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Natalie Wynn is an American cultural critic whose YouTube channel Contrapoints won a 2022 Peabody Award in the Immersive & Interactive category.

Background

Wynn was born on October 21, 1988 in Arlington, Virginia and grew up in nearby Vienna. Wynn’s parent William is a psychology professor at Georgetown, and parent Marian is a doctor. Wynn has two siblings who also went to Georgetown.

Wynn studied piano at Berklee College of Music, earned a bachelor’s degree from Georgetown University in 2012, and a master’s degree from Northwestern University, then decided not to pursue a doctorate. Wynn did gig work before becoming a video essayist in 2008. Wynn’s work is considered part of “BreadTube,” a loose affiliation of YouTubers who posted videos to challenge right-wing views on subjects.

In 2016, Wynn began the ContraPoints channel. In 2017, Wynn came out as trans and removed all pre-transition videos. In 2020 Wynn came out as lesbian.

Video essays

Wynn is known for criticizing a number of prominent anti-trans figures, including Ray Blanchard, Jordan Peterson, Megan Phelps-Roper, and J.K.Rowling. Wynn has also lampooned segments of the trans community, presenting humorous characters who represent various political factions.

2025

  • CONSPIRACY https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=teqkK0RLNkI

2024

  • Twilight https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bqloPw5wp48

2023

2022

  • The Hunger https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RTRT794IQBg

2021

  • Envy https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aPhrTOg1RUk
  • J.K. Rowling https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7gDKbT_l2us

2020

  • Voting https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t3Vah8sUFgI
  • Justice https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=smQsfNw_7V4
  • Cringe https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vRBsaJPkt2Q
  • Shame https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K7WvHTl_Q7I
  • Canceling https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OjMPJVmXxV8

2019

2018

  • The Apocalypse https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S6GodWn4XMM
  • Pronouns https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9bbINLWtMKI
  • The Aesthetic https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z1afqR5QkDM
  • Incels https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fD2briZ6fB0
  • The West https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hyaftqCORT4
  • Tiffany Tumbles https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j1dJ8whOM8E
  • Jordan Peterson https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4LqZdkkBDas

2017

References

Weiss, Max (June 2024). Who Exactly Is Natalie Wynn? Baltimore Magazine https://www.baltimoremagazine.com/section/artsentertainment/natalie-wynn-viral-baltimore-youtuber-profile/

Peabody Awards (2023). ContraPoints: Natalie Wynn (YouTube) https://peabodyawards.com/award-profile/contrapoints/

Nancy Jo, Sales (June 17, 2021). ‘The internet is about jealousy’: YouTube muse ContraPoints on cancel culture and compassion. The Guardian. [archive] https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2021/jun/17/contrapoints-natalie-wynn-youtube-interview

Fleishman, Jeffrey (June 12, 2019). Transgender YouTube star ContraPoints tries to change alt-right minds. Los Angeles Times. [archive] https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/la-et-st-transgender-youtuber-contrapoints-cultural-divide-20190612-story.html

McCrea, Aisling; Robinson, Nathan J. (June 9, 2019). Interview: Natalie Wynn of ContraPoints. Current Affairs. [archive] https://www.currentaffairs.org/2019/06/interview-natalie-wynn-of-contrapoints

Mark, Clifton (January 6, 2019). ContraPoints Is Political Philosophy Made for YouTube. The Atlantic. [archive] https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2019/01/contrapoints-political-philosophy-natalie-wynn-youtube/579532/

N.B. (December 20, 2018). The transgender populist fighting fascists with face glitter. The Economist. [archive] https://www.economist.com/open-future/2018/12/21/the-transgender-populist-fighting-fascists-with-face-glitter

Marantz, Andrew (November 19, 2018). The Stylish Socialist Who Is Trying to Save YouTube from Alt-Right Domination. The New Yorker. [archive] https://www.newyorker.com/culture/persons-of-interest/the-stylish-socialist-who-is-trying-to-save-youtube-from-alt-right-domination

Cross, Katherine (August 24, 2018). The Oscar Wilde of YouTube fights the alt-right with decadence and seduction. The Verge. [archive] https://www.theverge.com/tech/2018/8/24/17689090/contrapoints-youtube-natalie-wynn

Robinson, Nathan J. (May 6, 2018). God Bless ContraPoints. Current Affairs. [archive] https://www.currentaffairs.org/2018/05/god-bless-contrapoints

Resources

Contrapoints (contrapoints.com)

YouTube (youtube.com)

Patreon (patreon.com)

Wikipedia (en.wikipedia.org)

X/Twitter (x.com)

Facebook (facebook.com)

Bluesky (bsky.app)

Bari Weiss is an American opinion writer and a key historical figure in promoting and platforming anti-transgender extremism. Weiss is founder of anti-trans group blog The Free Press.

