Claire Lehmann is an Australian writer and anti-transgender activist. Lehmann is a key figure in the so-called intellectual dark web, described as a gateway to the far right. Lehmann is founding editor of anti-trans publication Quillette, also classified a pathway to right-wing radicalization.
Background
Claire (Jensen) Lehmann was born on July 18, 1985 and grew up in Adelaide, South Australia. Lehmann earned a bachelor’s degree from University of Adelaide in 2010. Jensen married Harold M. “Harry” Lehmann at age 27 and dropped out of graduate school when their first child was born in 2013.
Lehmann worked from 2011 to 2014 as a Policy Research Assistant at Australian College of Nursing and from 2015 to 2016 as a communications officer at National Centre for Immunisation Research and Surveillance.
Lehmann has contributed to other anti-trans publications, including Rebel News, The Australian, The Dispatch, and Colin Wright’s Reality’s Last Stand.
Anti-transgender activism
Lehmann founded Quillette in October 2015. It was incorporated in Australia as Quillette Pty Ltd in 2018.
Lehman profiled anti-trans psychologist Lee Jussim in 2015.
Lehmann began writing for alt-right publication Rebel News in 2017.
References
Engber, Daniel (January 8, 2019). Free Thought for the Closed-Minded: Quillette pretends to be a platform for debate. It’s actually a soapbox for self-pity. Slate https://slate.com/technology/2019/01/quillette-claire-lehmann-intellectual-dark-web.html
Thielman, Sam (November 29, 2019). Villains: Steve Brodner illustrates some of the worst offenders in the disinformation world. Columbia Journalism Review https://www.cjr.org/special_report/villains-disinformation-steve-brodner.php
Lester, Amelia (November 11, 2018). The Voice of the ‘Intellectual Dark Web’ Claire Lehmann’s online magazine, Quillette, prides itself on publishing ‘dangerous’ ideas other outlets won’t touch. How far is it willing to go? Politico Magazine https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2018/11/11/intellectual-dark-web-quillette-claire-lehmann-221917/
Selected anti-trans writing by Lehmann
Lehmann, Claire (June 2, 2023). Trans Activists Have No Right to Pervert the English Language. Reality’s Last Stand https://www.realityslaststand.com/p/trans-activists-have-no-right-to
Lehmann, Claire (December 4, 2015). How a Rebellious Scientist Uncovered the Surprising Truth About Stereotypes. Quillette https://quillette.com/2015/12/04/rebellious-scientist-surprising-truth-about-stereotypes/
Lehmann, Claire (May 19, 2023). Trans activists have no right to pervert the English language, writes Claire Lehmann. The Australian https://www.theaustralian.com.au/commentary/trans-activists-have-no-right-to-pervert-the-english-language-writes-claire-lehmann/news-story/a3809b3716c4c068c629e5df6b5224a9?amp&nk=13b72df8027fed82dcbc8a39446b952c-1684445053 [archive]
Lehmann, Claire (June 23, 2023). Why Queensland’s gender IDs are a dangerous defiance of science. The Australian https://www.theaustralian.com.au/commentary/why-queenslands-gender-ids-are-a-dangerous-defiance-of-science/news-story/02b5575c2baae36536ebacc2ea48de15 [archive]
Lehmann, Claire (April 24, 2017). “Transgender is the new black”: More teens than ever want to “try out” a different sex. A Brisbane psychiatrist who works in a gender clinic has reported that many adolescents are now coming to him with the aim of “trying out” transgenderism. Rebel Media https://www.therebel.media/_transgender_is_the_new_black_teens_beg_to_try_out_a_different_sex [archive]
Lehmann, Claire (May 16, 2017). Platform for misandrist “screeds” ends, with death of feminist Fairfax Media. Rebel Media https://www.therebel.media/platform_for_misandrist_screeds_ends_with_death_of_feminist_fairfax_media [archive]
Lehmann, Claire (May 7, 2017). Nick Gillespie: Today’s universities are “constipated and stultified.” Rebel Media https://www.therebel.media/no_longer_a_place_for_dangerous_ideas_universities_constipated_and_stultified [archive]
Lehmann, Claire (May 2, 2017). Third wave feminist hypocrisy: “Deep down, they know they’re wrong” Daisy Cousens, freelance writer for the Spectator Australia and Quadrant Magazine, is a critic of third wave feminism. Rebel Media https://www.therebel.media/third_wave_feminist_hypocrisy_deep_down_they_know_they_re_wrong [archive]
Lehmann, Claire (April 13, 2017). Transgender athletes crush females: It’s “violence against women.” Last month, New Zealand transgender weight lifter Laurel Hubbard dominated, setting records in the women’s international competition held in Melbourne Australia. Rebel Media https://www.therebel.media/transgender_athletes_crush_females_it_s_violence_against_women [archive]
Lehmann, Claire (April 7, 2017). Here’s the real reason banks are suddenly launching “social justice” campaigns: HSBC has just announced that they will be offering their customers 10 gender neutral pronouns for their trans and non gender binary customers. Rebel Media https://www.therebel.media/here_s_the_real_reason_banks_are_suddenly_launching_social_justice_campaigns [archive]
Lehmann, Claire (February 27, 2017). How Libertarian Students Can Save Universities From Victimhood Culture. Rebel Media https://www.therebel.media/how_libertarian_students_can_save_universities_from_victimhood_culture [archive]
Lehmann, Claire (February 13, 2017). Why the old Left was better than the new Left. Rebel Media https://www.therebel.media/how_new_left_abandoned_old_left_s_fight_to_defend_liberal_values [archive]
Lehmann, Claire (May 29, 2015*). Feminism Must Be Reclaimed From Radicals. Quillette http://quillette.com/2015/05/29/feminism-must-be-reclaimed-from-radicals/ *note: this date is prior to the blog’s October 2015 founding.
