Julie Bindel is a British author, sex-segregationist, and anti-transgender activist. Bindel is a key historic media figure in British anti-trans activism. Bindel has written hundreds of anti-trans articles for UnHerd, The Guardian, The Critic, Daily Mail. and on a personal Substack.
Background
Julie Bindel was born on July 20, 1962 in Darlington, County Durham, England. At age 17, Bindel moved to Leeds and joined anti-pornography activist organization Leeds Revolutionary Feminist Group. At the time, “Yorkshire Ripper” Peter Sutcliffe was committing serial murders in the area. Bindel described being followed one night in 1980 by someone who appeared similar to Sutcliffe.
In the late 1980s. Bindel became involved in anti-violence campaigns. In 1991, Bindel co-founded Justice for Women, which provided legal support to women who were convicted after resisting violence from men.
From the mid-1990s onward, Bindel worked as a journalist, becoming a regular columnist for The Guardian in the late 1990s. Bindel continued to write for the publication for more than two decades. During the 2000s, Bondel reported on issues including domestic violence, prostitution, trafficking, and the treatment of women in conflict zones.
Bindel has published several books, including Straight Expectations (2014), The Pimping of Prostitution (2017), and Feminism for Women (2021).
Anti-trans activism
Bindel was deeply influenced by anti-trans extremist Janice Raymond and others who frame trans women as a threat to cisgender women.
A 2004 Guardian column by Bindel titled “Gender Benders, beware” led to over 200 letters of complaint. The public pushback was a turning point in Bindel’s anti-trans activism. Bindel apologized for the tone, then began expressing anti-trans views more frequently and stridently over the ensuing decades.
When Stonewall nominated Bindel for Journalist of the Year in 2008, protesters picketed the event.
In 2020, Bindel sued British LGBTQ publicationĀ PinkNewsĀ for libel over an article on abuse within the anti-trans feminist movement. The article did not mention Bindel by name. The case was settled, and both parties released a joint statement.
During 2025 Pride Month, Bindel claimed it was now a “pride of perverts,” writing:
Women like me are sick of being lumped in with trans-identified people, with kinksters, with those that just call themselves ‘asexual’, ‘non-binary’, ‘sapiosexual’ or ‘aromantic’ ā people who are never going to face oppression or discrimination for their sexuality. The Pride movement is redundant.
References
Saunders, Rachel (April 6, 2025). Julie Bindel and the rise of gender critical strife. Medium https://rejserin.medium.com/julie-bindel-and-the-rise-of-gender-critical-strife-6169708b2349
Stone, Gemma (November 28, 2021). No Julie Bindel, Trans People Arenāt To Blame For Cisgender Womenās Fears. Medium https://medium.com/@notCursedE/no-julie-bindle-trans-people-arent-to-blame-for-cisgender-women-s-fears-38cd8d8ec338
Steph (July 23, 2020). Trans Womans Response To The Spectator and Julie Bindel. TransLucent https://translucent.org.uk/a-trans-womans-response-to-the-spectator-and-julie-bindel/
Hime, Lilli (November 14, 2017). Lecture cancelled after students question Julie Bindelās comments on transgender people. Hilltop Views https://www.hilltopviewsonline.com/14748/news/lecture-cancelled-after-students-question-julie-bindels-comments-on-transgender-people/
Hines, S. (2017). The feminist frontier: on trans and feminism. Journal of Gender Studies, 28(2), 145ā157. https://doi.org/10.1080/09589236.2017.1411791
Staff report (October 4, 2015). āTransphobeā Julie Bindel banned from Free Speech debate. Mancunion https://mancunion.com/2015/10/06/transphobe-julie-bindel-banned-from-free-speech-debate/
Roberts, Scott (January 10, 2013). Guardian columnist Julie Bindel: The ātrans cabalā are running a witch hunt. PinkNews https://www.thepinknews.com/2013/01/10/guardian-columnist-julie-bindel-the-trans-cabal-are-running-a-witch-hunt/
Allen, Emma (June 2013). Unpacking Transphobia*. Radical Women https://radicalwomen.org/unpacking-transphobia/