While at the New York Times, Weiss popularized the intellectual dark web, described as a gateway to the far right.

Weiss has platformed, appeared with, promoted, and logrolled for other anti-transgender extremists and activists, including J.K. Rowling, Alice Dreger, Jesse Singal, Katie Herzog, Abigail Shrier, Sue Evans, Suzy Weiss, Julie Bindel, Hannah Barnes, Carole Hooven, Leighton Woodhouse, Michael Shellenberger, J. Michael Bailey, Aaron Sibarium, Maud Maron, Jamie Reed, Andrew Sullivan, Lisa Selin Davis, and Helen Lewis.

Background

Bari M. Weiss was born March 25, 1984 to Lou and Amy Weiss, owners of Weisslines, a flooring retailer. Weiss grew up in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and graduated from Columbia University in 2007.

Weiss served as a senior editor at Tablet, then worked at the Wall Street Journal from 2013 to 2017. From 2017 until resigning in 2020, Weiss was a staff writer and editor for the opinion section of the New York Times.

Weiss was married to Jason Kass from 2013 to 2016 and married Nellie Bowles in 2021.

Weiss has been active in pro-Israel causes, lived in Israel for a time, and authored the 2019 book How to Fight Anti-Semitism.

Anti-transgender efforts

Weiss was a key figure in securing funding for anti-trans group Foundation Against Intolerance and Racism.

Weiss is the founder and editor of The Free Press (formerly Common Sense) and the host of the podcast Honestly.

Podcast

Weiss began a podcast in 2021 titled Honestly with Bari Weiss and frequently has guests on to discuss their gender critical views, including:

References

Urquhart, Evan (December 9, 2022). The Anti-Trans Hate Account That Bari Weiss Says Is Yet Another Right-Wing Voice Censored by Twitter. Slate https://slate.com/technology/2022/12/twitter-files-bari-weiss-libsoftik-elon-musk.html

Weiss cites the platform’s treatment of Libs of TikTok, a Twitter account that remains active despite its connection to multiple acts of terror and intimidation from far-right extremists, including multiple bomb threats against a children’s hospital. This portrayal of Libs of TikTok as representative of accounts posting conservative views is alarming. […]

Weiss may be best known for a column introducing “the intellectual dark web,” a group of anti-progressive types fixated on the concept of cancel culture and the idea that liberals routinely censor conservative ideas. With the Twitter Files, she describes herself leading a team that has been given “broad and expanding access” to Twitter’s internal documents and communications. This group includes opinion writer Abigail Shrier, who is best known for writing Irreversible Damage, a book opposing transition for female-assigned people on the grounds that an unproven social contagion is the root cause of transmasculine identities.

It is unsurprising that this team highlighted the treatment of an account notorious for its anti-trans activity. But Libs of TikTok goes far beyond expressing political opinions about transgender issues. That would certainly be allowed under Twitter’s policies, which exist to curb harassment, violence, and hate speech, not opinions. In fact, Libs of TikTok has repeatedly highlighted specific individuals, events, and institutions with inflammatory language, often falsely suggesting they are guilty of heinous acts against young children. The account’s spotlight has repeatedly resulted in harassment and violent threats toward the individuals involved, in a process typically referred to as stochastic terrorism. Those targeted include doctors and hospitals that provide gender-affirming care for youth, teachers and schools with inclusive policies, and all-ages or youth-focused drag events.

Contrary to the extremist rhetoric, gender-affirming care is supported by all mainstream medical organizations as potentially lifesaving for young people with gender dysphoria. It is also perfectly possible to speak with children about the existence of transgender people and about families headed by same-sex parents in an age-appropriate, nonsexual way.