Media
Unsupervised Learning with Razib Khan and Claire Lehmann (July 27, 2025). Claire Lehmann: after the Intellectual Dark Web. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GUwQSvwGzto
Network State Podcast with Balaji Srinivasan and Claire Lehmann (July 16, 2025). Claire Lehmann on the Internet Century. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PCoegnhTaDs
The Dishcast with Andrew Sullivan and Claire Lehmann (May 9, 2025). Claire Lehmann On Staying Independent. https://andrewsullivan.substack.com/p/claire-lehmann-on-staying-independent
The Good Fight with Yascha Mounk and Claire Lehmann (May 1, 2025). Claire Lehmann on The Psychology Behind Wokeness. https://www.persuasion.community/p/claire-lehmann-on-the-psychology
Centre for Independent Studies with Tom Switzer, Louise Perry, and Claire Lehmann (March 28, 2025). Biological reality vs progressive ideals | Louise Perry & Claire Lehmann. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-hN7T2L4f1g alt url https://www.cis.org.au/commentary/video/biological-reality-vs-progressive-ideals-louise-perry-claire-lehmann/
The Free Press / Honestly with Bari Weiss, Brianna Wu, Claire Lehmann, and Batya Ungar-Sargon (February 25, 2025). DEBATE: Will Trump’s Blunt Approach End the Ukraine War? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L59ypLV8HIg
Quillette with Claire Lehmann and Michael Shellenberger (December 2, 2024). Censorship, Pharmaceuticals & Nuclear Energy: Michael Shellenberger & Claire Lehmann in Conversation. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bz-lenJ0T0U
Quillette with Claire Lehmann and Michael Shellenberger (November 29, 2024). Australia’s Misinformation Bill & Under 16s Social Media Ban: Michael Shellenberger & Claire Lehmann. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tUFb6J7zE5c
Quillette with Iona Italia and Claire Lehmann (September 30, 2024). Speeches from Quillette’s Claire Lehmann and Iona Italia at the Quillette Social in Sydney (2024). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IHr5QZiC7fk
Melody Rachel (June 18, 2024). Why I Challenge Left-Wing Dogma – Claire Lehmann. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BH4tCCZj49I
Alliance for Responsible Citizenship (May 23, 2024). Was The Sexual Revolution A Mistake? | Claire Lehmann & Louise Perry | ARC Off-Stage Conversation. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nE02p5y6ofY
Mercatus Center with Tyler Cowan and Claire Lehmann (November 21, 2023). Claire Lehmann on Speaking Freely | Conversations with Tyler. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LA01e5B9aOI
Maiden Mother Matriarch with Louise Perry and Claire Lehmann (November 5, 2023). Biological Denialism – Claire Lehmann | Maiden Mother Matriarch 38. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lyuham3HjMY
Quillette with Claire Lehmann and Zoe Booth (June 27, 2023). It’s Hip to be “Trad.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oIHtTRgXucA
Quillette with Claire Lehmann and Zoe Booth (June 8, 2023). Quillette’s Bias. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZxBKpbvBM6o
Unsupervised Learning with Razib Khan and Claire Lehmann (October 17, 2022). Claire Lehmann: An Australian at the heart of the heterodox web. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MkFn1yno7r4
Newsmax Australia with Nick Cater and Claire Lehmann (September 13, 2022). Cancel culture will lead to society’s downfall: Claire Lehmann | Nick Cater. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YI_mJ9sboAE
Newsmax Australia with Nick Cater and Claire Lehmann (September 13, 2022). Lefitst ideologies have infiltrated science and medicine: Claire Lehmann | Nick Cater. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r41cbsM605I
Coleman Hughes with Claire Lehmann (August 26, 2022). Quillette, IDW, and Conspiracy with Claire Lehmann. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fGNScV9wYo4
Jordan B Peterson with Claire Lehmann (April 11, 2022). Quillette’s Founder: Starting The Most Controversial Magazine In The World | Claire Lehmann | EP 243. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=psmPAXGGHoU
Centre for Independent Studies (April 11, 2021). Cancel Culture Crusades | Claire Lehmann. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S9IzVjiHTQ8
UnHerd / Lockdown TV with Freddie Sayers (February 19, 2021). Claire Lehmann: Facebook has made a bad miscalculation. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1kjSUai1E9I
Sky News Australia / Inside the News with Rita Panahi and Claire Lehmann (December 17, 2020). Treatment for children with gender ambiguity ‘shouldn’t be hyjacked by activists.’ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6jnhFOOUq8Q
TRIGGERnometry with Konstantin Kisin, Francis Foster, and Claire Lehmann (August 23, 2020). “Activism Has No Place in Journalism” – Claire Lehmann. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sfx8krJ6N3A
John Anderson with Claire Lehmann (Mar 5, 2020). Free Thought | Claire Lehmann. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BKXqbiHa4Yo
Sky News Australia / The Friday Show with Rita Panahi and Claire Lehmann (October 4, 2019). Activist academics are not scholars: Claire Lehmann. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RQ13W8fQ29A
Rebel Wisdom with David Fuller and Claire Lehmann (April 17, 2019). Claire Lehmann & Quillette, Thinking Differently. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TMTrywlKnW4
The Rubin Report with Dave Rubin and Claire Lehmann (September 28, 2018). Free Thought, Outrage, & the Alt Right | Claire Lehmann | MEDIA | Rubin Report. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=afmxd42UNZA
The Rubin Report with Dave Rubin and Claire Lehmann (September 26, 2018). Respecting Ideas, Even Dangerous Ones (Pt. 1) | Claire Lehmann | MEDIA | Rubin Report. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lMXYeD6xeRs
Minds Podcast with Brian. Dimitri, and Claire Lehmann (July 8, 2018). Claire Lehmann on Quillette Magazine, Mythcon, Social Politics and More. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6QABvZrUxd8
The Dissenter with Ricardo Lopes and Claire Lehmann (May 17, 2018). #26 Claire Lehmann: Quillette, Leadership in the Feminine, Ethical Journalism. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nDRiIm0SBL8
Jordan B Peterson with Claire Lehmann (March 10, 2018). Quillette: Discussion with Founder/Editor Claire Lehmann. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OUs72-WqmwI
Rebel News with Mark Latham, Gavin McInnes, and Claire Lehmann (August 9, 2017). Mark Latham’s Outsiders: Google vs. Free Speech (Guests Gavin McInnes, Claire Lehmann). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fS1MEEf9Wcc
Rebel News (May 16, 2017). Claire Lehmann: Rabid feminist Fairfax Media is dying. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ATWwGClglno
Rebel News with Ezra Levant and Claire Lehmann (April 30, 2017). Claire Lehmann: Why I was blacklisted by Australian media. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-R0iyvEzKU
Rebel News (February 13, 2017). Why the old Left was better than the new Left. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zr1vkFM2kfo
Michael Tracey with Claire Lehmann (October 20, 2016). MT + Claire Lehmann. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UdBRXont25Y
Resources
Quillette (quillette.com)
Lehmann & Co (lehco.com.au)
Vendorable (vendorable.com)
Wikipedia (en.wikipedia.org)
X/Twitter (x.com)
Instagram (instagram.com)
Facebook (facebook.com)
LinkedIn (linkedin.com)
The Australian (theaustralian.com.au)
The Dispatch (rebelnews.com)
Rebel Media (therebel.media) [archive]
- Claire Lehmann
- therebel.media/claire_lehmann [archive]
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)
Patrick Grzanka is an American academic and applied social issues researcher. Grzanka’s work often focuses on sex and gender minorities.
Background
Patrick Ryan Grzanka was born in November 1983. Grzanka attended University of Maryland, earning a bachelor’s degree in journalism in 2004 and working as a lecturer there while earning a doctorate in American studies in 2010. From 2010 to 2014 Grzanka taught at the Honors College at Arizona State University. In 2014 Grzanka took an appointment at University of Tennessee at Knoxville.
Grzanka is founder and director of Social Action Research Team (SART), a group conducting applied social research with a commitment to social justice-informed scholarship and praxis.
Grzanka became known to many from a confrontational interview conducted by anti-trans extremist Matt Walsh in the 2022 anti-trans propaganda piece What Is a Woman? The appearance led to significant backlash.
References
Grzanka PR, DeVore EN, Gonzalez KA, Pulice-Farrow L, Tierney D (2018). The biopolitics of passing and the possibility of radically inclusive transgender health care. The American Journal of Bioethics, 18(12), 17-19. https://doi.org/10.1080/15265161.2018.1531167
Fishman JR, Mamo L, Grzanka PR (2017). Sex, gender, & sexuality in biomedicine. In U Felt, R Fouché, C Miller, & L Smith-Doerr (Eds.), The handbook of science and technology studies (4th ed., pp. 379-405). MIT Press. ISBN 9780262035682
Grzanka PR (2017). Undoing the psychology of gender: Intersectional feminism and social science pedagogy. In KA Case (Ed.), Intersectional pedagogy: A model for complicating identity and social justice (pp. 61-79). Routledge. ISBN 9781138942974
DeVore EN. Frantell KA, Grzanka PR, Miles JR, Spengler ES (2019, August). Conscience clauses and sexual and gender minority mental health care: A case study. Poster presented at the American Psychological Association Convention, Chicago, IL https://doi.org/10.1037/cou0000396
Resources
Social Action Research Team (socialactionrt.org)
Twitter (twitter.com)
University of Tennessee Knoxville Psychology (psychology.utk.edu)
LinkedIn (linkedin.com)
Jennifer Kabbany is an American writer and anti-transgender activist. Kabbany is editor of anti-trans publication The College Fix and has appeared in the media to attack trans people.