Minou, C. L. (February 1, 2010). Julie Bindel’s dangerous transphobia. The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2010/feb/01/julie-bindel-transphobia
Rearce, Ruth (January 31, 2010). āCensoring Julie Bindelā: a response. Dr Ruth Pearce https://ruthpearce.net/2010/01/31/censoring-julie-bindel-a-response/
Grew, Tony (November 7, 2008). Celebs split over trans protest at Stonewall Awards. PinkNews https://web.archive.org/web/20110629093225/http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-9523.html
(August 3, 2007). Transgenderism ā Bindel condemns, Tatchell defends. BBC & Guardian debate on the ethics of sex change surgery and hormone treatment. https://petertatchell.net/lgbt_rights/transgender/transsexualismbindelcondemns/
Burns, Christine (November 23, 2004). Transsexual People and the Press: Collected Opinions from Transsexual People Themselves. Press For Change http://pfc.org.uk/files/Transsexual_People_and_the_Press.pdf Press for Change. p. 10. [archive]
Anti-trans coverage
Strudwick, Matt (September 7, 2025). Moment women’s rights campaigner and journalist Julie Bindel is thrown out of Pride in Surrey ‘at the behest of the MP for Guildford.’ Daily Mail https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-15074465/Moment-womens-rights-campaigner-journalist-Julie-Bindel-thrown-Pride-Surrey-behest-MP-Guildford.html
Bodkin, Henry (June 25, 2022). Council axes talk by feminist writer because of her views on trans rights. The Telegraph https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2022/06/25/council-axes-talk-feminist-writer-views-trans-rights/
Denham, Jess (September 17, 2013). Death threats force feminist campaigner out of university debate. The Independent https://www.independent.co.uk/student/news/death-threats-force-feminist-campaigner-out-of-university-debate-8821362.html
Mayes, Ian (February 14, 2004). A change, of course. The Guardian.https://www.theguardian.com/media/2004/feb/14/pressandpublishing.comment
Ardehali, Rod (October 14, 2015). ‘Stepford student’ culture threatening free speech. The Telegraph https://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/universityeducation/student-life/11930441/Stepford-student-culture-threatening-free-speech.html
Faye, Sean (February 19, 2016). If you don’t like no-platforming, maybe it’s you who’s the ‘special snowflake’. The Independent https://www.independent.co.uk/voices/if-you-dont-like-no-platforming-maybe-its-you-whos-the-special-snowflake-a6884026.html
Selected writing by Bindel
Bindel, Julie (December 31, 2025). What a terfing year it’s been! Julie Bindel’s writing and podcasts https://juliebindel.substack.com/p/what-a-terfing-year-its-been
Bindel, Julie (December 6, 2025). Why do so many girls in Blackpool want to become boys? Julie Bindel’s writing and podcasts https://juliebindel.substack.com/p/why-do-so-many-girls-in-blackpool-a6a
Bindel, Julie (December 19, 2025). The rabbit rescue centre and the online ‘follow’ that led to a feud with the trans lobby: JULIE BINDEL. Daily Mail https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-15400737/The-rabbit-farm-online-follow-led-feud-trans-lobby-JULIE-BINDEL.html
Bindel, Julie (November 16, 2025). Trans activists still donāt understand the need for womenās refuges. UnHerd https://unherd.com/newsroom/trans-activists-still-dont-understand-the-need-for-womens-refuges/
Bindel, Julie (November 21, 2025). I was in the presence of evil: Being face-to-face in a room with Helen Webberley, the ‘Gender GP’, felt similar to the times I have interviewed rapists and murderers in prison. I was in the midst of a malign presence. Julie Bindel’s writing and podcasts https://juliebindel.substack.com/p/i-was-in-the-presence-of-evil
Bindel, Julie (November 10, 2025). Will Tim Davieās resignation be a fresh start for the BBC? UnHerd https://unherd.com/newsroom/tim-davies-resignation-is-a-fresh-start-for-the-bbc/
Bindel, Julie (November 07, 2025). Sex Change Surgery is Unnecessary Mutilation. Julie Bindel’s writing and podcasts https://juliebindel.substack.com/p/sex-change-surgery-is-unnecessary-c76