Weiss, Bari (September 12, 2017). Opinion: A Political Conservative Goes to Berkeley. New York Times https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/12/opinion/conservative-berkeley-ben-shapiro.html

There’s no question that Ben Shapiro loves to provoke college students. He once brought a diaper to a campus speech to offer to “self-indulgent pathetic children who can’t handle anyone with an opposing point of view.” In another, while entertaining a question from a young woman who called for greater sensitivity toward transgender people, he shot back: “If I call you a moose are you suddenly a moose?”

Yet this sharp-tongued Never Trumper was also, according to the Anti-Defamation League, by far the most bullied Jewish journalist of 2016

Weiss, Bari (August 1, 2017). When Progressives Embrace Hate. New York Times https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/01/opinion/womens-march-progressives-hate.html

We just saw what happens to legitimate political parties when they fall prey to movements that are, at base, anti-American. That is true of the populist, racist alt-right that helped deliver Mr. Trump the White House and are now hollowing out the Republican Party. And it can be true of the progressive “resistance” — regardless of how chic, Instagrammable and celebrity-laden the movement may seem. 

Media

Inaya Folarin Iman with Bari Weiss, Helen Lewis, Katie Herzog, and Mick Hume (May 22, 2021). Can truth survive the new journalism? Feat. Bari Weiss, Helen Lewis, Katie Herzog & Mick Hume Free Speech Champions https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a2wz6SuQSuY

Resources

Bari Weiss (bariweiss.com)

Substack (substack.com)

Honestly (honestlypod.com)

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

The following media outlets have covered sex and gender minorities. See also the list of media monitoring and rating organizations.

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Journalism

  • Legacy media: Print/Audio/Video
  • Investigative
  • Photojournalism
  • Student
  • Community
  • Sports
  • Entertainment
  • Lifestyle
  • Curated
  • Tabloid
  • Blogs
  • Trade

Reuters is an American media organization. Their coverage of trans and gender diverse people has been generally fair and accurate.

Two notable exceptions came in 2022, when they presented the ex-trans movement and “detransitioners.” which they claim “have long been untouchable subjects” in a poorly framed investigation. The same authors had previously written on gender-affirming care for minors in a highly skeptical tone. Both pieces have been frequently cited by opponents of this care, including The Heritage Foundation, America First Policy Institute, and in a hearing on “The Dangers and Due Process Violations of ‘Gender-Affirming Care’ for Children.”

Selected coverage by Reuters

Respaut, Robin; Terhune, Chad; Conlin, Michelle (December 22, 2022). Why detransitioners are crucial to the science of gender care. Reuters https://www.reuters.com/investigates/section/youth-in-transition/

Terhune, Chad; Respaut, Robin; Conlin, Michelle (October 6, 2022). As more transgender children seek medical care, families confront many unknowns. Reuters https://www.reuters.com/investigates/special-report/usa-transyouth-care/

Resources

Reuters (reuters.com)

  • Transgender
  • reuters.com/site-search/?query=transgender

Facebook (facebook.com)

X/Twitter (x.com)

Instagram (instagram.com)

YouTube (youtube.com)

TikTok (tiktok.com)

Bluesky (bsky.app)

Blaze Media is a conservative American media organization that publishes consistently anti-transgender content.

Background

Glenn Beck launched theblaze.com in 2010. Beck then launched pay channel Glenn Beck TV, later renamed TheBlaze in 2012.

The Conservative Review was founded in 2014. They launched pay channel CRTV in 2016.

Blaze Media was created in 2018 through a merger between channels TheBlaze and CRTV LLC. 

People

Writers who have contributed anti-trans pieces include:

  • Andrew Chapados
  • Donna Colorio
  • Steve Deace
  • Chris Enloe
  • Joseph MacKinnon
  • Sebastian Pestritto
  • Paul Sacca
  • Terry Schilling
  • Josh Slocum
  • Buck Throckmorton
  • Dave Urbanski
  • Cortney Weil
  • Rebeka Zeljko

Resources

The Blaze (theblaze.com)

BlazeTV+ (blazetv.com/)

Facebook (facebook.com)

YouTube (youtube.com)

Instagram (instagram.com)

X/Twitter (x.com)

Al Jazeera is a Qatari media organization. Its coverage of trans topics is neutral to negative.

