listed Ali as an anti-Muslim extremist, though they later removed the whole list.
Ali created the AHA Foundation and has worked for conservative organizations like the Hoover Institution.
Anti-transgender activism
Ali wrote for anti-trans publication UnHerd:
Those who would divorce âwomanâ from its biological implications often present their ideas as innocuous. They are, we are told, simply champions of âinclusionâ. But their ideology is hardly uncontroversial, and surrendering to it is not harmless. The past year has seen reports of transgender women attacking women in female-only spaces and unfairly winning trophies in womenâs sports. The spirit of these failures was perhaps best-distilled in the words of Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, who in March was unable to define what being a woman entailed during her Senate confirmation hearing. âIâm not a biologist,â she said, as if one needed to be a professional scientist to know basic biological facts.
A word of clarification. I am immensely sympathetic to the plight of transgender people and believe they ought to have the same moral and legal rights as everyone else. To be against militant trans activistsâ gender ideology is not to be transphobic. Rather, it is simply to agree, as Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie succinctly put it, that âtrans women are trans womenâ. Adichie was savaged for this and other statements evincing wrongthink, but acknowledging that trans women are distinct from women, that there are potential conflicts between their rights, and that gender ideology opens the door to abusive men masquerading as women, should not be controversial. Standing up for the rights of transgender people should not mean pretending sex does not exist altogether.
Podcast
Ali’s podcast logrolls for other anti-trans activists, including:
References
Ali, Ayaan Hirsi (December 27, 2022). The year the West erased women. UnHerd https://unherd.com/2022/12/the-year-the-west-erased-women/
Ali, Ayaan Hirsi (March 25, 2022). Do we need a Trans Olympics? UnHerd https://unherd.com/2022/03/do-we-need-a-trans-olympics/
Resources
Ayaan Hirsi Ali (ayaanhirsiali.com)
Wikipedia (en.wikipedia.org)
X/Twitter (x.com)
Facebook (facebook.com)
Hoover Institution (hoover.org)
Aaron Sibarium is an American opinion writer and anti-transgender activist.
Background
Aaron Julian Sibarium was born January 9, 1996. Sibarium’s parents are Michael Sibarium, a lawyer, and Laura Govoni-Sibarium, a nursing consultant and synagogue volunteer. Sibarium and sibling Ely (born January 24, 1999) both attended St. Andrew’s Episcopal School and Yale. Ely Sibarium has published work about gender diversity and neurodiversity with John Strang and Scott Leibowitz.
Sibarium earned a bachelor’s degree from Yale University in 2018. Sibarium interned at the center-right American Enterprise Institute and was an editor at The American Interest prior to its closure. Sibarium is an associate editor at the Washington Free Beacon.
Anti-transgender activism
While working as an opinion columnist at the Yale Daily News in 2017, Sibarium was triggered by Yale’s move to the term first-years vs. freshmen.
Sibarium has published anti-trans work in the New York Post, the Free Beacon, and in the Bari Weiss anti-trans publication Common Sense (now Free Press).
References
Sibarium, Aaron (December 7, 2022). Opinion: Pediatric group says kids should talk to their parents about tattoos â but not puberty blockers. New York Post https://nypost.com/2022/12/07/pediatric-group-says-kids-should-not-talk-to-parents-about-puberty-blockers/
Sibarium, Aaron (May 15, 2023). How A Left-Wing Activist Group Teamed Up With Big Pharma To Push Radical Gender Ideology on American Hospitals. Washington Free Beacon https://freebeacon.com/latest-news/how-left-wing-activist-group-teamed-up-with-big-pharma-to-push-radical-gender-ideology-on-american-hospitals/
Sibarium, Aaron (December 7, 2022). The Hijacking of Pediatric Medicine. Washington Free Beacon https://freebeacon.com/coronavirus/the-hijacking-of-pediatric-medicine/
- Simultaneously published on Common Sense (now The Free Press) https://www.thefp.com/p/the-hijacking-of-pediatric-medicine
Sibarium, Aaron (March 30, 2017). SIBARIUM: Humyn resources. Yale Daily News https://yaledailynews.com/blog/2017/03/30/sibarium-humyn-resources/
St. Andrew’s Episcopal School (March 1, 2017). Sibarium ’17 to join brother at Yale -https://www.saes.org/news-detail?pk=915177
Resources
Twitter (twitter.com)
Washington Free Beacon (freebeacon.com)
LinkedIn (linkedin.com)
Yale Daily News (yaledailynews.com)
“Christina Buttons” is the pen name of Christina Berry, an American writer, former sex worker, illustrator, and anti-transgender activist who wrote articles for anti-trans publication The Daily Wire until 2023. Berry joined the anti-trans Manhattan Institute in 2024.
Background
Christina “Tina” Berry is reportedly “from a small town in Alabama” and grew up in the San Diego area.
Berry stated, “I received many diagnoses throughout my life, the most recent being Asperger’s syndrome at age 30.” Starting in middle school, Berry felt ostracized and reported the following problems that required therapy:
- body dysmorphia
- dermatillomania
- insomnia
- obsessive-compulsive habits
- self-cutting
- anorexia
- major depressive disorder
- trips to “emergency rooms, psychiatric hospitals, outpatient programs, and group homes”
- monotone voice
- “limited eye contact”
- “flat affect”
- “stumbling while walking and almost falling”
- âa large number of atypical perceptual experiencesâ
- “social immaturity”
- “significant inflexibility in her thinking”
- “difficulty identifying feelings”
- “tendency to express emotions indirectly and impulsively”
- “emotionally disturbed”
- drug and alcohol use
- groomed and raped at age 15 by a 47 year old
“After running away from two lower-security residential treatment facilities, flunking out of a wilderness program in Idaho, and several more psychiatric hospital stays, I arrived at my final destination: a lockdown psychiatric residential treatment center in Utah called Provo Canyon School, where I would live for a year.”