Background
Jennifer Messera “Jenn” Kabbany was born in 1975 and graduated from Rancho Buena Vista High School in 1993. After a year of community college, Kabbany transferred to Santa Barbara City College, earning an assopciate’s degree in 1997. Kabbany earned a bachelor’s degree from San Diego State in 2002.
Since marrying journalist Chad Christopher Dawson (born June 17, 1976), some publications have come out under the name Jennifer Kabbany Dawson. The couple has two children.
From 2002 to 2013, Kabbany worked in various capacities for the North County Times and San Diego Union-Tribune. Kabbany has worked for and contributed to FrontPage Magazine, The Weekly Standard, The Washington Times, and the National Review.
Anti-transgender activism
Kabbany has appeared on platforms with anti-trans views, including Benjamin Boyce, OANN, Andrew Klavan, Wilfred Reilly, and Debra Soh.
References
Blair, Billie G. (2011). How To Build A Fire: Organizational Change Management (1st Edition), edited by Jennifer Kabbany Dawson ISBN 978-0979588167
Kabbany, Jennifer June 3, 2012). Life lessons learned at college. San Diego Union-Tribune https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/sdut-kabbany-life-lessons-learned-at-college-2012jun03-story.html
Resources
Twitter (twitter.com)
The College Fix (thecollegefix.com)
Muck Rack (muckrack.com)
Facebook (facebook.com)
Bari Weiss is an American opinion writer, author, and key historical figure in promoting and platforming anti-transgender extremism. Weiss is founder of anti-trans group blog The Free Press. In 2025, Weiss sold the blog to Paramount and was named editor-in-chief of CBS News.
While at the New York Times, Weiss popularized the intellectual dark web (IDW), a group of public intellectuals whose reactionary and anti-progressive views are also often anti-trans. The IDW has been 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, Caitlin Flanagan, 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 has three siblings, including anti-trans activist Suzy Weiss. Weiss grew up in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. After high school, Weiss lived in Israel for about a year through the Nativ College Leadership Program sponsored by United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism.
Weiss earned a bachelor’s degree from Columbia University in 2007.
Weiss is a prominent activist in pro-Zionist causes, a self-described “Zionist fanatic.” An article in Jewish Currents noted that “Weiss has a long history of claiming to support free speech while trying to curtail the speech of Palestinian rights advocates.” While at Columbia in 2004, Weiss helped promote but does not appear in the video Columbia Unbecoming, a collection of testimonies from 14 students who felt they were not able to express pro-Zionist views freely at Columbia University and Barnard College. The film was backed by The David Project, a pro-Israel group based in Boston that became Hillel in 2019. In December 2004 Weiss was involved in creating the organization Columbians for Academic Freedom, which targeted several professors in Columbia’s Middle East and Asian Languages and Cultures (MEALAC) department. Weiss stated that Columbia Unbecoming was edited to include published comments by the targeted professors: “We put the mentions of the publications in the film to expose the racism of these professors.” Three of the targeted professors took leaves of absence following a Columbia investigation that largely cleared them of wrongdoing. In 2006, Weiss was editor of The Columbia Current, a student publication about Jewish affairs.
A 2005 article in the Columbia Blue and White noted:
Her name has become a buzzword in the suspended but probably not defunct MEALAC intimidation scandal. But once more, for the record, it is Bari Weiss, C’07. It began with a skimpy documentary from Boston-based Zionist group The David Project, which featured several Columbia students accusing Middle East Studies professors of intimidation. But the debate has since sprawled to include defenders of Israel and Palestine, students’ rights and professors’ rights, what constitutes academic freedom, and has pitched one small chunk of passionate students against another. As one of four founders of the controversial students’ rights group Columbians for Academic Freedom (CAF), and the only one yet to graduate, Bari seems next in line to succeed her new boyfriend and former General Studies Student Body President Ariel Beery, G’05, as the voice of slighted students everywhere.
Even though Bari has been to Israel about a dozen times, and deferred coming to Columbia for a year to work on a kibbutz, she doesn’t fit perfectly into what some conservative and Zionist activists seek in a talking head. For one thing, Bari wants to see a Palestinian state. Moreover, her activist work as the founder of the Columbia Coalition for Sudan may prevent her from becoming the new face of the Ziorganizers.
In 2007, while living in Israel on a Dorot Fellowship, Weiss wrote for Haaretz and The Forward. From 2011 to 2013, 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.
While at the New York Times, Weiss published a 2018 puff piece promoting the “renegades” and “heretics” of the intellectual dark web. Anti-trans historian Alice Dreger backed out just prior to publication. People Weiss mentions in the piece include Sam Harris, Eric Weinstein, Bret Weinstein, Dave Rubin, Heather Heying, Jordan Peterson, Ben Shapiro, Douglas Murray, Maajid Nawaz, Ayaan Hirsi Ali, Christina Hoff Sommers, Joe Rogan, Candace Owens, Milo Yiannopoulos, Charlie Kirk, Richard Dawkins, Claire Lehmann, Debra Soh, Michael Shermer, Steven Pinker, Stefan Molyneux, Mike Cernovich, Alex Jones, Charles Murray, and Kanye West.
Am I a member of this movement? A few months ago, someone suggested on Twitter that I should join this club I’d never heard of. I looked into it. Like many in this group, I am a classical liberal who has run afoul of the left, often for voicing my convictions and sometimes simply by accident. This has won me praise from libertarians and conservatives. And having been attacked by the left, I know I run the risk of focusing inordinately on its excesses — and providing succor to some people whom I deeply oppose.
Weiss authored the 2019 book How to Fight Anti-Semitism. The tactics Weiss learned though pro-Zionism reflect the similar tactics Weiss has used to attack trans rights, framing it as a “free speech” debate where anti-trans activists are fearless truth-tellers being oppressed and “cancelled” by “illiberal” opponents.
After anti-trans extremist Elon Musk bought Twitter in October 2022. Musk soon gave several writers access to internal Twitter documents. Dubbed the “Twitter Files,” the findings were released over the next several months. Authors were Bari Weiss as well as Matt Taibbi, Michael Shellenberger, Lee Fang, David Zweig, Alex Berenson, and Paul D. Thacker. Weiss published the second installment, on Twitter’s “visibility filtering” practices, on December 8, 2022. Then on December 12, 2022, Weiss published the fifth installment, regarding suspension of President Donald Trump’s Twitter account around the time of the January 6, 2021 United States Capitol attack.
Weiss was married to Jason Kass from 2013 to 2016 and married Nellie Bowles in 2021. They have two children.
Anti-transgender efforts
Weiss was a key figure in securing funding for anti-trans group Foundation Against Intolerance and Racism.
Weiss is also a founder of the University of Austin, a school conceived in 2021 by Joe Lonsdale, Pano Kanelos, Niall Ferguson, and Weiss. Anti-trans activists who have been listed as associated with the school include Coleman Hughes, Michael Shellenberger, Peter Boghossian, Richard Dawkins, Rob Henderson, Sohrab Ahmari, Jonathan Haidt, Ayaan Hirsi Ali, Glenn Loury, Kathleen Stock, Andrew Sullivan, Steven Pinker, Caitlin Flanagan, Nadine Strossen, Tyler Cowen, and Larry Summers. One event sponsored by the school was a “debate” between Deirdre McCloskey and Kathleen Stock in which they largely agreed.