Background

“Homosexual acts” are illegal in Qatar, with punishment of up to three years in prison. Human Rights Watch reported in 2022:

“Security forces arrested people in public places based solely on their gender expression and unlawfully searched their phones. As a requirement for their release, security forces mandated that transgender women detainees attend conversion therapy sessions at a government-sponsored “behavioral healthcare” center.

A Qatari transgender woman, arrested by Preventive Security in public in Doha, said: “They [Preventive Security] are a mafia. They detained me twice, once for two months in a solitary cell underground, and once for six weeks. They beat me every day and shaved my hair. They also made me take off my shirt and took a picture of my breasts. I suffered from depression because of my detention. I still have nightmares to this day, and I’m terrified of being in public.””

The original Al Jazeera Satellite Channel (then called JSC or Jazeera Satellite Channel) was launched in November 1996. Al Jazeera English was launched in November 2006.

Al Jazeera has produced videos that are more balanced, allowing trans people to speak for themselves.

Selected publications

Apr 25, 2025 UK court defines ‘woman’; trans women left in limbo | The Take

Dec 24, 2021 What is behind the rise in transphobia in the UK? | UpFront https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4H8nR–8Sq4

Olympic gender debate rages after boxer quits fight | Al Jazeera Newsfeed

Muslim TikToker attacked over Jeffrey Marsh grooming claims | Al Jazeera Newsfeed

Outrage as Trump bans transgender people from serving in US military

Pakistan to include transgenders in new census

(Apr 2, 2014). Trans youth: Deciding who you are | TV Shows

Jun 23, 2014 Trans youth rights: The battle over the bathroom

Oct 17, 2013 India’s ‘third gender’: A marginalised social class | TV Shows

Indian transgenders granted legal status

Resources

Al Jazeera (aljazeera.com)

  • LGBTQ
  • aljazeera.com/tag/lgbtq/

Wikipedia (en.wikipedia.org)

X/Twitter (x.com)

YouTube (youtube.com)

Instagram (instagram.com)

Facebook (facebook.com)

Bluesky (bsky.app)

Fox News is a conservative American media organization that publishes consistently anti-transgender content. 2025 analysis revealed that Fox News covered anti-trans executive orders from the Trump Administration twice as much as other outlets.

On-air personalities

A number of former and current on-air personalities at Fox News are noted to anti-transgender activism, including:

  • Maria Bartiromo
  • Tucker Carlson
  • Kellyanne Conway
  • Ben Domenech
  • Greg Gutfeld
  • Sean Hannity
  • Brit Hume
  • Caitlyn Jenner
  • Brian Kilmeade
  • Tomi Lahren
  • Mark Levin
  • Jesse Watters

References

Adamczeski, Ryan (March 12 2025 ). Fox News covers transgender issues almost twice as much as other major networks. The Advocate https://www.advocate.com/news/fox-news-transgender-coverage

McNeill, Zane (March 12, 2025). Trump’s Anti-Trans Orders Get Most Airtime on Fox News, Report Finds. Truthout https://truthout.org/articles/trumps-anti-trans-orders-get-most-airtime-on-fox-news-report-finds/

Baragona, Justin (11 March 2025 ). New analysis reveals the extent of Fox News’ obsession with Trump’s anti-trans orders. The independent https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/trump-transgender-executive-orders-fox-news-cnn-b2712988.html

Tirrell, Alyssa [with Harrison Ray & Rob Savillo] (March 11, 2025). Fox News outstripped CNN and MSNBC in first month covering Trump’s anti-trans executive orders. Median Matters https://www.mediamatters.org/fox-news/fox-news-outstripped-cnn-and-msnbc-first-month-covering-trumps-anti-trans-executive-orders

Resources

Fox News (foxnews.com)

  • Transgender
  • foxnews.com/search-results/search#q=transgender

Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/)

X/Twitter (x.com)

Facebook (facebook.com)

YouTube (youtube.com)

Instagram (instagram.com)

Janice Turner is a British writer and anti-transgender extremist. Turner is a key historical figure in the oppression of trans and gender diverse people.