Bindel, Julie (October 28, 2025). JULIE BINDEL: Allowing the Trans Taliban to hound and bully women is shameful. Daily Mail https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-15236071/JULIE-BINDEL-Allowing-Trans-Taliban-hound-bully-women-shameful.html
Bindel, Julie (October 24, 2025). GRAHAM LINEHAN: I lost wife, career & pension over trans right tweets ā but Iāll defend womenās safe spaces until madness ends. The Sun https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/37112341/i-lost-wife-career-pension-trans-tweets-graham-linehan/
Bindel, Julie (October 9, 2025). The Green Partyās war on women. UnHerd https://unherd.com/2025/10/the-green-partys-war-on-women/
Bindel, Julie (October 8, 2025). Transsexuality: I used this term in 2009 and no-one objected (to the word, I mean). Julie Bindel’s writing and podcasts https://juliebindel.substack.com/p/transsexuality-i-used-this-term-in
Bindel, Julie (September 26, 2025). John Boyne refuses to be cancelled. UnHerd https://unherd.com/2025/09/john-boyne-refuses-to-be-cancelled/
Bindel, Julie (September 20, 2025). You claim that Andrea Dworkin would have become a ‘trans ally’ do you? Julie Bindel’s writing and podcasts https://juliebindel.substack.com/p/you-claim-that-andrea-dworkin-would
Bindel, Julie (August 12, 2025). The bullying of John Boyne shames the Polari prizes. UnHerd https://unherd.com/newsroom/the-bullying-of-john-boyne-shames-the-polari-prizes/
Bindel, Julie (August 9, 2025). Has the politics of the trans movement damaged academia? Julie Bindel’s writing and podcasts https://juliebindel.substack.com/p/has-the-politics-of-the-trans-movement
Bindel, Julie (June 21, 2025). Transsexual: we used to use that word, back in the day. Julie Bindel’s writing and podcasts https://juliebindel.substack.com/p/transsexual-we-used-to-use-that-word
Bindel, Julie (June 30, 2025). Meet Irelandās gender rebels. UnHerd https://unherd.com/2025/06/meet-irelands-gender-rebels/
Bindel, Julie (May 29, 2025). Robert Wintemute: The Professor of Human Rights Law did an about turn when he realised ‘trans rights’ eroded the rights of women and girls. Julie Bindel’s writing and podcasts https://juliebindel.substack.com/p/robert-wintemute
Bindel, Julie (April 16, 2025). JULIE BINDEL: Shame on the liberals who jumped aboard the trans bandwagon in a cruel betrayal of women and our rights. Daily Mail https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-14619959/JULIE-BINDEL-Shame-liberals-jumped-aboard-trans-bandwagon-cruel-betrayal-women-rights.html
Bindel, Julie (January 6, 2025). What I learned at Terf School. UnHerd https://unherd.com/2025/01/what-i-learned-at-terf-school/
Bindel, Julie (December 10, 2024). The downfall of PinkNews was a long time coming. UnHerd https://unherd.com/newsroom/the-downfall-of-pinknews-was-a-long-time-coming/
Bindel, Julie (November 28, 2024). Supreme Court puzzles over definition of āwoman.ā UnHerd https://unherd.com/newsroom/supreme-court-puzzles-over-definition-of-woman/
Bindel, Julie (November 18, 2024). Police did nothing when I reported yobs attacking cars with a crowbar. But TWO turned up on my doorstep over my tweet, reveals JULIE BINDEL. It’s state harassment and I know who is to blame… Daily Mail https://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-14097445/julie-bindel-police-yobs-crowbar-doorstep-tweet-state-harassment.html
Bindel, Julie (November 14, 2024). Gender: A Luxury Belief. The decadence of transgerism [sic]. Julie Bindel’s writing and podcasts https://juliebindel.substack.com/p/gender-a-luxury-belief
Bindel, Julie (October 24, 2024). How intersectionality killed feminism. UnHerd https://unherd.com/2024/10/how-intersectionality-killed-feminism/
Bindel, Julie (September 16, 2024). Journeys in Genderland. The Critic https://thecritic.co.uk/journeys-in-genderland/
Bindel, Julie (June 8, 2024). Why Scotlandās āwitchesā fought back. UnHerd https://unherd.com/2024/06/why-scotlands-witches-fought-back/
Bindel, Julie (April 11, 2024). The Cass Reportās cowardly converts. UnHerd https://unherd.com/2024/04/the-cass-reports-cowardly-converts/
Bindel, Julie (April 1, 2024). Twenty years a Terf. UnHerd https://unherd.com/2024/04/twenty-years-a-terf/