Weiss is the founder and editor of The Free Press (formerly Common Sense) and the host of the podcast Honestly. The Free Press has been described as “best known for anti-trans fearmongering.” In a 2024 New York Times profile, Matt Flegenheimer wrote:
Ms. Weiss and Ms. Bowles resettled in Los Angeles, telling associates it was a respite from the pitilessness of New York.
She assembled a small staff and promised to cover stories that others ignored while affording grace to those with whom she clashed.
At an early team retreat, where Ms. Weiss asked the group to share something that informed their values, she chose a clip from “Transparent,” the 2010s television series with a trans protagonist, which she said she found moving despite what she assumed were political differences with the show’s creator.
“Bari said that she’d chosen it because she never wanted to forget the humanity of those with whom she vehemently disagrees,” said an attendee, Megan Phelps-Roper, a former member of the Westboro Baptist Church (and now fierce opponent of its bigoted teachings) who worked with Ms. Weiss.
Podcast
Weiss began a podcast in 2021 titled Honestly with Bari Weiss and frequently has guests on to discuss their gender critical views, including:
See also on this site
References
Molloy, Parker (October 9, 2025). CBS News just made a terrible mistake. DAME https://www.damemagazine.com/2025/10/09/cbs-news-just-made-a-terrible-mistake/
Perry, Sophie (October 7, 2025). ‘Gender-critical’ queer journalist Bari Weiss appointed editor-in-chief of CBS News. PinkNews https://www.thepinknews.com/2025/10/07/bari-weiss-gender-critical-trans-cbs/
Redford, Patrick (October 6, 2025). Bari Weiss Signs Huge Deal To Usher CBS News Into Its Vichy Era. Defector https://defector.com/bari-weiss-signs-huge-deal-to-usher-cbs-news-into-its-vichy-era
Villareal, Daniel (October 6, 2025). Queer “anti-woke” journalist Bari Weiss is now CBS News’ editor-in-chief. That’s troubling. LGBTQ Nation https://www.lgbtqnation.com/2025/10/queer-anti-woke-journalist-bari-weiss-is-now-cbs-news-editor-in-chief-thats-troubling/
Wiggins, Christopher (October 6, 2025). Anti-trans queer journalist Bari Weiss named editor in chief of CBS News. The Advocate https://www.advocate.com/news/bari-weiss-cbs-news-chief
Wiggins, Christopher (October 6, 2025). Who is Bari Weiss, the right-wing anti-trans queer woman being given the keys to CBS News? The Advocate https://www.advocate.com/news/who-is-cbs-bari-weiss
López, Quispe (October 6, 2025). Who Is Bari Weiss? What to Know About the New CBS News Leader and Her Anti-Trans Past. them https://www.them.us/story/bari-weiss-cbs-news-free-press-anti-trans
Ferguson, Malcolm (October 2, 2025). Bari Weiss, Who Thinks Everything Is Woke, Will Be CBS Editor in Chief. Anti-woke, anti-trans, pro-Israel Bari Weiss will soon lead one of the biggest media companies in the U.S. The New Republic https://newrepublic.com/post/201302/bari-weiss-cbs-editor-in-chief
Mirkinson, Jack (September 4, 2025). Vile Grifters Are Taking Over Establishment Media. The Nation https://www.thenation.com/article/society/bari-weiss-free-press-cbs-news-paramount/
Hurwitz, Sophie (August 19, 2025). I Went to the Free Press Party for Under-30s. All I Got Was Ennui. The Nation https://www.thenation.com/article/society/i-went-to-the-free-press-party-for-under-30s-all-i-got-was-ennui/
Sweeney, Billie Jean (July 24, 2025). “A Shameful Chapter”: How Anti-Trans Disinformation Drowned Out Science and Gripped the Mainstream. Assigned Media https://www.assignedmedia.org/breaking-news/anti-trans-disinformation-drowned-out-science-mainstream
Staff report (November 15, 2024). “Scapegoating trans people isn’t it.” Jane Coaston’s Blistering Critique of Bogus Election Year Blame Game. GLAAD https://glaad.org/scapegoating-trans-people-isnt-it-jane-coastons-blistering-critique-of-bogus-election-year-blame-game/
Villareal, Daniel (November 8, 2024). Lesbian Fox News guest blames “gender fluidity” for Democrats’ Election Day losses. LGBTQ Nation https://www.lgbtqnation.com/2024/11/lesbian-fox-news-guest-blames-gender-fluidity-for-democrats-election-day-losses/
Green, Emma (June 5, 2023). Is It Possible to Be Both Moderate and Anti-Woke? A small nonprofit launched by the journalist Bari Weiss devolves into tribalism. The New Yorker https://www.newyorker.com/news/annals-of-activism/is-it-possible-to-be-both-moderate-and-anti-woke
Ennis, Dawn (May 14, 2023). AAPA conference cancels anti-trans Bari Weiss after complaints. Los Angeles Blade https://www.losangelesblade.com/2023/05/14/aapa-conference-cancels-anti-trans-bari-weiss-after-complaints/
Carman, Ashley (April 21, 2023). A Podcast About J.K. Rowling’s ‘Cancellation’ Has Reached Over 5 Million Listeners. Bloomberg https://www.bloomberg.com/news/newsletters/2023-04-21/bari-weiss-s-hit-podcast-about-j-k-rowling-s-beliefs-on-trans-people
Henry, Vesper; Tirell, Alyssa (April 13, 2023). Timeline: The unfolding saga between The Free Press and a Missouri gender clinic. Media Matters https://www.mediamatters.org/bari-weiss/timeline-unfolding-saga-between-free-press-and-missouri-gender-clinic
Zimmerman, E. Alexander (April 9, 2023). Opinion: Legacy media’s coverage of transgender people is disingenuous and irresponsible. Niner Times https://www.ninertimes.com/opinion/opinion-legacy-media-s-coverage-of-transgender-people-is-disingenuous-and-irresponsible/article_ef033df8-d684-11ed-90f7-03ed83da7462.html
Wiggins, Christopher (April 5, 2023). Mom’s Interview With Anti-Trans Media Draws Criticism After Teen Responds. The Advocate https://www.advocate.com/media/transgender-teen-mother-interview
Riedel, Samantha (April 6, 2023). A Trans Teen Is Debunking an Article That Attacked Their Gender Clinic. them https://www.them.us/story/trans-teen-debunking-gender-clinic-article
Urquhart, Evan (April 6, 2023). Emily Yoffe Takes Sides Against a Vulnerable Youth. Assigned Media https://www.assignedmedia.org/breaking-news/emily-yoffe-takes-sides
Cooper, Ryan (March 2, 2023). The Useful Idiots Fueling the Right-Wing Transphobia Panic. The American Prospect https://prospect.org/blogs-and-newsletters/tap/2023-03-02-right-wing-transphobia-panic/
Krueger, Katherine (March 2, 2023). Bari Weiss Is Full of Shit: Her big trans panic story turned out to be nonsense, just like everything else she does. Discourse Blog https://www.discourseblog.com/p/bari-weiss-is-full-of-shit
Urquhart, Evan (March 2, 2023). What is Bari Weiss’ “Free Press”? Assigned Media https://www.assignedmedia.org/breaking-news/what-is-the-free-press
Urquhart, Evan (February 10, 2023). Missouri Woman Claims Gender Clinic Pushes Transition on Youth. Assigned Media https://www.assignedmedia.org/breaking-news/reed-allegations-distorted-vague
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.
