Michael Shermer is an American writer and anti-transgender activist. Shermer has devoted considerable space for anti-trans views in the publication Skeptic and on the podcast The Michael Shermer Show.
Background
Michael Brant Shermer was born September 8, 1954 in Los Angeles, California. Shermer earned a bachelor’s degree form Pepperdine in 1976 and a master’s degree in psychology from California State University, Fullerton in 1978. Shermer got involved in competitive cycling during this time.
Shermer earned a doctorate from Claremont Graduate University in 1991. Shermer helped found the Skeptics Society in 1991. Shermer has taught at Glendale Community College, Occidental College, and Chapman University.
For 18 years Shermer was a monthly columnist for Scientific American. Shermer has been dogged by accusations of sexual misconduct since 2013. Shermer has produced and appeared in a number of television shows about science and pseudoscience.
Anti-transgender activism
Shermer is especially angry about transgender athletes, trans and gender diverse youth, WPATH, and how Scientific American has gone “woke” due to their coverage of trans issues.
Shermer has also promoted and published anti-trans writings of other “gender critical” activists:
References
Tavris, Carol (April 17, 2023). Behind the Rhetoric: The Untold Story of “Gender-Affirming” Clinics. Skeptic Volume 27 Number 1 https://www.skeptic.com/reading_room/behind-rhetoric-untold-story-of-gender-affirming-clinics/
McCaffree K, Saide A (March 7, 2023). Trans, Identity and Institutional Controversies. Research Report: PADS-002 https://www.skeptic.com/research-center/reports/Research-Report-PADS-002.pdf
Hall, Harriett (June 9, 2022). A transgender controversy. Skeptic Volume 27 Number 1 https://www.skeptic.com/reading_room/transgender-controversy/
Davis, Lisa Selin (May 25, 2022). Trans Matters: An Overview of the Debate, Research, and Policies. Skeptic Volume 27 Number 1 https://www.skeptic.com/reading_room/trans-matters-overview-debate-research-policies/
Tavris, Carol (January 25, 2022). Trans Reality: “I Didn’t Know There Was Another Side.” Skeptic https://www.skeptic.com/reading_room/transgender-reality-i-didnt-know-there-was-another-side/
Selected anti-trans writing by Shermer
Shermer, Michael (November 14, 2024). Postmortem 2024. Skeptic https://michaelshermer.substack.com/p/postmortem-2024
Shermer, Michael (March 14, 2024). Death by Theory. Skeptic https://michaelshermer.substack.com/p/death-by-theory
Shermer, Michael (June 11, 2024). What’s It Like to Be Trans? [letter from a conservative transmedicalist] Skeptic https://michaelshermer.substack.com/p/whats-it-like-to-be-trans
Shermer, Michael (July 8, 2022). What is a Woman, Anyway? Skeptic https://michaelshermer.substack.com/p/what-is-a-woman-anyway
Shermer, Michael (March 7, 2024). Extraordinary Popular Delusions and the Madness of Crowds, Redux—WPATH Edition. Skeptic https://michaelshermer.substack.com/p/extraordinary-popular-delusions-and
Shermer, Michael (December 9, 2021). Trans Athletes and Conflicting Rights. Skeptic https://michaelshermer.substack.com/p/trans-athletes-and-conflicting-rights
Media
Michael Shermer (). EPISODE # 160 Abigail Shrier — Irreversible Damage: The Transgender Craze Seducing Our Daughters. The Michael Shermer Show https://www.skeptic.com/michael-shermer-show/abigail-shrier-irreversible-damage-transgender-craze-seducing-our-daughters/
Michael Shermer (August 27, 2024). Are We Confused About Social Justice? (Helen Pluckrose). The Michael Shermer Show
Michael Shermer (May 14). Nellie Bowles — Reporting From the Frontlines of the Culture Wars The Michael Shermer Show
Michael Shermer (September 21). Colin Wright – Biology vs. Gender Ideology: The Science Behind the Debate. The Michael Shermer Show
Michael Shermer (September 15). Matt Ridley, Steven Pinker, and Michael Shermer Challenge Conventional Narratives. The Michael Shermer Show
Michael Shermer (August 17). Bones, Bias, and Backlash: Elizabeth Weiss on the Politicization of Anthropology. The Michael Shermer Show https://www.skeptic.com/michael-shermer-show/elizabeth-weiss-politicization-of-anthropology/
Michael Shermer (August 6). Richard Dawkins on Genetic Insights Into the History of Life. The Michael Shermer Show
Michael Shermer (). 461: Helen Pluckrose — Principled Strategies for Surviving and Defeating Critical Social Justice. https://www.skeptic.com/michael-shermer-show/helen-pluckrose-principled-strategies-for-surviving-defeating-critical-social-justice/
Michael Shermer (). Aella — From a Christian Upbringing to Sex Work
Michael Shermer (). Bradley Campbell — How to Think About Social Justice
Katherine Brodsky — How to Find and Free Your Voice in the Age of Outrage
Michael Shellenberger Explains Government Censorship of Social Media
Ayaan Hirsi Ali Converted to Christianity
Yascha Mounk — Identity Politics and its Discontents
Greg Lukianoff & Rikki Schlott — Cancel Culture and What to Do About It
Gad Saad — The Saad Truth About Happiness
Christopher Rufo Decodes Cultural Shifts in America
Umut Özkirimli — How the Left Can Make Its Way Back From Woke
Jean Twenge — Differences Between Gen Z, Millennials, Gen X, Boomers, and Silents, and What They Mean for America’s Future
Bethany Mandel — How Radicals Are Erasing Innocence & Indoctrinating a Generation
Valerie Fridland — Like, Literally, Dude: Arguing for the Good in Bad English
Gerald & Patricia Posner on Evil
Louise Perry — The Case Against the Sexual Revolution: A New Guide to Sex in the 21st Century
Meghan Daum — The Problem With Everything: My Journey Through the New Culture Wars
Marty Klein — Sex Matters
Andrew Doyle — How the Religion of Social Justice Captured the Western World
Sabine Hossenfelder — Existential Physics: A Scientist’s Guide to Life’s Biggest Questions
Konstantin Kisin — An Immigrant’s Love Letter to the West
Helen Joyce — Trans: When Ideology Meets Reality
Frans De Waal on Sex and Gender Across the Primate Spectrum
Douglas Murray on The War on the West: Race, Politics, and Culture
Cathy Young — The Russian Riddle Wrapped in a Ukrainian Mystery Inside an American Enigma
Jesse Singal on Why Fad Psychology Can’t Cure Our Social Ills
Dave Rubin — Left, Right, and Woke, based on his book Don’t Burn This Country: Surviving and Thriving in Our Woke Dystopia
Elizabeth Weiss on Woke Archaeology and Erasing the Past
Batya Ungar-Sargon — Bad News: How Woke Media Is Undermining Democracy
Sally Satel on Addiction, the Opioid Crisis, Deaths of Despair, and How Psychiatry Has Gone Woke
Heather Heying and Bret Weinstein on evolution and the challenges of modern life, based on their new book A Hunter-Gatherer’s Guide to the 21st Century
Steven Pinker on Rationality: What it is, Why it Seems Scarce, Why it Matters
Richard Dawkins on evangelizing for evolution, science, skepticism, philosophy, reason, and rationality, based on his new book Books Do Furnish a Life: Reading and Writing Science
Carole Hooven on T: The Story of Testosterone, the Hormone that Dominates and Divides Us
Bari Weiss & Bion Bartning on Their New Foundation Against Intolerance & Racism
David Buss — When Men Behave Badly: The Hidden Roots of Sexual Deception, Harassment, and Assault
Jordan Peterson & Michael Shermer on Science, Myth, Truth, and the Architecture of Archetypes
Niall Ferguson — Doom: The Politics of Catastrophe
John McWhorter — The Elect: Neoracists Posing as Antiracists and their Threat to a Progressive America
John McWhorter — The Elect: Neoracists Posing as Antiracists and their Threat to a Progressive America
Abigail Shrier — Irreversible Damage: The Transgender Craze Seducing Our Daughters
Greg Lukianoff — How Free is Free Speech?