Background

Turner was born April 8, 1964 in Wakefield and attended University of Sussex. Turner edited several publications before freelancing as a columnist focusing on media criticism.

Anti-transgender activism

Turner joined The Times and began writing dozens anti-trans articles. Turner has supported other anti-trans extremists, including JK Rowling, Abigail Shrier, Jesse Singal, and Kathleen Stock.

References

07454-18 Belcher v The Times. Independent Press Standards Organisation https://www.ipso.co.uk/rulings-and-resolution-statements/ruling/?id=07454-18

Staff report (April 26, 2019). Activist loses IPSO complaint against Janice Turner column in Times about trans suicides. Press Gazette https://www.pressgazette.co.uk/activist-loses-ipso-complaint-against-janice-turner-times-column-about-trans-suicides/

Selected anti-trans writing by Turner

Turner, Janice (July 7, 2023). Lesbian tribunal win is good news for us all: Victory over trans charity Mermaids strikes a blow for pluralism and against the creeping tyranny of the gender lobby. The Times https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/lesbian-tribunal-win-is-good-news-for-us-all-9x8kn9ngk

Turner, Janice (May 31, 2023). We hid in a broom cupboard: my mad day at Oxford with Kathleen Stock. It took police and three security guards to get her there — but this week the gender-critical academic spoke at the Oxford Union. Janice Turner went with her. The Times https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/oxford-union-kathleen-stock-trans-gender-debate-2023-zk85xm50l

Turner, Janice (April 7, 2023). Let’s settle this toxic matter once and for all: Crucial restatement of the facts of biological sex is a challenge that Keir Starmer and Labour can’t afford to duck. The Times https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/lets-settle-this-toxic-matter-once-and-for-all-k7vx5cshm

Turner, Janice (February 24, 2023). Trans U-turn is belated victory for free speech: After years of all but ignoring an epidemic of gender dysphoria, The New York Times will allow journalists to report it. The Times https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/trans-u-turn-is-belated-victory-for-free-speech-bk3jb32xg

Turner, Janice (February 14, 2023). Time to Think by Hannah Barnes review — exposing the collapse of Tavistock’s gender clinic. This dogged, brave investigation shows what happens when self-righteous ideologues capture a field of medicine. Review by Janice Turner The Times. https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/time-to-think-by-hannah-barnes-review-the-inside-story-of-the-collapse-of-the-tavistock-s-gender-clinic-z7wwj9rtw

Turner, Janice (February 10 2023). Schools fuel trans angst by sidelining parents. Teachers are happy to keep a child’s name-change secret — Gillian Keegan must end this cruel betrayal of families. The Times https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/schools-fuel-trans-angst-by-sidelining-parents-60fq85x95

Turner, Janice (January 27 2023). There’s a better way to treat trans prisoners. Feminists have long warned of the dangers of male-bodied rapists in women’s jails and Scotland proves them right. The Times https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/theres-a-better-way-to-treat-trans-prisoners-cz939bmbk

Turner, Janice (January 20, 2023). ‘It might never happen, love’ is no basis for law. Debate over SNP’s gender self-ID bill has opened the floodgates to furious men who cannot bear to hear our opinion. The Times https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/it-might-never-happen-love-is-no-basis-for-law-kqc68cm8d

Turner, Janice (December 12, 2022,). JK Rowling launches sex abuse centre for women only. The Times https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/jk-rowling-new-service-women-sexual-violence-8k570kdt2

Turner, Janice (December 2, 2022). Women who can’t define a woman are sunk. The Times https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/women-who-cant-define-a-woman-are-sunk-chq8qc68n

Turner, Janice (December 14, 2022). Someone who never loses out? That’s a man. The Times https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/someone-who-never-loses-out-thats-a-man-k9djv572x

Turner, Janice (November 18, 2022). Nicola Sturgeon’s gender law is another blow to women. The Scottish government’s fast-track route to self-ID fails to protect the vulnerable and is out of tune with the times. The Times https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/nicola-sturgeons-gender-law-is-another-blow-to-women-5hvglzvhb

Turner, Janice (October 28 2022). There’s more to womanhood than high heels: The idea that Eddie Izzard can flick between ‘boy mode’ and ‘girl mode’ whenever he feels like it is a self-serving travesty. The Times https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/theres-more-to-womanhood-than-high-heels-nqft78d5q