Bindel, Julie (February 8, 2024). Twenty years a target of the trans cabal. Julie Bindel’s writing and podcasts https://juliebindel.substack.com/p/twenty-years-a-target-of-the-trans
Bindel, Julie (December 9, 2023). Nicola Sturgeonās latest humiliation. UnHerd https://unherd.com/2023/12/nicola-sturgeons-latest-humiliation/
Bindel, Julie (October 12, 2023). Trans activists fail to shut down another feminist event. UnHerd https://unherd.com/newsroom/why-did-trans-activists-try-to-shut-down-my-feminist-event/
Bindel, Julie (September 4, 2023). The desperate plight of trans widows. UnHerd https://unherd.com/2023/09/the-fate-of-indias-trans-widows/
Bindel, Julie (June 24, 2023). Trans-corporate. The Critic https://thecritic.co.uk/trans-corporate/
Bindel, Julie (June 6, 2023). āI was hounded out of Oxfam over JK Rowlingā UnHerd https://unherd.com/2023/06/i-quit-oxfam-over-jk-rowling/
Bindel, Julie (May 30, 2023). āI will never call my rapist father a woman.ā UnHerd https://unherd.com/2023/05/i-will-never-call-my-rapist-father-a-woman/
Bindel, Julie (May 17, 2023). Why is Canada betraying women? UnHerd https://unherd.com/2023/05/why-is-canada-betraying-women/
Bindel, Julie (April 26, 2023). Buck Angel: āWe never denied our biology.ā UnHerd https://unherd.com/2023/04/buck-angel-we-never-denied-our-biology/
Bindel, Julie (April 20, 2023 Did City Uni censor my gender research? UnHerd https://unherd.com/2023/04/did-city-uni-censor-my-gender-research/
Bindel, Julie (March 10, 2023). The Lesbian Project has begun. UnHerd https://unherd.com/2023/03/the-lesbian-project-has-begun/
Bindel, Julie (December 12, 2022). JK Rowling works her magic again. UnHerd https://unherd.com/2022/12/jk-rowling-works-her-magic-again/
Bindel, Julie (November 30, 2022). Why do womenās spaces still need defending? UnHerd https://unherd.com/2022/11/why-do-womens-spaces-still-need-defending/
Bindel, Julie (October 14, 2022). Even Eddie Izzardās fans arenāt convinced. UnHerd https://unherd.com/newsroom/even-eddie-izzards-fans-arent-convinced/
Bindel, Julie (October 10, 2022). The toppling of the trans extremists. UnHerd https://unherd.com/2022/10/the-toppling-of-the-trans-extremists/
Bindel, Julie (October 5, 2022). Mermaids is endangering children. UnHerd https://unherd.com/2022/10/mermaids-is-endangering-children/
Bindel, Julie (September 27, 2022). Sorry Sussex Police, but sex is relevant to sex crimes. UnHerd https://unherd.com/newsroom/sorry-sussex-police-but-sex-is-relevant-to-sex-crimes/
Bindel, Julie (September 21, 2022). Mermaids is a threat to gay rights. UnHerd https://unherd.com/2022/09/mermaids-is-a-threat-to-gay-rights/
Bindel, Julie (September 15, 2022). Scotlandās Tavistock must fall. UnHerd https://unherd.com/2022/09/scotlands-tavistock-must-fall/
Bindel, Julie (September 7, 2022). āWomanā erased from Minister for Equalities job title. UnHerd https://unherd.com/newsroom/woman-erased-from-minister-for-equalities-job-title/
Bindel, Julie (August 11, 2022). Who will put an end to gender ID witch-hunts? UnHerd https://unherd.com/newsroom/who-will-put-an-end-to-gender-id-witch-hunts/
Bindel, Julie (July 28, 2022). Good riddance to the Tavistock Clinic. UnHerd https://unherd.com/newsroom/good-riddance-to-the-tavistock-clinic/
Bindel, Julie (July 28, 2022). How Allison Bailey crushed Stonewall. UnHerd https://unherd.com/2022/07/how-allison-bailey-crushed-stonewall/
Bindel, Julie (July 25, 2022). Stonewall thinks two-year-olds can be trans. UnHerd https://unherd.com/newsroom/stonewall-thinks-two-year-olds-can-be-trans/
Bindel, Julie (June 26, 2022). Nottingham City Council listens to activists, not women. UnHerd https://unherd.com/newsroom/nottingham-city-council-listens-to-activists-not-women/
Bindel, Julie (June 23, 2022). Itās time to say goodbye to the LGBTQ+ flag. UnHerd https://unherd.com/newsroom/its-time-to-say-goodbye-to-the-lgbtq-flag/
Bindel, Julie (June 21, 2022). BBC admits error on trans guest Fallon Fox. UnHerd https://unherd.com/newsroom/bbc-admits-error-on-trans-guest-fallon-fox/
Bindel, Julie (June 7, 2022). I was hounded out of school for ātransphobia.ā UnHerd https://unherd.com/2022/06/i-was-hounded-out-of-school-for-transphobia/