Debra Soh — The End of Gender: Debunking the Myths About Sex and Identity in Our Society
Gad Saad — The Parasitic Mind: How Infectious Ideas Are Killing Common Sense
Scott Barry Kaufman — Transcend: The New Science of Self-Actualization
Dave Rubin — Don’t Burn This Book: Thinking for Yourself in an Age of Unreason
Douglas Murray — The Madness of Crowds: Gender, Race, and Identity
Geoffrey Miller — Virtue Signaling: Essays on Darwinian Politics and Free Speech
Peter Boghossian — How to Have Impossible Conversations: A Very Practical Guide
Ben Shapiro — The Right Side of History: How Reason and Moral Purpose Made the West Great
Dr. Gad Saad — Doing Gad’s Work
Dr. Jonathan Haidt — The Coddling of the American Mind: How Good Intentions and Bad Ideas are Setting Up a Generation for Failure
Amy Alkon — Unf*ckology: A Field Guide to Living with Guts and Confidence
Dr. Jonathan Haidt — Coming Apart
Resources
Michael Shermer (michaelshermer.com)
Substack (https://substack.com/)
X/Twitter (x.com)
LinkedIn (linkedin.com)
The Westminster Declaration is a 2023 open letter signed by many key anti-transgender extremists.
They claim to be a group of “free speech champions” who oppose the “censorship industrial complex.”
Signatories
Alphabetically by surname:
- Ayaan Hirsi Ali, Human Rights Activist, Author, Netherlands
- James Allan, Professor of Law, University of Queensland, UK
- Mia Ashton [Mia Hughes], Journalist, Canada
- Julian Assange, Editor, Founder of Wikileaks, Australia
- Stella Assange, Campaigner, UK
- Diane Atkinson, Historian, Biographer, UK
- Jonathan Ayling, Chief Executive, Free Speech Union, New Zealand
- Xavier Azalbert, Investigative Scientific Journalist, France
- Marco Bassani, Political Theorist, Historian, Milan University, Italy
- Steven Berkoff, Actor, Playright, UK
- Jay Bhattacharya, Professor, Stanford, US
- Giorgio Bianchi, Independent Journalist, Italy
- Nigel Biggar, Chairman, Free Speech Union, UK
- Peter Boghossian, Philosopher, Founding Faculty Fellow, University of Austin, US
- Nellie Bowles, Journalist, USA
- Mathias Bröckers, Author, Journalist, Germany
- Dietrich Brüggemann, Filmmaker, Germany
- Paolo Cesaretti, Professor of Byzantine Civilization, University of Bergamo, Italy
- Melissa Chen, Journalist, Spectator, Singapore/US
- Robert Cibis, Filmmaker, Germany
- John Cleese, Comedian, Acrobat, UK
- Adam B. Coleman, Founder of Wrong Speak Publishing, US
- Alberto Contri, Mass Media Expert, Italy
- Adam Creighton, Journalist, Australia
- Richard Dawkins, Biologist, UK
- Alessandro Di Battista, Political Activist, Writer, Italy
- Nick Dixon, Comedian, UK
- Laura Dodsworth, Journalist and Author, UK
- Lee Fang, Independent Journalist, US
- Thomas Fazi, Independent Journalist, Italy
- Efrat Fenigson, Journalist, Podcaster, Israel
- Niall Ferguson, Historian, Stanford, UK
- Catherine Austin Fitts, The Solari Report, Netherlands
- Marcello Foa, Journalist, Former President of Rai, Italy
- Francis Foster, Comedian, UK
- Kmele Foster, Journalist, Media Entrepreneur, USA
- Claire Fox, Founder of the Academy of Ideas, UK
- Carlo Freccero, Television Author, Media Expert, Italy
- Dominic Frisby, Comedian, UK
- Juan Carlos Girauta, Politician, Spain
- Jill Glasspool-Malone, PhD., USA
- Sarah Gon, Director, Free Speech Union, South Africa
- David Goodhart, Journalist, Author, UK
- Matt Goodwin, Politics Professor, University of Kent, UK
- Glenn Greenwald, Journalist, US
- Julius Grower, Fellow, St. Hugh’s College, UK
- Ulrike Guerot, Founder of European Democracy Lab, Germany
- Sunetra Gupta, Professor of Theoretical Epidemiology, Oxford, UK
- Alex Gutentag, Journalist, US
- Jonathan Haidt, Social Psychologist, NYU, US
- Philip Hamburger, Professor of Law, Columbia, USA
- Julia Hartley-Brewer, Journalist, UK
- Chris Hedges, Journalist, Author, USA
- Ana Henkel, Independent Journalist, Brazil
- Heather E. Heying, Evolutionary Biologist, USA
- Jeremy Hildreth, Independent, UK
- Peter Hitchens, Author, Journalist, UK
- Coleman Hughes, Writer, Podcaster, USA
- Patrick Hughes, Artist, UK
- Jan Jekielek, Journalist, Canada
- Helen Joyce, Journalist, UK
- Izabella Kaminska, Journalist, The Blind Spot, UK
- Eric Kaufmann, Professor of Politics, Birkbeck, University of Buckingham, Canada
- Eve Kay, TV Producer, UK
- Aaron Kheiriaty, Psychiatrist, Author, USA
- Rueben Kirkham, Co-Director, Free Speech Union of Australia, Australia
- Konstantin Kisin, Author, UK
- Martin Kulldorf, Professor of Medicine (on leave), Harvard, US
- Holly Lawford-Smith, Associate Professor in Political Philosophy, University of Melbourne, Australia
- Catherine Liu, Cultural Theorist, Author, USA
- Isabella Loiodice, Professor of Comparative Public Law, University of Bari, Italy
- Carlo Lottieri, Philosopher, University of Verona, Italy
- Glenn Loury, Economist, USA
- Andrew Lowenthal, liber-net, Australia
- Greg Lukianoff, President and CEO Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, USA
- Dara Macdonald, Co-Director, Free Speech Union, Australia
- Robert W. Malone, MD, MS, USA
- Winston Marshall, Journalist, The Spectator, UK
- Paola Mastrocola, Writer, Italy
- Aaron Mate, Journalist, USA
- Iain McGilchrist, Psychiatrist, Philosopher, UK
- David McGrogan, Professor of Law, Northumbria University, UK
- Jacob Mchangama, Author, Denmark
- John McWhorter, Linguist, Columbia, Author, US
- Alan Miller, Together Association, UK