Turner, Janice (July 29, 2022). Gender clinics face scrutiny of science at last. Hilary Cass’s report vindicates the many whistleblowers who for years had raised concerns about the Tavistock Centre. The Times https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/gender-clinics-face-scrutiny-of-science-at-last-q900wkrth

Turner, Janice (June 28, 2022). What went wrong at the Tavistock clinic for trans teenagers? Since 2010, the number of teenage girls referred to the Tavistock Gender Identity Development Service has increased by 5,000 per cent. Now former patients and staff members are speaking out. The Times https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/what-went-wrong-at-the-tavistock-clinic-for-trans-teenagers-v5cfcw77n

Turner, Janice (June 3, 2022). Civil servants are being fed gender drivel. What passes as ‘training’ on trans issues turns out to be anti-scientific nonsense with little regard for existing laws. The Times https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/civil-servants-are-being-fed-gender-drivel-kkxv6zhc2

Turner, Janice (February 11, 2022). Keir Starmer can’t keep hiding in the gender wars. Feminist Labour members who face a Maoist inquisition over their ‘lack of remorse’ finally have an ally in Tony Blair. The Times https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/keir-starmer-cant-keep-hiding-in-the-gender-wars-ffzk2qdh6

Turner, Janice (January 28, 2022). At last, there’s a champion for women’s rights. Self-ID campaigners have grown used to getting their way but the equality commission has now drawn a line in the sand. The Times https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/at-last-theres-a-champion-for-womens-rights-mlt5s95pk

Turner, Janice (December 24, 2021). Let’s celebrate the bravery of JK Rowling. The billionaire author could easily have stayed silent in the argument over sex and gender but, like a handful of other courageous women, she refuses to deny material reality. The Times https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/lets-celebrate-the-bravery-of-jk-rowling-xf2f392t7

Turner, Janice (November 19, 2021). Professor Kathleen Stock and the toxic gender debate. The Times https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/professor-kathleen-stock-and-the-toxic-gender-debate-8lbp9jwl9

Turner, Janice (July 31, 2021). Be more Samoan to avoid Olympic injustice. We can learn about fairness from the islanders who have lost out since trans women were allowed to compete against females. The Times https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/be-more-samoan-to-avoid-olympic-injustice-s22rkn0rw

Turner, Janice (January 23, 2021). War of words risks wiping women from our language. he US has joined a growing list of countries seeking to eradicate the language of biological sex in order to appease the influential trans lobby, says Janice Turner. The Times https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/war-of-words-risks-wiping-women-from-our-language-djhp2mwjg T

Turner, Janice (December 30, 2020). Irreversible Damage by Abigail Shrier review — resisting the ‘transgender craze.’ This fearless book shows how girls’ bodies have become collateral damage in adult culture wars, says Janice Turner. The Times https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/irreversible-damage-by-abigail-shrier-review-resisting-the-transgender-craze-8mzrt3gk9

Turner, Janice (February 21, 2020).  Giving puberty blocker to ‘trans’ children is a leap into the unknown. A landmark legal review will examine claims that confused young people are being subjected to a giant medical experiment, says Janice Turner. The Times https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/giving-puberty-blocker-to-trans-children-is-a-leap-into-the-unknown-x3g37sb7f

Turner, Janice (September 21, 2019). Cult of gender identity is harming children. The idea that biological sex can be ignored is now so pervasive that the BBC is peddling it to primary school pupils. The Times https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/cult-of-gender-identity-is-harming-children-pjvbkjzxq

Turner, Janice (October 20, 2018). Suicides should never be a political weapon. The Times. https://www.pressgazette.co.uk/activist-loses-ipso-complaint-against-janice-turner-times-column-about-trans-suicides/

Turner, Janice (September 8, 2018). Trans rapists are a danger in women’s jails. The Times https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/trans-rapists-are-a-danger-in-women-s-jails-5vhgh57pt

Turner, Janice (June 30, 2018). This gender battle is harder to solve than Brexit. Long-promised consultation on trans rights will show how fierce the arguments are and how vulnerable both sides feel. The Times https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/this-gender-battle-is-harder-to-solve-than-brexit-0jc0pn867