Bindel, Julie (May 27, 2022). New York is betraying rape victims. UnHerd https://unherd.com/2022/05/new-york-is-betraying-rape-victims/
Bindel, Julie (May 25, 2022). QC compares lesbians refusing sex with transwomen to apartheid. UnHerd https://unherd.com/newsroom/qc-compares-lesbians-refusing-sex-with-transwomen-to-apartheid/
Bindel, Julie (April 22, 2022). JULIE BINDEL: What the new book fantasising about the death of JK Rowling tells us about the sickening hypocrisy of publishers today. Daily Mail https://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-10745141/JULIE-BINDEL-book-fantasising-Rowlings-death-tells-publishers.html
Bindel, Julie (April 21, 2022). Trans activists come for the LGB Alliance. UnHerd https://unherd.com/newsroom/trans-activists-come-for-the-lgb-alliance/
Bindel, Julie (April 14, 2022). JK Rowling and the lunch of secrets. UnHerd https://unherd.com/2022/04/jk-rowling-and-the-lunch-of-secrets/
Bindel, Julie (April 13, 2022). Beware of trans affirmation therapy. The Critic https://thecritic.co.uk/beware-of-trans-affirmation-therapy/
Bindel, Julie (April 11, 2022). The corruption of the feminist library. UnHerd https://unherd.com/2022/04/the-corruption-of-the-feminist-library/
Bindel, Julie (March 21, 2022). How gender self-ID is being abused. UnHerd https://unherd.com/2022/03/how-gender-self-id-is-being-abused/
Bindel, Julie (March 17, 2022). Why York University de-platformed me. UnHerd https://unherd.com/newsroom/why-york-university-de-platformed-me/
Bindel, Julie (March 16, 2022). Why is prostitution being pushed on young trans people? The Critic https://thecritic.co.uk/why-is-prostitution-being-pushed-on-young-trans-people/
Bindel, Julie (February 10, 2022). Ceramicist de-platformed for being a āSWERF.ā UnHerd https://unherd.com/newsroom/ceramicist-de-platformed-for-being-a-swerf/
Bindel, Julie (January 13, 2022). Sexists in gay armour. The Critic https://thecritic.co.uk/sexists-in-gay-armour/
Bindel, Julie (December 19, 2021). The Scout Association apologises to Maya Forstater over āmisgendering.ā UnHerd https://unherd.com/newsroom/scout-association-apologises-to-maya-forstater/
Bindel, Julie (November 27, 2021). Women are being sold down the river ā by charities terrified of the trans mob, writes JULIE BINDEL, co-founder of Justice for Women. Daily Mail https://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-10249631/Women-sold-river-charities-terrified-trans-mob-writes-JULIE-BINDEL.html
Bindel, Julie (November 26, 2021). Janice Raymond: the original Terf. UnHerd https://unherd.com/2021/11/meet-the-original-terf/
Bindel, Julie (November 23, 2021). The sinister stunt against JK Rowling. UnHerd https://unherd.com/newsroom/the-sinister-stunt-against-jk-rowling/
Bindel, Julie (November 20, 2021). Why I sued PinkNews. UnHerd https://unherd.com/2021/11/why-i-sued-pinknews/
Bindel, Julie (November 10, 2021). Protect the female estate. The Critic https://thecritic.co.uk/protect-the-female-estate/
Bindel, Julie (November 10, 2021). The BBC finally dumps Stonewall. UnHerd https://unherd.com/newsroom/the-bbc-finally-dumps-stonewall/
Bindel, Julie (November 4, 2021). Kathleen Stock: I wonāt be silenced. UnHerd https://unherd.com/2021/11/kathleen-stock-i-wont-be-silenced/
Bindel, Julie (October 28, 2021). The return of lesbian pride. UnHerd https://unherd.com/2021/10/the-return-of-lesbian-pride/
Bindel, Julie (October 16, 2021). The misogyny of trans activists. UnHerd https://unherd.com/newsroom/the-misogyny-of-trans-activists/
Bindel, Julie (October 15, 2021). Trans activismās war on solidarity. UnHerd https://unherd.com/2021/10/trans-activisms-war-on-solidarity/
Bindel, Julie (September 8, 2021). No Judith Butler, gender-critical feminists arenāt āfascists.ā UnHerd https://unherd.com/newsroom/no-judith-butler-gender-critical-feminists-arent-fascists/
Bindel, Julie (August 11, 2021). The University of Essex abandons its faculty to ideologues. UnHerd https://unherd.com/newsroom/the-university-of-essex-abandons-its-faculty-to-ideologues/
Bindel, Julie (August 3, 2021). āPreferred pronounsā are a form of sexist bullying. UnHerd https://unherd.com/newsroom/preferred-pronouns-are-a-form-of-sexist-bullying/