- Stefan Millius, Journalist, Switzerland
- Stephen Moore, Author and Analyst, Canada
- Michael Nayna, Filmmaker, Australia
- Micha Narberhaus, The Protopia Lab, Spain/Germany
- Leandro Narloch, Independent Journalist, Brazil
- Andrew Neish, KC, UK
- Brendan O’Neill, Journalist, UK
- James Orr, Associate Professor, University of Cambridge, UK
- Martina Pastorelli, Independent Journalist, Italy
- Dr. Jordan B. Peterson, Psychologist, Author, Canada
- Kira Phillips, Documentary Filmmaker, UK
- Jordi Pigem, Philosopher, Author, Spain
- Steven Pinker, Psychologist, Harvard, US
- Helen Pluckrose, Author, US
- Dirk Pohlmann, Journalist, Germany
- Nina Power, Writer, UK
- Nello Preterossi, Professor, University of Salerno, Scientific Director of the Italian Institute for Philosophical Studies, Italy
- Jean F. Queralt, Technologist, Founder @ The IO Foundation, Malaysia/Spain
- Luca Ricolfi, Professor, Sociologist, Turin University, Italy
- Matt Ridley, Journalist, Author, UK
- Tim Robbins, Actor, Filmmaker, US
- Andrew Roberts, Historian, UK
- Piers Robinson, Organization for Propaganda Studies, UK
- Paul Rossi, Educator, Vertex Partnership Academics, US
- Gad Saad, Professor, Evolutionary Behavioral Scientist, Author, Canada
- Jeffrey D. Sachs, Columbia University, US
- Michele Santoro, Journalist, TV Host, Presenter, Italy
- Ben Scallan, Gript Media, Ireland
- Ben Schwarz, Journalist, USA
- Phil Shaw, Campaigner, Operation People, New Zealand
- Michael Shellenberger, Public, US
- Alex Sheridan, Free Speech Ireland
- Michael Shermer, Science Writer, US
- Jacob Siegel, Tablet, US/Israel
- Dr. James Smith, Podcaster, Literature Scholar, RHUL, UK
- Craig Snider, Independent, US
- Edward Snowden, Whistleblower, US
- Alan Sokal, Professor of Mathematics, UCL, UK
- Juan Soto Ivars, Author, Spain
- Doug Stokes, International Relations Professor, University of Exeter, UK
- Oliver Stone, Filmmaker, US
- Nadine Strossen, Professor of Law, NYLS, US
- Matt Taibbi, Journalist, US
- Andrew Tettenborn, Professor of Law, Swansea University, UK
- Robert Tombs, Historian, UK
- Jeffrey Tucker, Author, USA
- Yanis Varoufakis, Economist, Greece
- Eli Vieira, Journalist, Genetic Biologist, Brazil
- Toby Young, Journalist, Free Speech Union, UK
- Andrea Zhok, Philosopher, University of Milan, Italy
- Slavoj Žižek, Philosopher, Author, Slovenia
- David Zweig, Journalist, Author, USA
References
Masnick, Mike ( October 24, 2023). ‘Twitter Files’ Hucksters Are Once Again Cosplaying as Free Speech Martyrs. Daily Beast https://www.thedailybeast.com/twitter-files-hucksters-are-cosplaying-as-free-speech-martyrs
Resources
The Westminster Declaration (westminsterdeclaration.org)
Travis D. Brown is an American anti-progressive and anti-transgender propagandist. Brown produced the 2023 anti-trans series Uncomfortable Truths: The Reality of Gender Identity Ideology.
note: for the trans-supportive programmer, see Travis Brown.
Background
Travis David Brown is “a skeptic and free-thinker” who lives in Portland, Oregon and has been a videographer since 2009. Brown claims to explore themes of “dogma, faith and credulity.”
Brown was a camera operator and cinematographer on several small projects. Brown co-directed the 2018 film All Too Human with Mandy Stockholm.
Anti-transgender activism
Brown is closely associated with anti-trans extremists at Genspect. Brown raised $450 on a $29,500 goal to travel to Ireland to film a 2023 Genspect conference:
Hello. My name is Travis Brown, and I am a documentary filmmaker out of Oregon. For a few years now I’ve been covering topics around woke ideology and how to improve dialogue between people who have diametrically opposed views.
In my upcoming documentary, I’ll be tackling the very important and sensitive topic of gender ideology. There’s so much confusion and frustration when it comes to discussing trans issues, but I hope to help paint a clear picture of what is going on, why, and what can be done about it to protect young people, keep families intact, and keep women’s spaces from being overtaken by men.
If you’ve been following the trans debate, you’ll know why it’s crucial to have clear and concise explanations and advice on this topic without hyperbole. With the spread of gender ideology, we have so many young people, and even some adults who are fooled into thinking that the only solution to their distress is to take hormones or get life-altering surgeries. But this often just makes their problems much worse and can increase suicidal ideation. And that’s just the tip of this problematic iceberg.
In my docuseries called The Woke Reformation, I’ve covered topics of critical race theory, woke capitalism, the roots of this ideology, in neo-Marxism and postmodernism, and more. I’ve been lucky enough to work with Peter Boghossian, who has produced this series, and to have interviewed Ayaan Hirsi Ali, Douglas Murray, Vivek Ramaswamy, Niall Ferguson, [onscreen: Mark Pellegrino, Benjamin Boyce] and so many more incredible people.
For this documentary, I’ll have more amazing guests like Helen Joyce, the author of TRANS, and some pediatricians, counselors, detransitioners, and other important voices. In order to make this my best documentary so far, I need your help. I have a great opportunity to fly to the UK for some exciting interviews and to film an important conference put on by Genspect. Most of the costs are covered, but I’m still about $6,000 short.