Turner, Janice (November 11, 2017). Children sacrificed to appease trans lobby. The Times https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/children-sacrificed-to-appease-trans-lobby-bq0m2mm95

Turner, Janice (November 11 2017). Meet Alex Bertie, the transgender poster boy. More girls are changing their gender from female to male than ever before. And it’s YouTube star Alex Bertie’s example that they’re following. What’s behind the surge in numbers? Janice Turner investigates. The Times https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/meet-alex-bertie-the-transgender-poster-boy-z88hgh8b8

Turner, Janice (September 16, 2017). The battle over gender has turned bloody: Women who believe that their rights are threatened by transgender activists now find themselves at risk of assault. The Times https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/the-battle-over-gender-has-turned-bloody-2wpkmnqhh

Turner, Janice (July 29, 2017). How do you solve a problem like men in women’s changing rooms, Maria? The Tory champions plans to make gender switching a matter of ‘self-definition.’ The Times https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/how-do-you-solve-a-problem-like-men-in-women-s-changing-rooms-maria-v3hhxmk3p

Turner, Janice (May 14, 2016). The trans lobby peddles a pink and blue world. Being a girl who likes trucks or a boy who wears nail polish doesn’t make you gender fluid, it just makes you human. The Times https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/the-trans-lobby-peddles-a-pink-and-blue-world-j3kqmv8lk

The Times is a British daily national newspaper based in London. The Times and sibling publication The Sunday Times are considered newspapers of record in the UK. Both publications produce consistently anti-transgender content.

Media critic Jane Fae of Trans Media Watch described The Times‘ trans coverage as part of “a concerted campaign of disinformation” in a 2020 submission to the UK government.

Background

The newspaper began in 1785 as The Daily Universal Register. In 1788, the name was changed to The Times. An American edition of The Times began in June 2006. In 1981, The Times and The Sunday Times were bought by Rupert Murdoch.

Notable incidents

On November 11, 2017, anti-trans extremist Janice Turner wrote a piece titled “Children sacrificed to appease trans lobby.”

On April 8, 2019, The Times published four anti-trans articles in one issue:

  • a front-page piece by Lucy Bannerman titled “Calls to end transgender ‘experiment on children.'”
  • another piece by Lucy Bannerman titled “It feels like conversion therapy for gay children, say clinicians”
  • a third piece by Lucy Bannerman titled “Families ‘exploited by gender lobby groups pushing for treatment’”
  • a piece by Carl Heneghan titled “Doubts over evidence for using drugs on the young.”

References

Owen, L. (2022). “Parasitically Occupying Bodies”: Exploring Toxifying Securitization in Anti-Trans and Genocidal Ideologies. Peace Review, 34(4), 481–494. https://doi.org/10.1080/10402659.2022.2129000

Turnbull‐Dugarte, S. J., & McMillan, F. (2022). “Protect the women!” Trans‐exclusionary feminist issue framing and support for transgender rights. Policy Studies Journal, 51(3), 629–666. https://doi.org/10.1111/psj.12484

Gwenffrewi, Gina (). Punk Mood, Junk Food: Portrayals of Transgender Apocalypse. In Women and the Abuse of Power https://doi.org/10.1108/978-1-80043-334-220221008

Armitage, L. (2020). Explaining backlash to trans and non-binary genders in the context of UK Gender Recognition Act reform. Journal of the International Network for Sexual Ethics and Politics (Internet), 8, 11-35. https://doi.org/10.3224/insep.si2020.02

Serano, Julia (November 27, 2017). Transgender Agendas, Social Contagion, Peer Pressure, and Prevalence. Medium https://juliaserano.medium.com/transgender-agendas-social-contagion-peer-pressure-and-prevalence-c3694d11ed24

Stokoe, Ash; Gwenffrewi, Gina; Galpin, Charlotte (October 28, 2022). Hunting Mermaids: Exploring media representation of the trans+ community. University of Birmingham https://blog.bham.ac.uk/socialsciencesbirmingham/2022/10/28/hunting-mermaids-exploring-media-representation-of-the-trans-community/