After returning home and getting a GED, Berry moved in with a romantic partner and began doing sex work. As a young adult, Berry appeared in pornography as “Rita Lovely” and “Cute Courtney.”
Berry worked at Moonbow Publishing as a contract illustrator, which began a turning point away from some of these earlier self-destructive behaviors.
Anti-transgender activism
Berry stated, “I became a journalist after discovering the stories of detransitionersâstories that deeply resonated with my own struggles with mental health and identity.”
After working for anti-diversity organization Foundation Against Intolerance & Racism, Berry worked at The Post Millennial in 2022 before joining The Daily Wire.
Berry plans to continue this anti-trans work with a book titled The Parent’s Survival Guide to Gender Ideology and a website genderdebunked.com.
In 2024, Berry joined the Manhattan Institute, which led to revelations about Berry’s work in hardcore pornography.
Over the course of this activism, Berry began a relationship with anti-trans activist Colin Wright.
2023 Daily Wire resignation
Berry covered transgender issues for The Daily Wire, switching to “Christina Buttons” after starting. In 2023, Berry resigned from The Daily Wire over its increasingly inflammatory anti-trans rhetoric, particularly that of Matt Walsh and Michael Knowles:
Iâm leaving The Daily Wire. I work hard getting the facts right and using precise language because of the heated nature of the gender debate, with so much at stake, while their pundits dump gasoline all over it for entertainment and clicks.
As an independent journalist I will continue my commitment to factual and rigorous reporting on gender ideology and pediatric gender medicine, with the goal of reaching people across the political spectrum. You can help support my journalism by donating.
Iâve already begun receiving inquiries from left-wing publications to see if Iâll give them dirt. As a company, The Daily Wire is a fantastic place to work, they treat their employees extremely well, their editorial team is top notch and everyone I have ever interacted with there is wonderful. I am leaving because I want to reach people on the center-left and lately Iâve felt there has been a distinct increase in inflammatory rhetoric from some of The Daily Wireâs personalities that make it more difficult to accomplish that.
Why? I didnât misrepresent their views. They made extremely controversial public statements, doubled down on them, and I left so that I could express my opinions on them. My loyalty is to the people who are trying to improve the situation with gender medicine, not inflame it.
I would never use the word transgenderism to describe gender ideology. It was either a sloppy choice from not having done enough research or it was intentionally meant to inflame. Most people believe that being transgender is the same as being gay. Thatâs why I expend so much energy trying to inform people on why âgender identityâ has no biological basis. Furthermore, âeradicatingâ gender ideology completely from all aspects of life is not realistic, nor attainable and amounts to conservative virtue signaling. We have to be specific about what âgender identityâ ideology is, where it came from, what the tenets are, where it should not be taught (K-12) or accommodated (sports, prisons, etc) otherwise you drive mass hysteria. Most reasonable people would agree with all of these points if they were given the opportunity to have them be explained.
References
Goforth, Claire (March 7, 2023). Matt Walsh lashes out at Daily Wire reporter who quit over his increasing transphobia. Daily Dot https://www.dailydot.com/debug/daily-wire-reporter-christina-buttons-resignation-matt-walsh-transphobia/
Meyer, Ken (March 7, 2023) Reporter Quits The Daily Wire With Scathing Open Letter Decrying âOvertly Partisanâ Trans Coverage. Mediaite https://www.mediaite.com/news/reporter-quits-the-daily-wire-with-scathing-open-letter-decrying-overtly-partisan-trans-coverage/
“thunderturdy” (March 7, 2023). Comment: Why I’m leaving the Daily Wire. reddit https://www.reddit.com/r/transgender/comments/11l1vb0/why_im_leaving_the_daily_wire_christina_buttons/ [deleted]
I know her from college. This girl was and very likely still IS seriously troubled. She had a few break downs in front of us all at a classmates’ home, like people saw her do incredibly inappropriate shit that I will not repeat here out of respect for her. She then went on to do porn for a while (not kidding), then decided she wanted to move to Europe and got married to a Swiss dude only to dump him and run back home..THEN she reappeared wanting to be a microbiologist (or some kind of scientist) then moved on to illustration…my point with saying all of this is that she’s a lost grifter, clinging to anything that will get her love, admiration, and attention. I feel bad for her honestly, because she was always so sweet and kind… but not that bad anymore since she decided to align herself with fascists. I thought she was ok up til now. Bummer.