I don’t do interviews over Zoom because I’m committed to creating very high-quality content, and filming in person is always much better than recording virtual interviews. I’m really concerned about what’s happening in our society, and I believe we have to be honest about biology, the differences between men and women, the importance of single-sex spaces, and the safety of our children.
So I could really use your help. If you can contribute any amount, it would be very grateful. Or if you can share this video and GiveSendGo link around, that would be awesome. Please help me bring some sanity to the discourse around gender ideology. Thanks for watching.
Media
Brown, Travis (September 23, 2022). Combating Woke Myths – Trans women are women. The Signal Productions https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8jEUW_wg0d0
Brown, Travis (2023). Fundraising video. https://vimeo.com/815741130 [removed]
Resources
The Signal Productions (thesignalproductions.com)
SEP: Signal Education Project (signaleducationproject.org)
All Too Human (alltoohuman.film) [archive]
When in Doubt (whenindoubtfilm.com) [archive]
Twitter (twitter.com)
Locals (locals.com)
YouTube (youtube.com)
Vimeo (vimeo.com)
Facebook (facebook.com)
IMDb (imdb.com)
Indiegogo (indiegogo.com)
- projects/all-too-human [archive]
- raised ~$7,300 on $35,500 goal
FilmFreeway (filmfreeway.com)
GiveSendGo (givesendgo.com)
Oregon Secretary of State (egov.sos.state.or.us)
Coleman Hughes is an American writer and anti-transgender activist.
Background
Coleman Cruz Hughes was born February 25, 1996 and grew up in Montclair, New Jersey. Hughes earned a bachelor’s degree from Columbia University in 2020.
Like Glenn Loury, Thomas Chatterton Williams, and John McWhorter, Hughes has gained a reputation for criticizing progressive views and policies around race.
Anti-transgender activism
Hughes has written for several anti-trans publications, including Quillette, The Spectator, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, National Review, Washington Examiner, Manhattan Institute’s City Journal, and Heterodox Academy.
Coleman hosts Conversations with Coleman, which is a major platform for other anti-transgender activists, including:
References
Hughes, Coleman (May 2023). A case for color blindness. TED https://www.ted.com/talks/coleman_hughes_a_case_for_color_blindness
Resources
Coleman Hughes (colemanhughes.org)
Twitter (twitter.com)
Facebook (facebook.com)
Instagram (instagram.com)
YouTube (youtube.com)
Patreon (patreon.com)
IMDb (imdb.com)
Tim Ferriss is an American podcaster and lifestyle influencer. Although Ferriss is sometimes considered part of the intellectual dark web for having a few guests who are part of that movement, Ferriss has not engaged in anti-transgender activism.
Selected podcast guests
- Dan Carlin JUL 29, 2014
- Peter Thiel SEP 9, 2014
- Bryan Callen DEC 1, 2014
- Sam Harris JUL 7, 2015
- Scott Adams SEP 22, 2015
- Eric Weinstein JAN 13, 2016
- Seth Godin FEB 10, 2016
- Seth Godin AUG 3, 2016
- Sam Harris OCT 29, 2018
- Sam Harris MAY 15, 2020
- Seth Godin OCT 26, 2020
- Martine Rothblatt DEC 16, 2020
- Niall Ferguson NOV 15, 2022
- Seth Godin NOV 28, 2022
- Jonathan Haidt DEC 21, 2022
- Seth Godin MAY 17, 2023
Resources
Wikipedia (en.wikipedia.org)
Tim Ferriss (tim.blog)
Four Hour Workweek (fourhourworkweek.com)
The New Yorker is an American media organization. Its coverage of trans topics has been generally nuanced and balanced.
Background
The New Yorker was founded in 1925. It primarily covers culture and profiles figures in the news.
Trans and gender diverse coverage
Trans and gender diverse people they have covered or who have bylines include:
- Jane Schoenbrun
- Lucy Sante
- Paul B. Preciado
- Masha Gessen
- Mónica Taboada-Tapia
- Greek Lankton
- Elliot Page
- Imogen Binnie
- Lia Thomas
- Maia Kobabe
- Caitlyn Jenner
- Candy Darling
- Judith Butler
- Torrey Peters
- Joey Soloway
- Christine Hallquist
- Peppermint
- T Cooper
- Janet Mock
- Michelle Ainsworth and Jennifer Lee
- Gavin Grimm
- Jordy Rosenberg
The magazine has also profiled people who work closely with trans and gender diverse people, including photographers Ethan James Green and Melody Melamed, and plastic surgeon Jordan Deschamps-Braly.
What Is a Woman? (2014)
In 2014, The New Yorker tackled the conflict between “radical feminism vs. transgenderism” on their podcast, discussing a piece by Michelle Goldberg that sympathetically profiled gender critical activists. The full title of Goldberg’s piece is “What is a Woman? The dispute between radical feminism and transgenderism.”
Goldberg outlines the 1973 controversy around attacks on trans singer Beth Elliott at the West Coast Lesbian Conference, as well as the attacks on artist Sandy Stone in the late 1970s.
Goldberg interviews Lierre Keith at a Radfems Respond event in Portland, Oregon, and name-drops several others:
Goldberg also interviewed biologist Julia Serano for the piece. Serano wrote several critical responses, sharing all email correspondence with Goldberg. Serano was concerned about how Sheila Jeffreys misused passages from Serano’s autobiography to claim Serano was “autogynephilic.” Although Goldberg removed some of the passages in the draft after Serano objected, Serano wrote that Goldberg “casually mentions that Jeffreys (who is depicted as a sympathetic, if eccentric, character in the article) considers me to be an ‘autogynephile’ without mentioning any of my arguments against the theory and Jeffreys’s hypocritical appropriation of it.”
In Columbia Journalism Review, Jos Truitt sharply criticized Goldberg’s framing:
To any observer aware of the conflict, the article reads like a push piece for Jeffreys’ book: It accepts her framing on a number of issues, and the only trans woman voices, included at the end of the article, are women trans-exclusionary radical feminists have attempted to discredit, quoted using trans-exclusionary feminists’ framing. Goldberg establishes that trans identities should be up for debate by first quoting a trans-exclusionary radical feminist using male pronouns to refer to trans women, and then using male pronouns herself.