Fae, Jane (26 November 2020). Written submission to The Women and Equalities Select Committee: Call for Evidence in respect of the Government response to Reform of the Gender Recognition Act. [auto-download Word document] https://committees.parliament.uk/writtenevidence/17432/default/

Carrell, Severin; Brooks, Libby (Fri 17 May 2019). Times editor defends paper’s coverage of transgender issues. The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/society/2019/may/17/times-editor-defends-papers-coverage-of-transgender-issues

Strudwick, Patrick (17 May 2019). The Editor Of The Times Of London Has Denied It Is Transphobic. BuzzFeed https://www.buzzfeed.com/patrickstrudwick/editor-times-denied-newspaper-transphobic

Nolan, Megan (December 7, 2017,). Lily Madigan and the Hunt for Past Transgressions. VICE https://www.vice.com/en/article/lily-madigan-and-the-hunt-for-past-transgressions/

Duffy, Nick (November 29, 2017). Jo Cox women’s leadership scheme rebukes The Times over attacks on transgender teen. PinkNews https://www.thepinknews.com/2017/11/29/jo-cox-womens-leadership-scheme-rebukes-the-times-over-attacks-on-transgender-teen/

McCormick, Joseph (November 25 2017). The Times attacks trans teenager for applying to Jo Cox leadership programme. PinkNews https://www.thepinknews.com/2017/11/25/the-times-attacks-trans-teenager-for-applying-to-jo-cox-leadership-programme/

Jones, Owen (15 Dec 2017). Anti-trans zealots, know this: history will judge you. The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2017/dec/15/trans-backlash-anti-gay-zealotry-section-28-homophobia

Jackman, Josh (Nov 12 2018). Times columnist Rod Liddle ‘identifies as young, black, trans chihuahua.’ PinkNews https://www.thepinknews.com/2018/11/12/rod-liddle-transgender-black-chihuahua/

Milton, Josh (8 April 2019). Trans people slam The Times for calling trans kids therapy an ‘experiment’: The four articles were published in today’s issue of The Times in the UK. https://www.gaystarnews.com/article/the-times-four-transphobic-articles/ [archive]

Parsons, Vic (May 26, 2022). Meet the Trans Storytellers Fighting British Transphobia. them https://www.them.us/story/trans-storytellers-fighting-british-transphobia

Coverage in anti-trans media

Kirkup, James (8 April 2019). It is now ‘transphobic’ to report doctors’ fears about trans’ children’s health. The Spectator https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/it-is-now-transphobic-to-report-doctors-fears-about-trans-children-s-health/

Selected anti-trans writing

note: see the Lucy Bannerman profile for a list of hundreds of anti-trans pieces.

Turner, Janice (November 11, 2017). Children sacrificed to appease trans lobby. The Times https://www.thetimes.com/uk/healthcare/article/children-sacrificed-to-appease-trans-lobby-bq0m2mm95

Massie, Alex (May 24, 2025). If biological truth is transphobic, then we’ve lost our minds. The Times https://www.thetimes.com/uk/scotland/article/if-biological-truth-is-transphobic-then-weve-lost-our-minds-dfsqkcq3s

Resources

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Columbia Journalism Review (CJR) is an American media watchdog organization that monitors and reports on media issues.

Transgender topics

CJR has published a number of pieces involving opinion, criticism, and analysis of transgender coverage in the media, like this piece from Alexandria Neason:

Controversial stories like Jesse Singal’s cover story for The Atlantic, on how parents of transgender teens approach their desire to personally or medically transition, come to mind. The story was fact checked, but according to many readers, journalists, and activists in the trans community, was transphobic—and all wrong. The difference between fact and truth is yet another example of why newsrooms, and publishing houses, desperately need to invest in employing and representing diverse writers, editors, agents, and fact checkers alike.

References

Neason, Alexandria (January 25, 2019). The perils of publishing without a fact-checking net. Columbia Journalism Review https://www.cjr.org/analysis/journalism-book-fact-checking-jill-abramson.php

Ad Fontes (2025). Columbia Journalism Review Bias and Reliability. https://adfontesmedia.com/columbia-journalism-review-bias-and-reliability/

Resources

Columbia Journalism Review (cjr.org)

Wikipedia (en.wikipedia.org)

X/Twitter (x.com)

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Facebook (facebook.com)

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