Selected writing by Berry
“Buttons, Christina” (April 14, 2025). The Pseudoscience in the Case Against Trumpâs Transgender Military Ban. City Journal https://www.city-journal.org/article/trump-transgender-military-ban-talbott-v-trump-science
Wright, Colin; Stagg, Samuel, “Buttons, Christina” (March 14, 2025). Transgender Brain Studies are Fatally Flawed. City Journal https://www.city-journal.org/article/transgender-brain-sex-studies-flawed
“Buttons, Christina” (March 12, 2025). The Tragedy of Yarden Silveira. City Journal https://www.city-journal.org/article/yarden-silveira-death-transgender-surgery-complications
“Buttons, Christina” (December 10, 2024). Crazy is You or Me, Amplified. Buttons Lives https://www.buttonslives.news/p/crazy-is-you-or-me-amplified
“Buttons, Christina” (March 7, 2023). Why Iâm Leaving The Daily Wire. Reality’s Last Stand https://www.realityslaststand.com/p/why-im-leaving-the-daily-wire
Berry, Christina (September 7, 2022). Alabama Nonprofit Fighting Underage Gender Treatments Says Theyâre Being Targeted By âUnprecedentedâ DOJ Subpoena. Daily Wire https://www.dailywire.com/news/alabama-nonprofit-fighting-underage-gender-treatments-says-theyre-being-targeted-by-unprecedented-doj-subpoena [archive]
Berry, Christina (September 6, 2022). Nearly 1 In 4 Democratic Voters Believe Men Can Get Pregnant: Poll. Daily Wire https://www.dailywire.com/news/nearly-1-in-4-democratic-voters-believe-men-can-get-pregnant-poll [archive]
Resources
Christina Buttons (buttonslives.com)
Cute Courtney (cutecourtney.com) [archive]
Model Mayhem (modelmayhem.com)
- Rita Lovely
- modelmayhem.com/ritalovely
- modelmayhem.com/798695 [archive]
My Life in LA (mylifeinla.com)
- Rita Lovely
- mylifeinla.com/acasting/ritalovely [archive]
One Model Place (onemodelplace.com)
- Rita Lovely
- onemodelplace.com/member.cfm?ID=293013 [archive]
X/Twitter (x.com)
Substack (substack.com)
LinkedIn (linkedin.com)
Instagram (instagram.com)
YouTube (youtube.com)
TikTok (tiktok.com)
Etsy (etsy.com)
Amazon (amazon.com)
Daily Wire (dailywire.com)
Quillette (quillette.com)
Manhattan Institute (manhattan.institute)
City Journal (city-journal.org)
The Wall Street Journal is an American media organization that piublishes consistently anti-trans contect, espcially on the Opinion page.
Their journalism is considered center to center-right, and the editorial page is considered right-wing/conservative. The opinion section frequently promotes and platforms major anti-trans voices, including Gerald Posner, J. Michael Bailey, Abigail Shrier, Leor Sapir, and Colin Wright.
Contributors
In 2023, the WSJ significantly increased its anti-transgender coverage.
Leor Sapir and Colin Wright wrote a piece attacking academic publisher Springer after it retracted an unethical paper by J. Michael Bailey in 2023. The previous year, Wright had invoked the “tomboy erasure” conspiracy theory that claims gender diverse cisgender children are being forced to transition as a form of anti-LGB conversion therapy.
Abigail Shrier was allowed to complain about “The Transgender War on Women.”
Joe Barrett covered state recognition of trans identity documents. Jathon Sapsford and Stephanie Armour quoted anti-trans activist Leor Sapir, and Republican politicians Dan Crenshaw and Chris Christie, with rebuttal by Democrat Frank Pallone Jr. Stephanie Armour also covered Medicaid coverage of trans health services.
Laura Kusisto and Louise Radnofsky covered sex-segregated competitive sports. Ben Chapman and Laine Higgins also covered this.
Mariah Timms covered anti-trans developments in Missouri under AG Andrew Bailey.
Lindsay Wise, Simon J. Levien, and Isaac Yu covered Republican attempts to control the reproductive freedom and bodily autonomy of others.
Elizabeth Findell, Adolfo Flores and Peter Champelli covered the Texas ban on trans healthcare.
Mariah Timms and Laura Kusisto covered Tennessee’s ban on trans healthcare for minors.
Talal Ansari covered Zooey Zephyr’s removal from the Montana House floor.
The editorial board opined about “Transgender Patients vs. Religious Doctors: The Franciscan Alliance might be the new Little Sisters of the Poor.”
2023 Endocrine Society attacks
After Roy Eappen and Ian Kingsbury of anti-trans group Do No Harm attacked the Endocrine Society, President Stephen R. Hammes responded with an outline of the medical consensus behind the Endocrine Society’s guidelines.
Hammes was then attacked by a group of anti-trans clinicians in a subsequent letter. The signatories are:
FINLAND
UNITED KINGDOM
SWEDEN
- Angela SĂ€mfjord, M.D. Senior consultant, Sahlgrenska University Hospital
- Sven RomĂĄn, M.D. Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist
NORWAY
- Anne WĂŠhre, M.D., Ph.D. Senior consultant, Oslo University Hospital
BELGIUM
- Em. Prof. Patrik Vankrunkelsven, M.D. Ph.D. Katholieke Universiteit Leuven Honorary senator
- Sophie DechĂȘne, M.R.C.Psych. Child and adolescent psychiatrist
- Beryl Koener, M.D., Ph.D. Child and adolescent psychiatrist
FRANCE
- Prof. Celine Masson, Ph.D. Picardy Jules Verne University Psychologist, Oeuvre de Secours aux Enfants, Co-director, Observatory La Petite SirĂšne
- Caroline Eliacheff, M.D. Child and adolescent psychiatrist, Co-director, Observatory La Petite SirĂšne
- Em. Prof. Maurice Berger, M.D. Ph.D. Child psychiatrist
SWITZERLAND
- Daniel Halpérin, M.D. Pediatrician
SOUTH AFRICA
- Prof. Reitze Rodseth, Ph.D. University of Kwazulu-Natal
- Janet Giddy, M.B.Ch.B., M.P.H. Family physician and public-health expert
- Allan Donkin, M.B.Ch.B. Family physician
UNITED STATES
- Clin. Prof. Stephen B. Levine, M.D. Case Western Reserve University
- Clin. Prof. William Malone, M.D. Idaho College of Osteopathic Medicine Director, Society for Evidence Based Gender Medicine
- Prof. Patrick K. Hunter, M.D. Florida State University Pediatrician and bioethicist
Hammes was also criticized by a group of parents that included Kathleen Dooley.