A Club for the Cancelled (2023)
Emma Green’s profile of the “Gathering of Thought Criminals” gives a glimpse into one reactionary network that was part of the burgeoning anti-trans movement. People mentioned include:
Is It Possible to Be Both Moderate and Anti-Woke? (2023)
Emma Green’s profile of “anti-woke nonprofits” chronicles how Foundation Against Intolerance & Racism was founded and mismanaged. People mentioned include many leading lights in anti-transgender activism:
Christopher Rufo profile (2023)
Emma Green’s brief profile of anti-trans extremist Christopher Rufo’s 2023 book tour for America’s Cultural Revolution mentions Manhattan Institute president Reihan Salam and Rufo’s chief of staff Armen Tooloee:
As the waitstaff packed up the booze, Rufo reminisced with Armen Tooloee, his chief of staff. “We got surrounded by a mob of angry non-binaries in Florida,” Rufo said. Tooloee “walks in with the biggest smile on his face, like yea-a-ah. There’s cops everywhere. And Armen is in a state of bliss. He’s like a Buddha!” Tooloee, who has a groomed beard, said that he’d had a lot of practice dealing with progressive protesters as an undergraduate, when he ran a College Republicans’ “affirmative-action bake sale.” (Black students got cheaper cookies than white students, for example.)
Selected articles
Thomas, Louisa (January 19, 2025). What’s Really Behind the House Bill to Ban Transgender Athletes from School Sports? The New Yorker https://www.newyorker.com/sports/sporting-scene/whats-really-behind-the-house-bill-to-ban-transgender-athletes-from-school-sports
Seidlitz, Holden (June 10, 2024). Jane Schoenbrun Finds Horror Close to Home. The New Yorker https://www.newyorker.com/culture/persons-of-interest/jane-schoenbrun-finds-horror-close-to-home
Brody, Richard (May 3, 2024). “I Saw the TV Glow” Is a Profound Vision of the Trans Experience. The New Yorker https://www.newyorker.com/culture/the-front-row/i-saw-the-tv-glow-is-a-profound-vision-of-the-trans-experience
Witt, Emily (March 21, 2024). How Lucy Sante Became the Person She Feared. The New Yorker https://www.newyorker.com/books/page-turner/how-lucy-sante-became-the-person-she-feared
Brody, Richard (November 10, 2023). A Philosopher-Filmmaker’s Polyphonic Perspective on Trans Experience. The New Yorker https://www.newyorker.com/culture/the-front-row/a-philosopher-filmmakers-polyphonic-perspective-on-trans-experience
Green, Emma (August 14, 2023). Conservative Pirates Take Park Avenue. The New Yorker https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2023/08/21/conservative-pirates-take-the-mondrian-hotel [later retitled Counterprogramming]
Green, Emma (June 5, 2023). Is It Possible to Be Both Moderate and Anti-Woke? The New Yorker https://www.newyorker.com/news/annals-of-activism/is-it-possible-to-be-both-moderate-and-anti-woke
Remmick, David (March 11, 2023). What We Talk About When We Talk About Trans Rights. The New Yorker https://www.newyorker.com/news/the-new-yorker-interview/what-we-talk-about-when-we-talk-about-trans-rights
Mackey, Danielle (December 21, 2022). Isolation and Belonging in “Two-Spirit.” The New Yorker https://www.newyorker.com/culture/the-new-yorker-documentary/isolation-and-belonging-in-two-spirit
Fateman, Johanna (November 28, 2022). Greer Lankton’s Lonely Dolls. The New Yorker https://www.newyorker.com/culture/photo-booth/greer-lanktons-lonely-dolls
Long, Crispin (July 12, 2022). Elliot Page Brings His Misfit Characters to Life. The New Yorker https://www.newyorker.com/culture/culture-desk/elliot-page-brings-his-misfit-characters-to-life
Burt, Stephanie (June 20, 2022). The Invention of the Trans Novel. The New Yorker https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2022/06/27/the-invention-of-the-trans-novel-imogen-binnie-nevada
Gessen, Masha (June 14, 2022). How Kyiv’s L.G.B.T.Q. Community Found Shelter from the Russian Invasion. The New Yorker https://www.newyorker.com/news/dispatch/how-kyivs-lgbtq-community-found-shelter-from-the-russian-invasion
Thomas, Louisa (March 17, 2022). How One Swimmer Became the Focus of a Debate About Trans Athletes. The New Yorker https://www.newyorker.com/sports/sporting-scene/how-one-swimmer-became-the-focus-of-a-debate-about-trans-athletes
Long, Crispin (January 31, 2021). The Insider Insights of “Detransition, Baby.” The New Yorker https://www.newyorker.com/books/page-turner/the-insider-insights-of-detransition-baby
Kobabe, Maia (December 18, 2020). The Best Gifts I Received Before Top Surgery. The New Yorker https://www.newyorker.com/humor/daily-shouts/best-gifts-i-received-before-top-surgery
Editors (June 9, 2019). Sunday Reading: Pride & the Fiftieth Anniversary of Stonewall. The New Yorker https://www.newyorker.com/books/double-take/sunday-reading-pride-and-the-fiftieth-anniversary-of-stonewall
Als, Hilton (March 24, 2019). “To Live in the World, and Not to Hide”: An Interview with Janet Mock. The New Yorker https://www.newyorker.com/culture/the-new-yorker-interview/to-live-in-the-world-and-not-to-hide-an-interview-with-janet-mock
Schulman, Michael (March 12, 2019). A Counterculture Portraitist’s Chronicle of New York’s Youth. The New Yorker https://www.newyorker.com/culture/photo-booth/a-counterculture-portraitists-chronicle-of-new-yorks-youth
Lipstein, Ray (November 26, 2018). “Man Made,” a Film About Transgender Bodybuilders, Upends the Traditional Documentary Gaze. The New Yorker https://www.newyorker.com/culture/culture-desk/man-made-a-film-about-transgender-bodybuilders-upends-the-traditional-documentary-gaze
Solowat, [Joey] (October 7, 2018), [Joey] Soloway Tells the Personal Story Behind “Transparent.” The New Yorker https://www.newyorker.com/culture/personal-history/are-you-sitting-down
Gessen, Masha (August 16, 2018). Christine Hallquist’s Vermont Win and the Emergence of Transgender Politicians. The New Yorker https://www.newyorker.com/news/our-columnists/christine-hallquists-vermont-win-and-the-emergence-of-transgender-politicians
Schulman, Michael (July 27, 2018). “Head Over Heels,” Reviewed: A Trans-Positive Spin on a Sixteenth-Century Romance, with Help from the Go-Go’s. The New Yorker https://www.newyorker.com/culture/culture-desk/head-over-heels-reviewed-a-trans-positive-spin-on-a-sixteenth-century-romance-with-help-from-the-go-gos
Waldman, Katy (June 27, 2018). “Confessions of the Fox” Is a Cunning Metafiction of Vulpine Versatility. The New Yorker https://www.newyorker.com/books/page-turner/confessions-of-the-fox-is-a-cunning-metafiction-of-vulpine-versatility
Mead, Rebecca (March 12, 2018). The Story of a Trans Woman’s Face. The New Yorker https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2018/03/19/the-story-of-a-trans-womans-face
Goetsch, Diana (March 6, 2018). Teaching William Zinsser to Write Poetry. The New Yorker https://www.newyorker.com/culture/personal-history/teaching-william-zinsser-to-write-poetry
Hart, Michelle (July 16, 2017). Portrait of a Couple in Love and in Transition. The New Yorker https://www.newyorker.com/culture/photo-booth/a-portrait-of-a-middle-aged-couple-in-transition
Bridy, Richard (April 7, 2017). A Film Series Explores the Crossing of Gender Lines. The New Yorker https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2017/04/17/a-film-series-explores-the-crossing-of-gender-lines