Bindel, Julie (July 23, 2021). You canāt silence a feminist. UnHerd https://unherd.com/2021/07/you-cant-silence-a-feminist/
Bindel, Julie (June 17, 2021). The Fawcett Society has let women down. UnHerd https://unherd.com/newsroom/the-fawcett-society-has-let-women-down/
Bindel, Julie (June 4, 2021). Universities have destroyed feminism. UnHerd https://unherd.com/2021/06/universities-have-destroyed-feminism/
Bindel, Julie (March 9, 2021). The Miller case exposes the tyranny of trans activism. UnHerd https://unherd.com/newsroom/the-miller-case-exposes-the-tyranny-of-trans-activism/
Bindel, Julie (February 9, 2021). Why is gender studies promoting anti-women literature? UnHerd https://unherd.com/newsroom/why-is-gender-studies-promoting-anti-women-literature/
Bindel, Julie (October 21, 2020). Why wonāt the BBC stand up for feminism? UnHerd https://unherd.com/newsroom/why-wont-the-bbc-stand-up-for-feminism/
Bindel, Julie (October 12, 2020). Feminismās dangerous new allies. UnHerd https://unherd.com/2020/10/feminisms-dangerous-new-allies/
Bindel, Julie (October 2, 2020). End the silence on gender identity services. UnHerd https://unherd.com/newsroom/end-the-silence-on-gender-identify-services/
Bindel, Julie (September 23, 2020). Why women suffer most from cancel culture. UnHerd https://unherd.com/newsroom/why-women-suffer-most-from-cancel-culture/
Bindel, Julie (August 26, 2020). Stop searching for the āgay gene.ā UnHerd https://unherd.com/2020/08/stop-searching-for-the-gay-gene/
Bindel, Julie (August 25, 2020). Yet another feminist burned at the stake. UnHerd https://unherd.com/newsroom/yet-another-feminist-burned-at-the-stake/
Bindel, Julie (August 11, 2020). Emma Watson, accidental Thatcherite. UnHerd https://unherd.com/newsroom/emma-watsons-neoliberal-nonsense/
Bindel, Julie (May 11, 2020). Why are we placing high-risk trans sex offenders in womenās prisons? UnHerd https://unherd.com/newsroom/why-are-we-placing-trans-sex-offenders-in-womens-prisons/
Bindel, Julie (April 21, 2020). Donāt let the word ālesbianā go out of fashion. UnHerd https://unherd.com/newsroom/lets-not-let-the-word-lesbian-go-out-of-fashion/
Bindel, Julie (April 3, 2020). The Orban decree is scary ā but itās about more than trans rights. UnHerd https://unherd.com/newsroom/the-orban-decree-is-scary-but-its-about-more-than-trans-rights/
Bindel, Julie (March 19, 2020). The appalling treatment of Suzanne Moore. UnHerd https://unherd.com/newsroom/the-appalling-treatment-of-suzanne-moore/
Bindel, Julie (February 28, 2020). Feminismās job is far from finished. UnHerd https://unherd.com/2020/02/feminisms-job-is-far-from-finished/
Bindel, Julie (December 20, 2019). What if you regret transitioning? UnHerd https://unherd.com/2019/12/the-nhs-is-failing-trans-kids/
Bindel, Julie (October 18, 2019). Donāt you dare ask my pronouns. UnHerd https://unherd.com/2019/10/dont-you-dare-ask-my-pronouns/
Bindel, Julie (April 16, 2019). The birth of the transsexual empire. UnHerd https://unherd.com/2019/04/the-transsexual-empire/
Bindel, Julie (March 20, 2019). How transgender turf wars put lives in danger. UnHerd https://unherd.com/2019/03/how-transgender-turf-wars-put-lives-in-danger/
Bindel, Julie (December 21, 2018). What does gender have to do with genitals? UnHerd https://unherd.com/2018/12/what-does-gender-have-to-do-with-genitals/
Bindel, Julie (October 24, 2018). Why woke keyboard warriors should respect their elders. UnHerd https://unherd.com/2018/10/woke-keyboard-warriors-respect-elders/
Bindel, Julie (October 10, 2018). Why the transbullies are a threat to us all. UnHerd https://unherd.com/2018/10/why-the-transbullies-are-a-threat-to-us-all/
Bindel, Julie (September 10, 2018). The Left has forgotten what feminism looks like. UnHerd https://unherd.com/2018/09/left-forgotten-feminism-looks-like/
Bindel, Julie (August 2, 2018). Whatās wrong with these closed-minded snowflakes? UnHerd https://unherd.com/2018/08/whats-wrong-closed-minded-snowflakes/
Bindel, Julie (June 27, 2018). Who let the thought police invade our universities? UnHerd https://unherd.com/2018/06/let-thought-police-invade-universities/