Selected anti-trans articles
Appel, Ben (June 30, 2025). Opinion: âTransgenderâ Kids Usually Grow Up Gay. Wall Street Journal https://www.wsj.com/opinion/transgender-kids-usually-grow-up-gay-c71b3cd8
Freeman, James (June 26, 2025). Opinion: Liberal Professors Who Oppose Sex Changes on Kids. Wall Street Journal
Curlin, Farr (June 23, 2025). Opinion: Transgender Treatments Distort the Purpose of Medicine. Wall Street Journal https://www.wsj.com/opinion/transgender-treatments-distort-the-purpose-of-medicine-ccd6e513
Editorial Board (June 18, 2025). Good Supreme Court Sense on Trans Hormones. Wall Street Journal https://www.wsj.com/opinion/supreme-court-skrmetti-tennessee-transgender-hormone-treatments-e84d97f0
Steinmann, Jessica Hart; OâNeill, Leigh Ann (June 5, 2025). Opinon: Transgenderism Wonât Let Girls Say No. Wall Street Journal https://www.wsj.com/opinion/transgenderism-wont-let-girls-say-no-oregon-track-competition-bc03e205
Eappen, Roy (May 12, 2025). Letters: Trump Tells the Truth About âTransâ Children. Wall Street Journal https://www.wsj.com/opinion/trump-tells-the-truth-about-trans-children-hhs-report-c0841b6c
OâToole, Tim (April 29, 2025). Letters: A Way Out of Coloradoâs Transgender Tyranny. Wall Street Journal https://www.wsj.com/opinion/a-way-out-of-colorados-transgender-tyranny-elections-center-a4906af5
Friday, Erin; Lee, Erin (April 17, 2025). Opinion: Coloradoâs Totalitarian Transgenderism Bill. Wall Street Journal https://www.wsj.com/opinion/colorados-totalitarian-transgenderism-bill-parental-rights-freedom-e841acd2
Editorial Board (February 28, 2025). Maineâs Transgender Madness. Wall Street Journal https://www.wsj.com/opinion/maines-transgender-madness-8dabbfbe
Wright, Colin; Shapiro, Ilya (February 3, 2025). Opinion: Trump Can Ban Transgender Birth Certificates. Wall Street Journal https://www.wsj.com/opinion/trump-can-ban-transgender-birth-certificates-policy-protect-womens-spaces-d726a9fe
Editorial Board (December 13, 2024). The Trans Double-Mastectomy Lawsuit. Wall Street Journal https://www.wsj.com/opinion/clementine-breen-lawsuit-transgender-medicine-center-for-transyouth-health-us-v-skrmetti-e22382f3
Editorial Board (December 3, 2024). Transgender Minors at the Supreme Court. Wall Street Journal https://www.wsj.com/opinion/u-s-v-skrmetti-tennessee-law-transgender-minors-hormones-treatment-9be82071
Steve Marshall (December 2, 2024). Opinion: WPATH, âTransgender Healthcareâ and the Supreme Court. Wall Street Journal
Readers (July 26, 2023). Letters: Parents Need Answers on Pediatric Gender Medicine. Wall Street Journal https://www.wsj.com/articles/parents-trans-gender-diverse-kids-medical-care-endocrine-1287c55
Swaim, Barton (November 14, 2024). Opinion: Markets Foiled Transgender Ideology. Wall Street Journal https://www.wsj.com/opinion/markets-foiled-trans-ideology-dei-rollback-target-budlight-social-conservatism-b8d470e4
Editorial Board (October 13, 2024). Transgender Sports Is a 2024 Sleeper Issue. Wall Street Journal https://www.wsj.com/opinion/transgender-sports-is-a-2024-sleeper-issue-ads-ohio-wisconsin-montana-2a8d044b
Wright, Colin (August 7, 2024). Opinion: Does Imane Khelif Belong in the Womenâs Ring? Wall Street Journal https://www.wsj.com/opinion/does-imane-khelif-belong-in-the-womens-ring-olympics-boxing-transgender-ideology-b227f2cd
Morrell, Travis J. (July 26, 2024). Opinion: Ideology in Medical Schools Threatens Everyoneâs Health. Wall Street Journal https://www.wsj.com/opinion/ideology-in-medical-schools-threatens-everyones-health-f6887ae3
Conservative signatories (July 14, 2023). Youth Gender Transition Is Pushed Without Evidence. Wall Street Journal https://www.wsj.com/articles/trans-gender-affirming-care-transition-hormone-surgery-evidence-c1961e27
Hammes, Stephen R. (July 4, 2023). Endocrine Society Responds on Gender-Affirming Care It improves the well-being of transgender and gender-diverse people. Wall Street Journal https://www.wsj.com/amp/articles/trans-gender-affirming-care-endocrine-society-evidence-fdb8562c
Sapsford, Jathon; Armour, Stephanie (June 19, 2023). U.S. Becomes Transgender-Care Outlier as More in Europe Urge Caution. Wall Street Journal https://www.wsj.com/amp/articles/u-s-becomes-transgender-care-outlier-as-more-in-europe-urge-caution-6c70b5e0
Sapir, Leor; Wright, Colin (June 9, 2023). Opinion: Medical Journalâs False Consensus on âGender-Affirming Care.â Wall Street Journal https://www.wsj.com/opinion/medical-journals-false-consensus-on-gender-affirming-care-sex-change-procedure-transgender-f10cd52b
Eappen, Roy;Â Kingsbury, Ian (June 28, 2023). The Endocrine Societyâs Dangerous Transgender Politicization. Members we spoke with take exception to the groupâs guidelines on âgender-affirming care.â Wall Street Journal https://www.wsj.com/amp/articles/the-endocrine-societys-dangerous-politicization-endocrinologists-gender-affirming-care-arkansas-dac768bd
Resources
The Wall Street Journal (wsj.com)
- Transgender
- wsj.com/search?query=transgender&mod=searchresults_viewallresults
X/Twitter (x.com)
YouTube (youtube.com)
Instagram (instagram.com)
Facebook (facebook.com)
LinkedIn (linkedin.com)
Patrick Healy is an American journalist involved in anti-transgender coverage at the New York Times. Healy served as Deputy Editor of the Opinion section during its anti-transgender coverage crisis of the 2020s.