Gersen, Jeannie Suk (December 6, 2016). Gavin Grimm’s Transgender-Rights Case and the Problem with Informal Executive Action. The New Yorker https://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/gavin-grimms-transgender-rights-case-and-the-problem-with-informal-executive-action
Seliger, Mark (July 25, 2016). The Trans Community of Christopher Street. The New Yorker https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2016/08/01/the-trans-community-of-christopher-street
Alford, Henry (June 13, 2016). North Carolina Police Blotter. The New Yorker https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2016/06/20/north-carolina-police-blotter-by-henry-alford
Socarides, Richard (March 28, 2016). North Carolina and the Gay-Rights Backlash. The New Yorker https://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/north-carolina-and-the-gay-rights-backlash
Dunham, Cyrus Grace (February 8, 2016). The Forgotten Ones: Queer and Trans Lives in the Prison System. The New Yorker https://www.newyorker.com/books/page-turner/the-forgotten-ones-queer-and-trans-lives-in-the-prison-system
Gersen, Jeannie Suk (January 25, 2016). Who’s Afraid of Gender-Neutral Bathrooms? The New Yorker https://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/whos-afraid-of-same-sex-bathrooms
Dunham, Cyrus Grace (November 19, 2015). Stuck in Stonewall. The New Yorker https://www.newyorker.com/culture/culture-desk/stuck-in-stonewall
Weinstein, Michael M. (November 17, 2015). Transgender Portraits and the Things a Body Won’t Tell. The New Yorker https://www.newyorker.com/culture/photo-booth/transgender-portraits-and-the-things-a-body-wont-tell
Burt, Stephanie (July 27, 2015). Kim, Caitlyn, and the People We Want to See. The New Yorker https://www.newyorker.com/culture/cultural-comment/kim-caitlyn-and-the-people-we-want-to-see
Mead, Rebecca (June 2, 2015). Caitlyn Jenner’s Big Début. The New Yorker https://www.newyorker.com/culture/cultural-comment/caitlyn-jenners-big-debut
Scott, Andrea K. (May 8, 2015). Zanele Muholi. The New Yorker https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2015/05/18/out-look
La Force, Thessaly (April 26, 2015). Bruce Jenner and the Modern American Family. The New Yorker https://www.newyorker.com/culture/culture-desk/bruce-jenner-and-the-modern-american-family
Goldberg, Michelle (July 28, 2014). What Is a Woman? The dispute between radical feminism and transgenderism. The New Yorker https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2014/08/04/woman-2
- See also
- Letters from readers (August 25, 2014). https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2014/08/25/mail-7 [archive]
- Serano, Julia (August 5, 2014). Op-ed: An Open Letter to The New Yorker. The Advocate https://www.advocate.com/commentary/2014/08/05/op-ed-open-letter-new-yorker
- Serano, Julia (Jul 28, 2014). two articles (plus thoughts on autogynephilia as the transgender equivalent of slut-shaming). Whipping Girl https://juliaserano.blogspot.com/2014/07/two-articles-related-to-femininity-and.html
- Serano, Julia (August 8, 2014). Final thoughts on that Michelle Goldberg article, faux journalism, and recognizing bias. Whipping Girl https://juliaserano.blogspot.com/2014/08/final-thoughts-on-that-michelle.html
- Brighe, Mari (July 29, 2014). The New Yorker’s Skewed History of Trans-Exclusionary Radical Feminism Ignores Actual Trans Women. Autostraddle https://www.autostraddle.com/the-new-yorkers-skewed-history-of-trans-exclusionary-radical-feminism-ignores-actual-trans-women-247642/
- Tannehill, Brynn (July 29, 2014). New Yorker Shamefully Cites Anti-LGBT ‘Researcher.’ The Bilerico Project http://www.bilerico.com/2014/07/new_yorker_shamefully_cites_anti-lgbt_researcher.php [archive]
- Ginelle, Leela (August 4, 2014). TERF War: The New Yorker’s One-Sided Article Undermines Transgender Identity. Bitch Media https://bitchmedia.org/post/terf-war-the-new-yorkers-one-sided-article-undermines-transgender-identity [archive]
- Jacques, Juliet (August 6, 2014). On the “dispute” between radical feminism and trans people. New Statesman https://www.newstatesman.com/politics/2014/08/dispute-between-radical-feminism-and-trans-people
- Truitt, Jos (August 6, 2014). Why The New Yorker‘s radical feminism and transgenderism piece was one-sided. Columbia Journalism Review https://www.cjr.org/minority_reports/new_yorker_feminism_transgenderism_jos_truitt.php
- Kennedy, Natacha (August 14, 2014). Making trans-hate sound reasonable. TransAdvocate https://www.transadvocate.com/making-trans-hate-sound-reasonable_n_14336.htm
Editors (July 28, 2014). Out Loud: Radical Feminism Vs. Transgenderism. The New Yorker https://www.newyorker.com/culture/culture-desk/loud-radical-feminism-vs-transgenderism
Als, Hilton (April 18, 2011). Self-Made Woman. The New Yorker https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2011/04/25/self-made-woman
Levy, Ariel (November 19, 2009). Either/Or. The New Yorker https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2009/11/30/caster-semenya-profile-either-or
Als, Hilton (July 13, 2009). Diva Deconstructed. The New Yorker https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2009/07/20/diva-deconstructed
Media
(May 31, 2024). The Trans Athletes Who Changed the Olympics—in 1936 https://www.newyorker.com/podcast/the-new-yorker-radio-hour/the-trans-athletes-who-changed-the-olympics-in-1936
(March 15, 2024). Judith Butler Can’t “Take Credit or Blame” for Gender Furor. https://www.newyorker.com/podcast/the-new-yorker-radio-hour/judith-butler-cant-take-credit-or-blame-for-gender-furor
(June 9, 2023). At an Embattled Moment, the New York Times’ Publisher Makes a Stand https://www.newyorker.com/podcast/the-new-yorker-radio-hour/at-an-embattled-moment-the-new-york-timess-publisher-makes-a-stand
(March 13, 2023). Masha Gessen on the War Against Trans Rights https://www.newyorker.com/podcast/political-scene/masha-gessen-on-the-war-against-trans-rights
(November 4, 2022). Confronting Harassment in “Night Ride” https://www.newyorker.com/culture/screening-room/confronting-harassment-in-night-ride
(June 1, 2022). Rethinking Identity and Testosterone in “Imagine a Body” https://www.newyorker.com/culture/the-new-yorker-documentary/rethinking-identity-and-testosterone-in-imagine-a-body
(May 20, 2022). The Attack on Gender-Affirming Medical Care https://www.newyorker.com/podcast/the-new-yorker-radio-hour/the-attack-on-gender-affirming-medical-care
(October 27, 2021). A Texan Housepainter’s Journey to Gender Confidence https://www.newyorker.com/culture/the-new-yorker-documentary/a-texan-housepainters-journey-to-gender-confidence
Long, Crispin (June 24, 2020). “Raising Baby Grey” Explores the World of Gender-Neutral Parenting https://www.newyorker.com/culture/the-new-yorker-documentary/raising-baby-grey-explores-the-world-of-gender-neutral-parenting
Als, Hilton (January 7, 2019). Janet Mock Finds Her Voice. https://www.newyorker.com/podcast/political-scene/janet-mock-finds-her-voice
Sasha Weiss, Margaret Talbot, and Michelle Goldberg (July 28, 2014). Out Loud: Radical Feminism Vs. Transgenderism. https://www.newyorker.com/culture/culture-desk/loud-radical-feminism-vs-transgenderism
Resources
The New Yorker (newyorker.com)
TRIGGERnometry is an anti-transgender podcast hosted by Konstantin Kisin and Francis Foster. It is one of the most consistently anti-transgender podcasts ever produced.