Winters, Kelley (October 9, 2021). Transgender Affirmation in Retrograde. Trans Policy Reform Blog https://transpolicyreform.wordpress.com/2021/10/09/transgender-affirmation-in-retrograde/
Gill-Peterson, Jules (September 13, 2021). From Gender Critical to QAnon: Anti-Trans Politics and the Laundering of Conspiracy. Stated disavowal of their own bias doesn’t account for how liberals rhetorically shelter political violence. New Inquiry https://thenewinquiry.com/from-gender-critical-to-qanon-anti-trans-politics-and-the-laundering-of-conspiracy/
Greenwald, Glenn (March 8, 2018). NYT’s Bari Weiss Falsely Denies Her Years of Attacks on the Academic Freedom of Arab Scholars Who Criticize Israel. The Intercept_ https://theintercept.com/2018/03/08/the-nyts-bari-weiss-falsely-denies-her-years-of-attacks-on-the-academic-freedom-of-arab-scholars-who-criticize-israel/
Roth, Jordan (May 26, 2005). An academic freedom fighter. Jerusalem Post https://www.proquest.com/docview/319478492?sourcetype=Newspapers alt url [full text] https://www.meforum.org/campus-watch/an-academic-freedom-fighter
Swindler, Josie (September 2005). Campus Characters. [p. 5-6] The Blue and White https://s3.amazonaws.com/BWARCHIVE/2005/sep05.pdf
Coverage in anti-trans press
Stiles, Andrew (October 7, 2025). Liberal Media, Activists Silent as Bari Weiss Makes LGBT History at CBS News. Washington Free Beacon https://freebeacon.com/media/liberal-media-activists-silent-as-bari-weiss-makes-lgbtq-history-at-cbs-news/
Testa, Jessica (October 6, 2025). How Bari Weiss Won: At The Free Press, she battled “wokeness” and buddied up with billionaires. Now she’s the editor in chief of CBS News. New York Times https://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/06/business/media/bari-weiss-free-press-cbs-news.html
Flegenheimer, Matt (August 11, 2024). Bari Weiss Knows Exactly What She’s Doing. New York Times https://www.nytimes.com/2024/08/11/business/media/bari-weiss-free-press.html
Selected writing by Weiss
Weiss, Bari (July 15, 2023). When Ideology Corrupts Medicine—and How One Reporter Exposed it. A conversation with Hannah Barnes about the medical scandal at Tavistock, the UK’s flagship youth gender clinic. The Free Press https://www.thefp.com/p/when-gender-ideology-corrupts-medicine-tavistock
Weiss, Bari (July 14, 2020). Resignation letter. https://www.bariweiss.com/resignation-letter [archive]
Stephens, Bret; Weiss Bari (October 10, 2018). Why Is Israel Scared of This Young American? New York Times https://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/10/opinion/israel-lara-alqasem-bds.html
In March, the writer Andrew Sullivan described each of us as a “Zionist fanatic of near-unhinged proportions.” It was a cheap shot. The word “near” should not have been a part of the sentence.
Otherwise, we happily plead guilty as charged.
Weiss, Bari (May 8, 2018). Meet the Renegades of the Intellectual Dark Web. New York Times https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/08/opinion/intellectual-dark-web.html
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.
Weiss, Bari (November 16, 2004). In the Name of Academic Freedom. Columbia Spectator https://www.columbiaspectator.com/2004/11/16/name-academic-freedom/
Book
Weiss, Bari (2019). How to Fight Anti-Semitism. Crown, ISBN 978-0593136058
Media
Free Speech Champions with Inaya Folarin Iman, 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 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a2wz6SuQSuY
Resources
Bari Weiss (bariweiss.com) [archive]
The David Project (davidproject.org) [archive]
The Current (columbia.edu/cu/current)
- Ediotrial Staff (2006) [archive]
- columbia.edu/cu/current/editors.html
- columbiacurrent.org [archive]
Wikipedia (en.wikipedia.org)
Substack (substack.com)
- bariweiss
- earlier url: thefp.com/people/2067309-bari-weiss
- original url: bariweiss.substack.com/people/2067309-bari-weiss
- The Free Press
- thefp.com
- Common Sense with Bari Weiss
- bariweiss.substack.com [archive]
- commonsense.substack.com [archive]
- commonsense.news [archive]
Honestly (honestlypod.com)
Tablet (tabletmag.com)
LinkedIn (linkedin.com)
Forward (forward.com)
Note: In 2025, this site phased out AI illustrations after artist feedback. The previous illustration is here.
Christina Hoff Sommers is an American author and anti-transgender activist. Sommers is critic of “gender feminism” or “victim feminism” and has supported many anti-trans activists over the years.
Background
Christina Marie Hoff Sommers was born on September 28, 1950 in Petaluma, California. Sommers earned a bachelor’s degree from New York University in 1971 and a doctorate in philosophy from Brandeis University in 1975.
After writing several works on ethics, Sommers began a career questioning “gender feminism,” a set of tenets central to third-wave feminism. Sommers went on to write several books on the subject:
- Who Stole Feminism?: How Women Have Betrayed Women (1994)
- The War Against Boys (2000)
- Freedom Feminism: Its Surprising History and Why It Matters Today (2013)
Sommers married philosopher Frederic Tamler “Fred” Sommers (1923 – 2014). Sommers’ stepchild is philosopher Saul Tamler Sommers (born 1970).
Anti-transgender activism
Sommers is sympathetic to other anti-transgender activists and frequently platforms people with anti-transgender views. From 2018 to 2022 Sommers and Danielle Crittenden hosted the podcast The Femsplainers, which described trans women as “men identifying as women.” The hosts have suggested that trans women would violently attack people who questioned their gender identity. Their many anti-transgender guests over the years include Jordan Peterson, Debra Soh, Claire Lehmann, Meghan Murphy, Caitlin Flanagan, Emily Yoffe, Heather Heying, Bridget Phetasy, Andrew Sullivan, Meghan Daum, Mona Charen, Dave Rubin, Abigail Shrier, Bari Weiss, Katie Herzog, Corinna Cohn, Angus Fox, “Two mothers,” Carole Hooven, and Helen Joyce.
References
29 January 2018 8:15 AM, @Femsplainers.
TERFWars: Men identifying as women are challenging women’s sports, women’s groups, women’s spaces, and even the very definition of womanhood. Disagree — and they may threaten to beat the crap out of you. New episode w #MeghanMurphy. L
Resources
American Enterprise Institute (aei.org)
X/Twitter (x.com)
IMDb (imdb.com)
Danielle Crittenden Frum is a Canadian-American writer and anti-transgender activist.
Crittenden platformed many other anti-transgender activists while hosting the podcast The Femsplainers with Christina Hoff Sommers.
Background
Danielle Ann Crittenden was born April 20, 1963 in Toronto, Ontario. Crittenden’s parents and stepparent are all writers. After graduating from Northern Secondary School in 1981, Crittenden began working as a writer. Crittenden wrote a column for the New York Post and was a contributor at The Huffington Post.
Crittenden married David Frum in 1988 and converted to Judaism. They have three children, Miranda Ann Frum (1991–2024), Nathaniel Saul Frum (born 1993) and Beatrice Sarah Worthy Frum (born 2001). Much of Crittenden’s subsequent writing was on cooking, lifestyle, and parenting.