No transgender journalist has appeared on the New York Times masthead since its founding in 1851. As of 2023 there were no trans journalists on staff, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. At the same time, Healy helped beef up anti-trans staff, including bringing in David French.
Background
Patrick Durham Healy was born on August 31, 1971 to Carol Ann Higginbotham Healy (1936â2023) and Gerald T. Healy, Jr. (1934â2021). Healy has an older sibling and grew up gay in a conservative Catholic household. Healy earned a bachelor’s degree from New York University in 1990, and a second bachelor’s degree from Tufts University in 1993.
After reporting in local New Hampshire papers, Healy wrote for the transphobic Chronicle of Higher Education from 1994 to 2000. From 2000 to 2004, Healy wrote for the Boston Globe, then joined the New York Times in 2005.
After about ten years as a political correspondent, Healy held editor roles in the Culture, Politics, and Opinion sections. Healy reports to anti-trans ringleader Kathleen Kingsbury as well as to Charlotte Greensit.
Healy has made television appearances as guest host of The New York Times Close Up with Sam Roberts on NY1 News and as an analyst on CNN.
Healy married physician assistant Raymond Alejandro “Ray” Delgado on October 1, 2022.
References
Staff report (April 3, 2023). Carol Higginbotham Healy. The Coastal Mariner https://www.wickedlocal.com/obituaries/pneo0460196
Bolies, Corbin (March 7, 2023). The New York Timesâ 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
Oladipo, Gloria (February 18, 2023). Nearly 1,000 contributors protest New York Times’ coverage of trans people. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/feb/17/new-york-times-contributors-open-letter-protest-anti-trans-coverage
Bolies, Corbin; Cartwright, Lachlan (February 16, 2023). New York Times blasts staffers who condemned paperâs trans coverage. The Daily Beast https://www.thedailybeast.com/new-york-times-blast-staffers-who-condemned-papers-trans-coverage
Yurcaba, Jo (February 16, 2023). N.Y. Times contributors and LGBTQ advocates send open letters criticizing paper’s trans coverage. NBC News. https://www.nbcnews.com/nbc-out/out-news/ny-contributors-lgbtq-advocates-send-open-letters-criticizing-papers-t-rcna70800
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/
Mastrangelo, Dominick (February 16, 2023). NYT editors: Paper ‘will not tolerate’ its journalists protesting coverage of transgender people. The Hill. https://thehill.com/homenews/3862101-nyt-editors-paper-will-not-tolerate-its-journalists-protesting-coverage-of-transgender-people/amp/
Warrington, James (February 16, 2023). How the New York Times was engulfed by a trans culture war. The Telegraph. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2023/02/15/new-york-times-accused-writers-anti-trans-bigotry/
Migdon, Brooke (February 15, 2023). NYT contributors blast paper’s coverage of transgender people. The Hill. https://thehill.com/homenews/media/3859501-nyt-contributors-blast-papers-coverage-of-transgender-people/
Reilly, Patrick (February 15, 2023). New York Times accused of âeditorial biasâ in coverage of transgender issues. New York Post https://nypost.com/2023/02/15/new-york-times-blasted-for-editorial-bias-in-transgender-coverage/
Paul, Larisha (February 15, 2023). Gabrielle Union, Tommy Dorfman, more accuse NYT of ‘Harmful’ coverage of trans people. Rolling Stone. https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-news/new-york-times-coverage-of-trans-people-open-letter-1234680299/
Kalish, Lil (February 15, 2023). These New York Times contributors say the paper’s coverage of gender issues is hurting trans people. BuzzFeed News. https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/lilkalish/trans-writers-open-letter-nyt-biased-coverage
Hays, Gabriel (February 15, 2023). Celebs rip into New York Times for ‘irresponsible’ transgender coverage: Demand end to ‘both sides’ focus. Fox News. https://www.foxnews.com/media/celebs-rip-new-york-times-irresponsible-transgender-coverage-demand-end-both-sides-focus
Klein, Charlotte (February 15, 2023). Nearly 200 New York Times contributors are denouncing the paper’s anti-trans coverage. Vanity Fair. https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2023/02/new-york-times-trans-coverage
Burns, Katelyn (January 11, 2023). The NYTâs trans âdebateâ isnât actually a debate. Xtra* https://xtramagazine.com/culture/david-french-new-york-times-243766
Molloy, Parker (January 5, 2023). The New York Times Declares War on LGBTQ People With Hire of Anti-Trans Columnist. The Present Age https://www.readtpa.com/p/david-french-nyt-anti-lgbtq
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/
Kingsbury, Kathleen; Healy, Patrick (January 3, 2023). David French Joins The Times as an Opinion Columnist. New York Times https://www.nytco.com/press/david-french-joins-the-times-as-an-opinion-columnist/
Eckert, AJ; McLamore, Quinnehtukqut (December 4, 2022). 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/
WPATH/USPATH (November 2022). 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
Kingsbury, Kathleen (April 29, 2021). Patrick Healy Named Deputy Editor of Opinion. New York Times Company https://www.nytco.com/press/patrick-healy-named-deputy-editor-of-opinion/
Obituary (March 20, 2021). Gerald T. Healy (1934â1921). Boston Globe https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/bostonglobe/name/gerald-healy-obituary?id=6923933
Dunlap, David W. (June 19, 2017). How The Times gave ‘gay’ its own voice (again). The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331.