Anti-trans guests include:
- Seerut Chawla
- James Chiavarini
- William Clouston
- William Costello
- Dan Crenshaw
- James O’Keefe
- Brendan O’Neill
- Neil Oliver
Conservative trans people and ex-trans activists include:
They have had a few people on who have expressed support for progressive trans views, including Isaac Saul, Destiny, Sam Harris, David Pakman, Stephen Hicks, and Peter Tatchell.
See also
‘TRIGGERnometry’ episodes
.
“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”
- “a large number of atypical perceptual experiences”
- “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 detransitioners—stories 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:
I’m 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.
I’ve already begun receiving inquiries from left-wing publications to see if I’ll 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 I’ve felt there has been a distinct increase in inflammatory rhetoric from some of The Daily Wire’s personalities that make it more difficult to accomplish that.
Why? I didn’t 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. That’s why I expend so much energy trying to inform people on why “gender identity” has no biological basis. Furthermore, “eradicating” 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 “gender identity” 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 ‘Overtly Partisan’ 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 Trump’s 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 I’m 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 They’re Being Targeted By ‘Unprecedented’ 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]
Media
The Same Drugs with Meghan Murphy and Christina Buttons (July 15, 2025). EARLY ACCESS: The myth of the ‘transgender brain.’ https://www.meghanmurphy.ca/p/early-access-the-myth-of-the-transgender
Unsupervised Learning with Razib Khan and Christina Buttons (October 15, 2024). Christina Buttons: navigating the gender wars. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YjTAYKFvFYI
Charlie Kirk with Christina Buttons (October 10, 2024). Christina Buttons What’s Really Going On With the Haitian Migrant Takeover of Small Town America. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQjdVvcD3eg
TRIGGERnometry with Konstantin Kisin, Francis Foster, and Christina Buttons (July 17, 2024). The Truth About Trans Medicine – Christina Buttons. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NXGz96IQld4
Conversations with Peter Boghossian, Jill Escher, and Christina Buttons (July 9, 2024). A Candid Conversation about Autism with Jill Escher & Christina Buttons, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9vjM6Uyr4rQ
Peter Boghossian with Wilfred Reilly and Christina Buttons (June 15, 2024). Lies Our Liberal Society Told You w/ Wilfred Reilly & Christina Buttons. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7sWMQk8L9BU
Brand Polumbo (April 21, 2024). Trans medicine skeptic on why she QUIT the Daily Wire! (ft. Christina Buttons). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pakH7AHYqtY
Heretics with Andrew Gold and Christina Buttons (June 1, 2024). The SHOCKING Thing De-Trans Victims Told Me – Christina Buttons (4K) | heretics. 60. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9gWk8GAZ4UU
Gender: A Wider Lens with Stella O’Malley, Sasha Ayad, and Christina Buttons (April 19, 2024). A Look at the Overlap Between Autism and Gender Dysphoria, with Christina Buttons | EP 160. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jh4bvghOn2o
Adam B. Coleman with Colin Wright and Christina Buttons (Mar ch11, 2024). Breaking Bread with Colin Wright and Christina Buttons in Nashville | 4K. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mo4eTD9zAWQ
Genspect (April 17, 2024). The Detransition Survey – Christina Buttons. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pj9zBoeX9UU
Quillette with Jonathan Kay, Colin Wright, and Christina Buttons (September 26, 2023). Chatting with Colin Wright and Christina Buttons in Nashville. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OD1pQeaS7Q8
Calmversations with Benjamin Boyce and Christina Buttons (Mar 30, 2023). Autism & Gender Dysphoria in Teen Girls | with Christina Buttons. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gifk4pHKiWM
Vaush with Christina Buttons (March 12, 2023). ”Why’d you leave?” Talking To Former Daily Wire Columnist Christina Buttons. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9msTvxCv410
Sky News Australia with Rita Panahi and Christina Buttons (March 14, 2023). Former Daily Wire journalist speaks out against ‘trans ideology.’ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iWOLcr_udTs
Sara Higdon with Christina Buttons (June 23, 2022). LIVE TRANSFORM To Freedom With Christina Buttons. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D8OteigsYXs
Transparency with Aaron Kimberly, Aaron Terrell, and Christina Buttons (April 2, 2023). EP62 – The Autism Connection – with Christina Buttons. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sYyqYqY0hHA
Karlyn Borysenko (March 9, 2023). Christina Buttons QUITS the Daily Wire, used Matt Walsh and Michael Knowles for publicity. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TtYkYHZsouk
Deptrogrammed with Keri Smith, Colin Wright, and Christina Buttons (August 12, 2022). LIVE Kerfefe Break: “Gender Affirming Care” with Colin Wright, Christina Buttons & Keri Smith. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X6kj9U56bAE
Deprogrammed with Keri Smith and Christina Buttons (July 28, 2022). Deprogrammed: SJW Meme-Maker Leaves the Fold with Christina Buttons. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BybDO15wFXk
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)
Zuby is the stage name of Nzube Olisaebuka Udezue, a British rapper and anti-transgender activist.
Background
Nzube Olisaebuka Udezue was born on August 19, 1986. Udezue has four siblings and split time between the UK and Saudi Arabia while growing up. Udezue earned a bachelor’s degree from Oxford in 2007. Between 2006 and 2016, Udezue released several songs and albums while working as a consultant.