Anti-transgender activism
Crittenden is one of the higher-end “mommy bloggers,” a genre of writers and readers highly susceptible to anti-transgender radicalization. Crittenden’s 1999 book What Our Mothers Didn’t Tell Us: Why Happiness Eludes the Modern Woman lays out Crittenden’s conservative views.
From 2018 to 2022 Crittenden and Christina Hoff Sommers hosted the podcast The Femsplainers, which described trans women as “men identifying as women.” The hosts have suggested that trans women would violently attack people who questioned their gender identity. Their many anti-transgender guests over the years include Jordan Peterson, Debra Soh, Claire Lehmann, Meghan Murphy, Caitlin Flanagan, Emily Yoffe, Heather Heying, Bridget Phetasy, Andrew Sullivan, Meghan Daum, Mona Charen, Dave Rubin, Abigail Shrier, Bari Weiss, Katie Herzog, Corinna Cohn, “Angus Fox,” “Two mothers,” Carole Hooven, and Helen Joyce.
Crittenden is a biological essentialist and sex segregationist:
Denying or glossing over biological differences between men and women doesn’t help anyone — least of all women. As [Hadley] Freeman and others have observed, the legal and institutional brunt of ignoring these differences falls most heavily upon women (we don’t see transmen racing to be admitted to men’s prisons or compete in male sports, for example. Nor are transmen trying to cancel doctors who might recklessly assert their male patients more often than not possess prostate glands).
Crittenden (2022)
Crittenden further explained these positions to Inez Feltscher Stepman:
So that’s kind of the thread that keeps on going through all the conversations we’re having today, and that we’ve seen, I think, really magnified in these debates about trans, or there are 63 genders or whatever, that we’re trying again to deny any credibility to biological differences, to accept that there are biological differences. And the best way to deal with biological differences is to acknowledge them and think about how can we work with those to get the respect and equality and opportunities we all want as women, but without making the opposite sex the enemy. Also, without making the things we feel naturally as men or women somehow suspect or wrong or something we should suppress. If that makes sense.
Fletcher Stepman (2022)
References
Crittenden, Danielle (March 4, 2022). When The Sexes Blur There’s No Sex. The Femsplainers With Danielle Crittenden https://femsplainers.substack.com/p/when-the-sexes-blur-theres-no-sex
Stepman, Inez Feltscher (May 4, 2022). Danielle Crittenden – On Disappearing Feminine Allure, the Heated Battle Between the Sexes, and Whether Feminism Has Always Been Out of Touch. High Noon Podcast https://www.iwf.org/2022/05/04/danielle-crittenden-disappearing-feminine-allure-feminism-out-of-touch/
Frum, David (March 21, 2024) Miranda’s Last Gift. The Atlantic https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2024/05/david-frum-miranda-daughter-grief/677815/
Obituary (February 21, 2024). Miranda Frum. The Globe and Mail https://www.legacy.com/ca/obituaries/theglobeandmail/name/miranda-frum-obituary?id=54427346
Resources
Wikipedia (en.wikipedia.org)
Instagram (instagram.com)
Substack (substack.com)
LinkedIn (linkedin.com)
Fig Tree & Vine (figtreeandvine.com) [archive]
- Lifestyle site “aimed at an affluent Jewish demographic”
Danielle Crittenden (daniellecrittenden.com)
Facebook (facebook.com)
X/Twitter (x.com)
HuffPost (huffpost.com)
“Posie Parker” is a stage name of Kellie-Jay Keen-Minshull, a British anti-transgender extremist. Keen-Minshull is one of the most strident campaigners against trans rights in history. Keen-Minshull’s events often turn into tense standoffs due to gender-critical and fascist supporters.
Background
Kellie-Jay Nyishie Keen was born June 13, 1974 and grew up in Somerset with an older sibling. Keen earned a bachelor’s degree in theology from University of Leeds. Keen worked for Posie Parker photography, Cornhill Publishing (joining as a consultant in 1999), and GDS International.
Keen-Minshull married Ryan Miles Minshulll aka “Max Ford” (born 1974) in 2008. Minshulll runs DigiLive Events. They have four children: Roman, Artemus, Mabel, and Carter. They were all delivered as c-sections. The youngest was born in ~2008, three days after their marriage.
Anti-trans activism
Keen-Minshull is listed as a leader of three entities:
- Standing for Women Limited (incorporated 2023)
- AdultHumanFemale.store Limited (incorporated 2021)
- Woman By Definition Ltd (incorporated 2020, dissolved 2021)
Keen-Minshull is also a special advisor to anti-trans organization Women’s Liberation Front (WoLF).
Out-of-home ad campaigns
In 2018 Keen-Minshull paid for a billboard in Liverpool that said “woman, wʊmən, noun, adult human female,” a slogan used by anti-transgender activists. It was taken down following complaints. Keen-Minshull then had the same message placed in Leeds, which was also taken down.
In 2020 Keen-Minshull paid for a poster that said “I ♥ JK Rowling” to run in an Edinburgh railway station before it was taken down. This inspired Chris Elston and Amy Hamm to do the same thing in Vancouver. It also inspired Speak Up For Women in New Zealand to place billboards in 2021 that said “adult human female.”
Social media
Keen-Minshull has been temporarily and permanently restricted on various social media platforms.
In 2018 gender critical organization Woman’s Place UK said they would no longer be working with Keen-Minshull. Others have expressed similar concerns due to Keen-Minshull’s association with right-wing and fascist activists.
In 2019 Keen-Minshull and Julia Long recorded themselves verbally abusing trans HRC press secretary Sarah McBride at the US Capitol. HRC then criticized religious conservative group The Heritage Foundation for their role in bringing the two to their event. Keen-Minshull has also published attacks on Edinburgh Rape Crisis Centre director Mridul Wadhwa, who is trans.
Keen-Minshull and allies have held anti-trans rallies in Manchester, Bristol, Brighton, Newcastle upon Tyne, and Glasgow. Following a 2020 WoLF conference in New York, Keen-Minshull went to Atlanta for the NCAA Division I Women’s Swimming Championship to protest trans swimmer Lia Thomas. Keen-Minshull then scheduled appearances in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Portland (cancelled), Tacoma, Austin, Chicago, New York, and Belfast. Following a Melbourne event that was attended by Nazis, Keen-Minshull’s Wellington event shut down early and required a police escort due to the thousands of counter-protestors, one of whom doused Keen-Minshull with tomato soup.
After returning to the UK, Keen-Minshull announced the creation of the Party of Women in order to run for office.
Media
Keen-Minshull is a favored source among right-wing and anti-transgender activists:
Keen-Minshull has said about cisgender women who support trans rights:
Each and every one of you women who stand in my way–each and every one of you–let me just tell you, you will be annihilated. Because I genuinely don’t lose.