Schindler, Paul (July 26, 2006). That Darn New York Times. Gay City News https://gaycitynews.com/that-darn-new-york-times/
Staff report (April 8, 2005). The Mayor Gets Sound Advice,
But Will He Pay Attention to It? The Quotidian / New York Civic http://www.nycivic.org/QLIST/050408.html [archive]
Scocca, Tom (January 24, 2005). Off the Record. New York Observer https://observer.com/2005/01/off-the-record-75/
Selected writing by Healy
Healy, Patrick; Gessen M. (October 28, 2024). The Real Reasons the G.O.P. Is Spending Millions on Anti-Trans Ads. New York Times https://www.nytimes.com/2024/10/28/opinion/gop-anti-trans-advertising-harris.html
Healy, Patrick (December 22, 2023). I Know My Mother Loved Me. The Church Could Have Helped Her Accept Me. New York Times https://www.nytimes.com/2023/12/22/opinion/same-sex-blessing-catholic-church.html
Healy, Patrick; Rivera, Adrian J. (February 9, 2023). Opinion: These 12 Transgender Americans Would Love You to Mind Your Own Business. New York Times https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2023/02/09/opinion/transgender-americans-focus-group.html
Shanker, Thom; Healy, Patrick (November 30, 2007). A New Push to Roll Back âDonât Ask, Donât Tell.’ New York Times https://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/30/us/30military.html
Healy, Patrick (July 7, 2006) For Gay Rights Movement, a Key Setback. New York Times https://www.nytimes.com/2006/07/07/nyregion/07gays.html
Resources
SourceWatch (sourcewatch.org)
Twitter (twitter.com)
LinkedIn (linkedin.com)
Muck Rack (muckrack.com)
Facebook (facebook.com)
Instagram (instagram.com)
BuzzFeed is an American media organization that consistently posts fair and accurate reporting about trans and gender diverse people.
Background
BuzzFeed was founded in 2006 as a news aggregator focusing on viral content. It soon became one of the primary clickbait sites, known for quizzes, listicles, and effectively strip mining the internet for content.
In 2011, they founded BuzzFeed News, which continued until 2023. During that time, anti-trans activists Virginia Hughes and Azeen Ghorayshi worked there together before moving to the New York Times.
Resources
BuzzFeed (buzzfeed.com)
BuzzFeed News (buzzfeednews.com)
X/Twitter (x.com)
Instagram (instagram.com)
BuzzFeed links (buzzfeed.bio)
Facebook (facebook.com)
Wikipedia (en.wikipedia.org)
.
The Foundation Against Intolerance & Racism (FAIR) campaigns against diversity and inclusion movements, with a focus on gender and race.
Its members and leadership include key figures in the modern global anti-transgender movement.
note: for the media watchdog founded in 1986, see FAIR.
Background
FAIR was founded in 2021 by Bion Bartning, who was upset that teachers had introduced Bartning’s children to concepts associated with postmodernism, critical race theory, and intersectionality.
FAIR later expanded its mission to attack the rights of sex and gender minorities, primarily through its division FAIR in Medicine.
FAIR’s anti-transgender positions
FAIR claims schools are teaching children “to reject biology and to accept and reinforce gender norms and stereotypes.” They claim this is confusing children into thinking they are trans or gender diverse and “can lead some to consider serious and irreversible medical interventions.”
They also support the “parental rights” faction of anti-trans activists, saying “educators should inform families when a child is experiencing confusion or dysphoria around gender at school,” even if the educators know this may have negative consequences for the child.
While they claim to support “all sides of a clinical debate” about gender affirming care, their main goal is to support an activist minority within pediatrics and psychology who want to restrict or ban care for trans people under age 26. They do this through promoting the ex-transgender movement.
Key people
Founder
Board
Advisors
- Lee Fang
- Lisa Feldsher
- Kmele Foster
- Batya Ungar-Sargon
- Tim Urban
- Bari Weiss
- Thomas Chatterton Williams
- John Wood, Jr.