Bindel, Julie (March 19, 2018). Why you canāt rely on the news media to understandā¦ trans issues. UnHerd https://unherd.com/2018/03/cant-rely-news-media-understand-trans-issues/
Bindel, Julie (November 8, 2008). It’s not me. It’s you. The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2008/nov/08/lesbianism
Bindel, Julie (2008). 2008 Statement from Julie Bindel. Idge of Reason https://idgeofreason.wordpress.com/2013/09/12/2008-statement-from-julie-bindel/
Bindel, Julie (August 1, 2007). My trans mission. The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2007/aug/01/mytransmission
Bindel, Julie (March 14, 2007). An end to gender. The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2007/mar/14/juliebindel
Bindel, Julie (January 31, 2004). Gender benders, beware. The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/world/2004/jan/31/gender.weekend7
Media
Julie Bindel with Ray Blanchard (October 9, 2025). The man that coined the term ‘autogynephilia.’ https://juliebindel.substack.com/p/the-man-that-coined-the-term-autogynephilia-efa
Julie Bindel with Linda Riley (May 20, 2025). Does Linda Riley, former owner of Diva Magazine, REALLY believe in gender ideology? https://juliebindel.substack.com/p/does-linda-riley-former-owner-of
Resources
RationalWiki (rationalwiki.org)
Wikipedia (en.wikipedia.org)
Julie Bindel (thejuliebindel.com)
Justice for Women (justiceforwomen.org.uk)
X/Twitter (x.com)
Substack (substack.com)
The Guardian (theguardian.com)
UnHerd (unherd.com)
The Critic (thecritic.co.uk)
New Statesman (newstatesman.com)
Andrew Sullivan is a conservative gay cultural critic and anti-transgender extremist. The Advocate noted that Sullivan “represents everything wrong with the gay rights movement.”
Sullivan is an LGB separatist who subscribes to the “gay erasure” conspiracy theory that healthcare for trans and gender diverse youth is a plan to eliminate gay, lesbian, and bisexual people.
Sullivan says Catholic upbringing and values inform this conservatism. Sullivan’s gender critical views include:
- Criticizing legal protections based on gender identity
- Criticizing affirmative care for gender diverse youth
- Promoting the ex-transgender movement
- Stating that trans youth should wait until 16 for health services
- Citing anti-trans research like Lisa Littman’s “rapid onset gender dysphoria“
Sullivan believes that āStonewall was the downfall of the gay movementā and that āthe gay movement was hijacked in the seventiesā by activists.
Sullivan is a board member of anti-trans group Foundation Against Intolerance & Racism.
Background
In 1986, Sullivan took a role at The New Republic, rising to editor in 1991 before being fired in 1996. Sullivan’s 1989 article “Here Comes the Groom” is frequently cited as an important moment in shifting conservative opinion on marriage equality.
Sullivan wrote for The New York Times Magazine from 1998 until getting fired in 2002. During that time Sullivan started a blog called The Dish that ran until 2015. From 2016 to 2020 Sullivan wrote for New York magazine, then moved to Substack.
Anti-trans activism
Sullivan frequently appears in the media to attack trans people, especially gender diverse children.
Sullivan has collaborated with anti-trans activists, including Katie Herzog, Megyn Kelly, Bill Maher, Konstantin Kisin, and Francis Foster.
Podcast
In October 2020, Sullivan began the Dishcast, which has hosted many anti-trans activists, including David Frum, Michelle Goldberg, Rod Dreher, Eric Kaufmann, Lionel Shriver, Nellie Bowles, Bill Maher, Richard Dawkins, Abigail Shrier, Carole Hooven, Pamela Paul, Leor Sapir, Vivek Ramaswamy, Hannah Barnes, Nicholas Wade, Ben Appel, Matt Taibbi, Glen Loury, Louise Perry, David French, Douglas Murray, Bari Weiss, Jonathan Haidt, Kathleen Stock, Christopher Rufo, Michael Shellenberger, Ann Coulter, Steven Pinker, Ross Douthat, Wesley Yang, Katie Herzog, Charles Murray, Niall Ferguson, Julie Bindel, Emily Yoffe, Sally Satel, Glenn Greenwald, Kmele Foster, Caitlin Flanagan, Meghan Daum, Matt Yglesias, and Coleman Hughes.
Sullivan has also hosted conservative trans activist Buck Angel, ex-trans activist Helena Kerschner, and centrist trans activists Mara Keisling and Dana Beyer.