References
Chudy, Emily (February 4, 2023). Anti-trans activist Posie Parker says women who stand in her way will be ‘annihilated.’ PinkNews https://www.thepinknews.com/2023/02/04/posie-parker-trans-women-annihilated/
Marriott, Leah (July, 24 2020). We find how Posie Parker became a high profile debater and acclaimed podcast host. Blasting News https://uk.blastingnews.com/opinion/2020/07/we-find-how-posie-parker-became-a-high-profile-debater-and-acclaimed-podcast-host-003175400.html
Billson, Chantelle (May 1, 2023). Posie Parker’s Hyde Park rally descends into clash between right-wingers and LGBTQ+ activists. PinkNews https://www.thepinknews.com/2023/05/01/posie-parker-hyde-park-turning-point-uk-police/
McClure, Tess; Graham-McLay, Charlotte (March 26, 2023). Anti-trans activist Posie Parker leaves New Zealand after chaotic protests. The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/mar/25/anti-trans-activist-posie-parker-ends-new-zealand-tour-after-violent-protests-erupt
Elliards, Xander (4 February 2023). “Who is Posie Parker? The controversial anti-trans activist heading to Scotland”. The National. Archived
Fitzsimons, Tim (1 February 2019). “Prominent transgender advocate harassed by anti-trans feminists, video shows”. NBC News. Archived
“Kellie-Jay Keen-Minshull: Who is campaigner Posie Parker and why is she so controversial?”. The New Zealand Herald. 21 March 2023. Archived
“Woman billboard removed after transphobia row”. BBC News. 26 September 2018. Archived
Chudy, Emily (3 February 2023). “Rishi Sunak says a woman is an ‘adult human female’ and ‘biological sex matters'”. PinkNews.
Hyde, Nathan (21 October 2018). “Woman poster removed from Leeds billboard and investigated”. Leeds Live. Archived
Smith, Reiss (3 May 2019). “Anti-trans bathroom sign removed from Dundee train station”. Pink News. Archived
White, Adam (31 July 2020). “An ‘I love JK Rowling poster’ was removed from an Edinburgh train station due to its ‘political nature'”. Insider. Archived
Mowat, Laura (21 March 2019). “Campaigner accused of transphobia says criminal probes into ‘misgendering people’ waste police time”. Yahoo News. Archived
Parsons, Vic (15 October 2019). “Gender-critical feminist Posie Parker in video with white nationalist YouTuber – and a lot of Mumsnet users are fine with it”. Pink News. Archived
Perry, Sophie (16 January 2023). “Gender critical activist quotes Adolf Hitler in speech against trans rights”. Pink News. Archived
Ennis, Dawn (31 October 2022). “Anti-trans activist Kellie-Jay Keen spreads hate across America”. Los Angeles Blade. Archived
Anderson, Anthony (18 March 2023). “Anti-trans speaker’s fans throw Nazi salute amid counter-protest”. News.com.au. Archived
Karp, Paul (21 March 2023). “PM condemns Nazi salutes at anti-trans rally”. The Guardian. Archived
“Posie Parker: Anti-trans rally attracted a range of far-right groups, researchers say”. New Zealand Herald. 28 March 2023. Archived
Cardwell, Hamish (4 April 2023). “Spike in online hate toward trans community after Posie Parker visit – researchers”. Radio New Zealand. Archived from the original
Iasona, Seni (29 March 2023). “Anti-transgender activist Posie Parker announces political party, calls protesters ‘terrorists'”. Newshub. Archived
Resources
Standing for Women (standingforwomen.com)
Adult Human Female Store
YouTube (youtube.com)
Instagram (instagram.com)
X/Twitter (x.com)
TikTok (tiktok.com)
Facebook (facebook.com)
Twitch (twitch.tv)
Gettr (gettr.com)
Andy Ngô is an American writer and anti-transgender activist. Ngô’s coverage of trans topics consistently depicts trans people in a negative light.
Ngô’s writing has appeared many anti-trans publications, including Quillette and The Post Millennial.
Background
Andy Cuong Ngô was born on April 6, 1986 and grew up in Portland, Oregon. Ngô earned a bachelor’s degree from UCLA in 2009.
Ngô came out as gay around age 30.
In 2015, Ngô enrolled in graduate school at Portland State University. Ngô was fired from student newspaper Portland State Vanguard in 2017 after allegedly misrepresenting statements made at a protest.
Ngô organized or filmed campus appearances of:
Ngô covered leftist student protests at Evergreen State University. After that, Ngô became well-known for covering Antifa activity in the Pacific Northwest. Ngô would frequently attend protests and publish mugshots of those arrested. Ngô is author of the 2021 book Unmasked: Inside Antifa’s Radical Plan to Destroy Democracy.
Anti-transgender activism
Ngô was suspended from Twitter in 2019 for a tweet disputing rates of violence against trans people.
In 2021, Ngo revealed that sex offender Darren Agee Merager was the suspect in an incident at Wi Spa in Los Angeles. Merager identifies as a trans woman and was accused by Wi Spa guests of indecent exposure while nude in a sex-segregated part of the spa. The incident was initially declared a hoax by some people who covered it, and it led to tense protests.
Ngô hosted the podcast Things You Should Ngo and has appeared as a guest on many anti-trans shows, including shows by or with Tucker Carlson, Dave Rubin, Peter Boghossian, Allen West, Michael Malice, Charlie Kirk, Adam Carolla, Laura Ingraham, Megyn Kelly, Glenn Beck, Konstantin Kisin, Francis Foster, Jennifer Bilek, Drew Pinsky, Dan Crenshaw, Jesse Kelly, Tim Pool, Julia Hartley-Brewer, Jordan Peterson, Kennedy, Lotuseaters, Maajid Nawaz, Brandi Kruse, Sebastian Gorka, Joe Rogan, Bret Weinstein, Wilfred Reilly, Eric Weinstein, Greg Gutfeld, Ben Shapiro, and Debra Soh.
Ngô has reported from anti-trans events like the LGB Alliance conference and has interviewed many anti-trans figures, including:
References
Urquhart, Evan (June 14, 2023) Did Andy Ngo coin “TRANTIFA”? Assigned Media https://www.assignedmedia.org/breaking-news/did-trantifa-originate-with-andy-ngo
Gais, Hannah (September 11, 2019). The Making of Andy Ngo. Jewish Currents https://jewishcurrents.org/the-making-of-andy-ngo/
Dickson, EJ (September 3, 2019). How a Right-Wing Troll Managed to Manipulate the Mainstream Media. Rolling Stone https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-features/andy-ngo-right-wing-troll-antifa-877914/
Gupta, Arun (August 2019). Portland’s Andy Ngo Is the Most Dangerous Grifter in America. Jacobin https://www.jacobinmag.com/2019/08/andy-ngo-right-wing-antifa-protest-portland-bigotry
Bernstein, Joseph (July 18, 2019). Andy Ngo Has The Newest New Media Career. It’s Made Him A Victim And A Star. BuzzFeed News https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/josephbernstein/andy-ngo-portland-antifa
Griffin, Anna (February 8, 2018). For Immigrants’ Son, Vietnam Trip Led To More Conservative Worldview. Oregon Public Broadcasting https://www.opb.org/news/series/racenw/immigrants-vietnam-oregon-conservative-worldview/
Anti-trans coverage
Singal, Jesse (September 3, 2021). Some Mainstream Outlets Can’t Even Perform Basic Newsgathering Functions Anymore: How Andy Ngo’s coverage of the Wi Spa controversy humiliated Slate, The Guardian, and other outlets. Singal-Minded https://jessesingal.substack.com/p/some-mainstream-outlets-cant-even
Herzog, Katie (December 7, 2018). Anti-Racist Protesters Harass Gay Asian-American Journalist. The Stranger https://www.thestranger.com/politics/2018/12/07/36874512/anti-racist-protesters-harass-gay-asian-american-journalist
Selected writing by Ngô
Ngô, Andy (September 17, 2021). Wi Spa suspect still at large — has history of indecent exposure and masturbation. New York Post https://nypost.com/2021/09/17/wi-spa-suspect-still-at-large-has-history-of-indecent-exposure-and-masturbation/
Ngô, Andy (September 2, 2021). Sex offending suspect claims transgender harassment in Wi Spa case. New York Post https://nypost.com/2021/09/02/charges-filed-against-sex-offender-in-wi-spa-casecharges-filed-against-sex-offender-in-notorious-wi-spa-incident/ [alt headline: Charges filed against Darren Agee Merager in Wi Spa case]
Ngo, Andy (May 12, 2017). Fired for Reporting the Truth. National Review https://www.nationalreview.com/2017/05/free-speech-islam-portland-state-vanguard-editor-fired-tweets/
Media
Peter Boghossian (May 30, 2023). Moving the Needle on Gender Ideology (with Peter Boghossian, Billboard Chris, Andy Ngo, Savanah Hernandez, Matt Thornton, & Honey Badger Mom) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qLtd6NhxFbc
Resources
Trans Data Library (transdatalibrary.org)
- Andy Ngo
- transdatalibrary.org/person/andy-ngo
Andy Ngo (andy-ngo.com)
Locals (ngolocals.com)
Wikipedia (en.wikipedia.org)
Twitter (twitter.com)
Patreon (patreon.com)
SubscribeStar (subscribestar.com)
Instagram (instagram.com)
YouTube (youtube.com)
Facebook (facebook.com)
The Federalist (thefederalist.com)
Caroline Farrow is a British writer and anti-transgender extremist.