Others
2021 anti-trans seminar
In 2021, FAIR hosted a webinar entitled âGender Ideology: Problems and Pro-Human Solutions.â Participants included:
2023 petition supporting Kenneth Zucker
In 2023, the Archives of Sexual Behavior (ASB) published the latest in its 50 years of academic attacks on trans and gender diverse youth. The first author is “Suzanna Diaz,” a fake name used by someone with Parents of ROGD Kids, an anti-transgender front group for unsupportive parents of trans and gender-diverse children. The second author is transphobic psychologist J. Michael Bailey. The paper was retracted by the publisher, and an open letter called for the removal of ASB’s editor, sexologist Kenneth Zucker.
Zucker was defended by FAIR in an open letter after International Academy of Sex Research opened an investigation into how the “Diaz”/Bailey paper was published.
Signatories (rearranged alphabetically)
2023 open letter criticizing the American Psychiatric Association
In 2023, FAIR attacked the American Psychiatric Association for publishing the book Gender-Affirming Psychiatric Care. The open letter was signed by many key figures in anti-transgender extremism.
References
Green, Emma (June 5, 2023). Is it possible to be both moderate and anti-woke? The New Yorker https://www.newyorker.com/news/annals-of-activism/is-it-possible-to-be-both-moderate-and-anti-woke
Wright, Colin (June 11, 2023). An antiwoke organization implodes. Why Evolution Is True https://whyevolutionistrue.com/2023/06/11/an-antiwoke-organization-implodes/
Villareal, Daniel (June 7, 2023). GOP donor gave lesbian transphobe Bari Weiss $500K to start an âanti-wokeâ non-profit. LGBTQ Nation https://www.lgbtqnation.com/2023/06/gop-donor-gave-lesbian-transphobe-bari-weiss-500k-to-start-an-anti-woke-non-profit/
FAIR in Medicine (2023). Open Letter in Support of Dr. Kenneth Zucker and the Need to Promote Robust Scientific Debate. https://www.fairforall.org/open-letters/archives-of-sexual-behavior/
Hulvalchik, Alex (October 18, 2022). New Trier accused of creating an uncomfortable environment by ‘pro-human’ activist group. Chicago Tribune https://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/evanston/ct-wtk-fair-letter-new-trier-tl-1020-20221018-blnf2elm5rhufnvktdjmbnkyfy-story.html
Hirsh, Jeff (May 21, 2022). Activist group challenges D65 race and gender curriculum. Evanston Now https://evanstonnow.com/activist-group-challenges-d65-race-and-gender-curriculum/
Novak, Alison (February 16, 2022). Local Commotion: National Divisions on Race and Equity Are Roiling Vermont School Boards. Seven Days https://www.sevendaysvt.com/vermont/local-commotion-national-divisions-on-race-and-equity-are-roiling-vermont-school-boards/Content?oid=34905201
Wells, V.S. (October 24, 2022). ‘Deeply concerned’: Anti-LGBTQ2S+ candidates are running for school boards across Ontario. Xtra Magazine https://xtramagazine.com/power/anti-trans-school-board-candidates-ontario-238209 Retrieved January 31, 2023.
FAIR signatories (December 28, 2023). Open Letter to the APA. https://www.fairforall.org/open-letters/open-letter-apa/
Media
Carrie D. Mendoza and Gender Exploratory Therapy Association members Stella OâMalley, Sasha Ayad, Roberto D’Angelo, Lisa Marchiano (January 27, 2023). The Gender Exploratory Therapy Association’s New Clinical Guide https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SbrUfxaw7QI
Carrie D. Mendoza, Joseph Burgo, Zander Keig (Jan 20, 2023). The Errors & Failures of the World Professional Association for Transgender Health w/ Dr. Joe Burgo. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ql-Rt22V9Q
Carrie D. Mendoza, Zander Keig, Teva Johnstone, Lisa Littman, and Stella O’Malley (December 21, 2022). Understanding Gender Dysphoria and Its Impact on Clinical Care. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=siwfghKcv8U
Zander Keig (August 17, 2022). There Is a Diversity of Thought in the Trans Community. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LxAGYvXLo2o
Zander Keig (July 27, 2022). The Genderbread Person Isn’t the Way. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a2rZyQ98Fwo
Carrie Mendoza, Stella O’Malley of Genspect, Corinna Cohn, Aaron Kimberly, Zander Keig (May 23, 2022). How Activism Impacts Transgender Healthcare: A Pro-Human Discussion. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pxg2tWPRdSA
Zander Keig (February 23, 2022). ‘Gender Dysphoria Isn’t Why I Transitioned’ – Mini Clip from FAIR Perspectives Ep. 6. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VLI9rSZcfhc
Abigail Shrier, Colin Wright, Zander Keig, Carrie Mendoza, Candice Jackson, Miriam Grossman (December 16, 2021). FAIR’s Gender Webinar with Abigail Shrier, Colin Wright, Zander Keig, and more! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1XYzCE1ph5s
Resources
Trans Data Library (transdatalibrary.org)
FAIR (fairforall.org)
FAIRstory (fairstory.org)
FAIRtransparency (fairtransparency.org)
Twitter (twitter.com)
YouTube (youtube.com)
Instagram (instagram.com)
Substack (substack.com)
Facebook (facebook.com)
Christopher Rufo is an American professional anti-transgender activist. Attacking trans rights is part of Rufo’s conservative activism at the Manhattan Institute and elsewhere.