Podcast
In 2019, Udezue started a podcast, Real Talk with Zuby. Anti-trans guests include:
- Mike Cernovich
- Lauren Chen
- Belissa Cohen and Carrie Hathorn
- Dan Crenshaw
Anti-transgender activism
In 2019, Udezue performed an anti-trans stunt involving a women’s deadlifting record. Udezue claimed to have broken it while identifying as a female as a way to mock transgender athletes.
In 2020, Udezue signed a letter supporting anti-trans activist JK Rowling.
References
Male rapper identifying as female, declares he broke female deadlift record. WQAD. 11 March 2019. Archived from the original on 29 September 2020.
Urwin, Rosamund (March 3, 2019). Rapper Zuby identifies as female to smash weightlifting record. The Times. Archived
Zuby (27 August 2019). ‘Trans women shouldn’t be allowed to compete in women’s sport.’ Sky News https://news.sky.com/story/trans-women-shouldnt-be-allowed-to-compete-in-womens-sport-11795192 [archive]
Gillespie, Nick (August 3, 2022). Zuby on self-control, personal responsibility, and trans athletes. Reason https://reason.com/video/2022/08/03/u-k-rapper-zuby-when-im-in-the-u-s-my-mind-is-blown-by-the-opportunities-here/
Resources
Zuby Music (zubymusic.com)
Team Zuby (teamzuby.com)
Facebook (facebook.com)
Instagram (instagram.com)
YouTube (youtube.com)
Patreon (patreon.com)
The Candy Calamity (candycalamity.com)
Twitter (twitter.com)
Tim Pool is an American right-wing podcaster and anti-transgender extremist.
Background
Timothy Daniel “Tim” Pool was born on March 9, 1986. Pool’s parent Michael D. “Mike” Pool (born 1959) was a Chicago firefighter. Tim Pool’s siblings include:
- Christopher Michael “Chris” Pool (born 1984): works with Tim, and was known on YouTube as “Reactor”. The two had a dispute over the trademark for Subverse, later renamed SCNR (pronounced “scanner”)
- Lisa Brady Pool (born 1980): briefly worked for Tim
Pool’s parents divorced. Pool attended a Catholic school until completing the fifth grade and later left school at age 14.
Pool became involved in the Occupy movement and produced media using innovative techniques.
Pool was reportedly dating Alison Neubauer.
Podcast
Timcast IRL is an influential podcast hosted by Pool. It is notable for hosting a disproportionate number of conservative and anti-transgender guests.
The podcast quickly became a key platform for laundering right-wing and anti-transgender extremism into mainstream media. A 2018 report by Data & Society found that the show was part of a network of YouTube channels logrolling alt-right and intellectual dark web extremism: “By connecting to and interacting with one another through YouTube videos, influencers with mainstream audiences lend their credibility to openly white nationalist and other extremist content creators.”
- Tom Fitton
- David ‘Viva’ Freihert
- Nick Freitas
- Matt Gaetz
- Marjorie Taylor Greene
- Tayler Hansen
- Drew Hernandez
- Sara Higdon
- The HodgeTwins
- Zaid Jilani
- Benny Johnson
- Alex Jones
- Michael Malice
- Bethany Mandel
- Jaimee Michell
- Chadwick Moore
- Jack Murphy
- Enrique Tarrio
- Connor Tomlinson
- Andrew Torba
- Donald Trump Jr.
On a YouTube channel, Mike Pool has apologized for the division and hate Tim Pool displays toward trans people.
References
Captain, Sean (January 6, 2012). Threat Level: Livestreaming Journalists Want to Occupy the Skies With Cheap Drones. Wired https://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2012/01/occupy-drones/
Dredge, Stuart (July 30, 2013). How Vice’s Tim Pool used Google Glass to cover Istanbul protests. The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2013/jul/30/google-glass-istanbul-protests-vice
Marantz, Andrew (December 4, 2017). The Live-Streamers Who Are Challenging Traditional Journalism. The New Yorker https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2017/12/11/the-live-streamers-who-are-challenging-traditional-journalism
Lewis, Rebecca (September 18, 2018). Alternative Influence: Broadcasting the Reactionary Right on YouTube.Data & Society https://datasociety.net/library/alternative-influence/ [PDF]
Makuch, Ben (July 10, 2019). Trump Invites Fringe Social Media Company Popular With Nazis to the White House. Vice https://www.vice.com/en/article/qv7q87/trump-invites-fringe-social-media-company-popular-with-nazis-to-the-white-house
Pool, Christopher (February 5, 2020). I need help with legal fees. GoFundMe https://www.gofundme.com/f/txe8r-i-need-help-with-legal-fees
Basko, Susan (April 2020). Tim Pool, Chris Pool, and the Subverse Trademark. https://suebasko.blogspot.com/2020/04/tim-pool-chris-pool-and-subverse.html
Paul, Kari (March 5, 2021). A few rightwing ‘super-spreaders’ fueled bulk of election falsehoods, study says. The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/mar/05/election-misinformation-trump-rightwing-super-spreader-study
Sommer, Will (March 11, 2021). YouTube Star Tim Pool’s News Site Collapses Amid Allegations He Took a Cat Hostage. Daily Beast https://www.thedailybeast.com/youtube-star-tim-pools-news-site-collapses-amid-allegations-he-took-a-cat-hostage
Silverman, Robert (August 1, 2021). How ‘Coward and Phony’ Tim Pool Became One of the Biggest Political YouTubers on the Planet. Daily Beast https://www.thedailybeast.com/how-coward-and-phony-tim-pool-became-one-of-the-biggest-political-youtubers-on-the-planet
Edison Hayden, Michael (July 7, 2021). ‘We Make Mistakes’: Twitter’s Embrace of the Extreme Far Right. Southern Poverty Law Center https://www.splcenter.org/hatewatch/2021/07/07/we-make-mistakes-twitters-embrace-extreme-far-right
Pool, Tim (July 13, 2022). The January 6 Committee Misrepresented Me. Newsweek https://www.newsweek.com/january-6-committee-misrepresented-me-opinion-1724357
Media
Mike Pool (February 17, 2023). Tim Pool’s Dad sends a message. YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LQajMrkCzRc
Resources
Tim Pool (timcast.com)
Subverse (subverse.net)
SCNR (scnr.com)
Wikitubia (youtube.fandom.com)
- Tim Pool
- youtube.fandom.com/wiki/Tim_Pool
Wikpedia (en.wikipedia.org)
Facebook (facebook.com)
YouTube (youtube.com)
- Timcast
- https://www.youtube.com/subversenews
Minds (minds.com)
Instagram (instagram.com)
Twitter (twitter.com)
LinkedIn (linkedin.com)