Background
Farrow attended Brentwood School, Essex and New Hall School in Chelmsford, Essex.
Farrow worked as an accountant before working as an airline flight crew member. In 2010 Farrow began a pro-Catholic blog. Farrow has served as campaign director for the far-right lobby group CitizenGo.
Farrow is married to a priest named Robin and has five children. They live in Ash, Surrey.
Anti-transgender activism
Farrow has posted on anti-trans trolling site Kiwi Farms as Caroline Farrow, without a pseudonym, which is very unusual. After Farrow made a number of anti-trans comments during a debate with Susie Green on Good Morning Britain, an investigation was opened. Farrow complained about being investigated on a 2019 Quillette podcast hosted by Toby Young.
In 2022 Farrow was arrested at home after many years of harassing, doxxing, and misgendering Stephanie Hayden. Surrey Police said:
“On Monday, 3 October, officers attended an address in the Guildford area as part of an investigation into allegations of malicious communications (sending of indecent, grossly offensive messages, threats, or information) and harassment. A 48-year-old woman was arrested on suspicion of both offences. A number of electronic devices were seized as potential evidence from this address under section 19 of PACE. Where an offence is alleged to have been committed on an electronic device, for example, it may hold a key piece of evidence and may routinely be seized during an investigation. The woman was taken to Guildford police station where she was interviewed. She has now been released under investigation and inquiries remain ongoing.”
In October 2023, Farrow announced that CPS were not proceeding with prosecution because “the evidential test has not been met.”
References
Wakefield, Lily (October 13, 2022). Anti-trans activist Caroline Farrow sues trans woman she’s accused of doxxing. PinkNews https://www.thepinknews.com/2022/10/13/stephanie-hayden-caroline-farrow-arrest-kiwi-farms/
Gomez, Jade (October 6, 2022). Anti-LGBTQ+ J.K. Rowling Ally Arrested For Allegedly Doxxing Trans Activist. Paper https://www.papermag.com/jk-rowling-ally-arrested#rebelltitem2
Wakefield, Lily (October 5 2022). Anti-LGBTQ+ activist Caroline Farrow rages against trans people as she’s being arrested. PinkNews https://www.thepinknews.com/2022/10/05/caroline-farrow-arrest-kiwi-farms-trans/
Gilbert, David (October 6, 2022). J.K. Rowling Ally Arrested for Allegedly Doxing a Trans Activist. Vice News https://www.vice.com/en/article/7k87vq/caroline-farrow-arrested-kiwi-farms
Wakefield, Lily (March 14 2022). JK Rowling sends ‘big love’ to anti-gay, anti-trans, anti-abortion activist Caroline Farrow. PinkNews https://www.thepinknews.com/2022/03/14/caroline-farrow-jk-rowling-trans-twitter/
Reynolds, Daniel (July 3, 2019). Catholic Journalist Slams London Zoo’s ‘Deviant’ Gay Penguins. Advocate.com https://www.advocate.com/people/2019/7/03/catholic-journalist-slams-london-zoos-deviant-gay-penguins
Hill, Amelia (March 20, 2019). Mother drops action against woman who said she ‘mutilated’ trans daughter. The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/society/2019/mar/20/catholic-journalist-investigated-by-police-after-misgendering-trans-woman
Staff report (March 20, 2019). Surrey Police investigation over ‘misgendering’ tweets. BBC https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-surrey-47638527
Anti-trans coverage
Gallagher, Ian (October 9, 2022). Minute by Orwellian minute: Trans row mother-of-five Caroline Farrow recounts her ordeal at the hands of the Twitter police who, she says, should be out fighting REAL crime, after she was arrested for allegedly posting ‘malicious’ comments online. Daily Mail
Lockhart, Alastair; Thorburn, Jacob; Phillips, Jamie (October 5, 2022). Moment police ‘with no search warrant’ swooped on house of gender-critical Catholic mother and arrested her in front of her four children over ‘series of anonymous posts on internet chat board.’ Daily Mail https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11282263/Moment-police-swoop-house-devout-catholic-mother-malicious-online-posts.html
Caldwell, Simon (October 5, 2022). Police arrest Catholic mother over accusations of Twitter gender abuse. The Catholic Herald https://thecatholicherald.com/article/police-arrest-catholic-mother-over-accusations-of-twitter-gender-abuse
Nash, Fiorella (January 24, 2020). UK activist says she was wrongfully denied entrance to the US. Catholic World Report https://www.catholicworldreport.com/2020/01/24/uk-activist-says-she-was-wrongfully-denied-entrance-to-the-us/
Clifton, Katy (March 20, 2019). Police to question Catholic mum-of-five Caroline Farrow for ‘using wrong pronoun to describe transgender girl.’ The Standard https://www.standard.co.uk/news/uk/police-to-question-catholic-mumoffive-caroline-farrow-for-using-wrong-pronoun-to-describe-transgender-girl-a4096246.html
Selected writing by Farrow
Farrow, Caroline (September 7, 2022). I stand with jailed Enoch Burke: He was right to refuse a pupil’s preferred pronouns. Premier Christianity https://www.premierchristianity.com/opinion/i-stand-with-jailed-enoch-burke-he-was-right-to-refuse-a-pupils-preferred-pronouns/13783.article
Media
Quillette Podcast with Toby Young and Caroline Farrow (March 26, 2019). Quillette Podcast 23 – Catholic journalist Caroline Farrow talks about being investigated by the British police for misgendering a transwoman. Quillette https://quillette.com/2019/03/26/quillette-podcast-23-catholic-journalist-caroline-farrow-talks-about-being-investigated-by-the-british-police-for-misgendering-a-transwoman/
Good Morning Britain with Piers Morgan and Caroline Farrow (March 25, 2019). Caroline Farrow on ‘Misgendering’ Tweets Row: ‘I’m Absolutely Not Regretful’ | Good Morning Britain. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rpo4rsZUNPM
Resources
Caroline Farrow (carolinefarrow.net)
X/Twitter (x.com)
Premier Christianity (premierchristianity.com)
CitizenGO (citizengo.org)
Crisis Magazine (crisismagazine.com)
LinkedIn (linkedin.com)
Instagram (instagram.com)
IMDb (imdb.com)
YouTube (youtube.com)