The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) has described Rufo as a “far-right propagandist.”
Background
Christopher Ferguson “Chris” Rufo was born August 26, 1984 and grew up in Sacramento, California. Both parents are attorneys.
Rufo earned a bachelor’s degree from Georgetown University in 2006 and a master’s degree from Harvard Extension School in 2022. Rufo has worked at The Heritage Foundation, Claremont Institute, and Discovery Institute.
Rufo has produced documentaries and has run for public office in Seattle.
Rufo is best known for conservative activism around critical race theory, intersectionality, diversity, equity, inclusion (DEI), and homelessness.
Rufo and spouse Suphatra “Kip” Paravichai live in Gig Harbor, Washington with their three children.
Intellectual dark web
Rufo was considered part of the intellectual dark web (IDW), a loose alliance described as a âgateway to the far right.â Many people involved are prominent opponents of transgender rights. IDW members typically get money and attention by claiming to be âcanceledâ or silenced by the minorities and progressive movements they criticize (called DARVO in general; see also the Dregerian Narrative in relation to trans issues, named after IDW inaugural member Alice Dreger).
The coalition did not hold together long, and Rufo chalked up the collapse to these events that splintered the IDW:
- The presidency of Donald Trump
- COVID and response to it
- The George Floyd protests
Rufo also correctly noted that the alliance collapsed because it was a reactionary movement with no political will. They stood against many things, but as a group, they did not stand for anything.
Most IDW members craved money and/or attention, and once that became more elusive, the alliance began to dissipate.
Anti-transgender activism
As part of a push to end public libraries and public education, Rufo has heavily promoted the idea that LGBTQ people are “groomers,” echoing similar efforts in the 1970s. As part of these “save the children” initiatives, Rufo seeks to stop schools from discussing LGBTQ people and their role in American history and culture (so-called “Don’t Say Gay” activism). Rufo is a major force behind threats and protests at Drag Queen Story Hour events.
In 2023, Florida’s anti-trans governor Ron DeSantis named Rufo to the board of trustees of New College of Florida, part of an attempt to turn the school conservative.
In May 2023, Rufo published an article about gender affirming care at Texas Childrenâs Hospital. In May 2024, surgeon Eithan Haim was charged with illegally obtaining the private medical records of pediatric patients receiving gender transition care at Texas Childrenâs Hospital and providing them to Rufo. In 2025, the Trump administration dropped the charges against Haim.
References
Dreher, Rod (October 25, 2022). Chris Rufo Vs Drag Queen Story Hour Groomers. The American Conservative https://www.theamericanconservative.com/chris-rufo-vs-drag-queen-story-hour-groomers/
Drennen, Ari (June 30, 2022). Outlets like The New Yorker keep giving Chris Rufo a platform to spread dangerous propaganda about LGBTQ people. Media Matters https://www.mediamatters.org/accuracy-media/outlets-new-yorker-keep-giving-chris-rufo-platform-spread-dangerous-propaganda-about
Kugle, Andrew (May 18, 2022 ) Chris Rufo uncovers jarring details of trans conference that Philadelphia teachers were encouraged to attend. Fox News https://www.foxnews.com/media/chris-rufo-trans-conference-philadelphia-teachers
Bond-Theriault, Candace (April 19, 2022). The Right Targets Queer Theory. The Nation https://www.thenation.com/article/society/christopher-rufo-queer-theory/
Wallace-Wells, Benjamin (June 18, 2021). How a conservative activist invented conflict over critical race theory. The New Yorker https://www.newyorker.com/news/annals-of-inquiry/how-a-conservative-activist-invented-the-conflict-over-critical-race-theory
Selected anti-trans writing by Rufo
Rufo, Christopher F. (October 16, 2023). Inside the Transgender Empire. https://christopherrufo.com/p/inside-the-transgender-empire
Rufo, Christopher F. (May 16. 2023). Sex-Change Procedures at Texas Childrenâs Hospital. City Journal https://www.city-journal.org/article/sex-change-procedures-at-texas-childrens-hospital
Media
Hillsdale College (February 6, 2024). The Business of Transgenderism | Christopher F. Rufo. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=prSE_hiOADE
Christopher F. Rufo (July 11, 2023). How the Trans Movement Conquered American Life | The Transgender Empire. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xwsekb5QReo
Christopher F. Rufo (March 16, 2023) âTrans Kidsâ Are the New Totem of the American Left. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=39IiYHDp3KI
Christopher F. Rufo (March 6, 2023). Why the IDW Fell Apart. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PCzxYjqVDvU
Christopher F. Rufo (February 7, 2023). New Hampshire Schools Push Biological Males in Girlsâ Locker Rooms. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uHei5pLCWNY
Christopher F. Rufo (January 20, 2023). Church of England Announces First âNon-Binaryâ Priest. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rAGs-ayVUHo
Christopher F. Rufo (January 3, 2023). UConn Professor: âEveryone Is A Little Trans.â https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n7B0moIpnaE
Christopher F. Rufo (December 5, 2022). Animated Film Teaches Kids that “Mama Has a Mustache.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-5n1m2eXUDw
Resources
Substack (substack.com)
X/Twitter (x.com)
YouTube (youtube.com)
Wikipedia (en.wikipedia.org)
Manhattan Institute (manhattan.institute)