References
Reis, Elizabeth (July 16, 2025). Our Bodies, Our Decisions: A Response to Andrew Sullivanās NYT Essay. Nursing Clio https://nursingclio.org/2025/07/16/our-bodies-our-decisions-a-response-to-andrew-sullivans-nyt-essay/
Lieberman, Tucker (Jul 6, 2025). 15 Ways Andrew Sullivanās NYT Essay Undermines Trans Adults. Medium https://tuckerlieberman.medium.com/15-ways-andrew-sullivan-nyt-trans-adults-ed903b683611
Bianco, Marcie (July 2, 2025). Andrew Sullivan represents everything wrong with the gay rights movement. The Advocate https://www.advocate.com/voices/andrew-sullivan-everything-wrong
Urquhart, Evan (June 26, 2025). NYT Publishes Andrew Sullivanās Incoherent Mishmash of Anti-Trans Politics. Assigned Media https://www.assignedmedia.org/breaking-news/new-york-times-andrew-sullivan-incoherant-anti-trans-politics
Brantley, Will [editor] (2024). Conversations with Sarah Schulman. University Press of Mississippi, ISBN 978-1-4968-4836-9 https://doi.org/10.2307/jj.10782311.10
Finke, Leigh (April 28, 2021). From Andrew Sullivan to Terry Schilling: Framing Transition as Evil. The Advocate https://www.advocate.com/commentary/2021/4/28/andrew-sullivan-terry-schilling-framing-transition-evil
Marr, Rhuaridh (December 30, 2020). Gay conservative Andrew Sullivan complains about lesbians ābecoming menā in anti-trans column. Sullivan’s complaints about lesbian women not tending to him while sick led to confusion on Twitter. Metro Weekly https://www.metroweekly.com/2020/12/gay-conservative-andrew-sullivan-complains-about-lesbians-becoming-men-in-anti-trans-column/
Schindler, Paul (February 1, 2018). The Trouble With Andrew Sullivan. Gay City News https://gaycitynews.com/the-trouble-with-andrew-sullivan/
Belonsky, Andrew (October 12, 2007). Andrew Sullivan Supports Barney Frank. Queerty http://www.queerty.com/andrew-sullivan-supports-barney-frank-20071012/
Anti-trans coverage
Coyne, Jerry (June 26, 2025). An important article by Andrew Sullivan. Why Evolution Is True https://whyevolutionistrue.com/2025/06/26/an-important-article-by-andrew-sullivan/
Hays, Gabriel (June 26, 2025). Gay journalist says LGBTQ movement has gone from civil rights success to āmadness.ā Fox News https://nypost.com/2025/06/26/us-news/gay-journalist-says-lgbtq-movement-has-gone-from-civil-rights-success-to-madness/
Selected writing by Sullivan
Sullivan, Andrew (June 26, 2025). How the Gay Rights Movement Radicalized, and Lost Its Way. New York Times https://www.nytimes.com/2025/06/26/opinion/gay-lesbian-trans-rights.html alt headline: Gay People Won. So Why Does It Feel As if Weāre Losing?
Sullivan, Andrew (October 18, 2024). Rachel Levine Must Resign. Substack https://andrewsullivan.substack.com/p/rachel-levine-must-resign
Sullivan, Andrew (April 12, 2024). Will Big Trans Be Held To Account? The Cass Report has definitively destroyed their case for child sex-changes. Substack https://andrewsullivan.substack.com/p/will-big-trans-be-held-to-account-3ad
Sullivan, Andrew (March 15, 2024). The Transqueers Take The Mask Off: Judith Butler and Andrea Long Chu explain their gender revolution. It’s wild! Substack https://andrewsullivan.substack.com/p/the-transqueers-take-the-mask-off-f7c
Sullivan, Andrew (February 2, 2024). The Meaningless Incoherence Of “LGBTQ+.” Substack https://andrewsullivan.substack.com/p/the-meaningless-incoherence-of-lgbtq-d47
Sullivan, Andrew (June 23, 2023). Gay Rights And The Limits Of Liberalism. Substack https://andrewsullivan.substack.com/p/gay-rights-and-the-limits-of-liberalism-be4
Sullivan, Andrew (May 19, 2023). The Queers Versus The Homosexuals. Substack https://andrewsullivan.substack.com/p/the-queers-versus-the-homosexuals-cfd
Sullivan, Andrew (March 24, 2023). Culture War Politics And The English Language. Substack https://andrewsullivan.substack.com/p/culture-war-politics-and-the-english-706
Sullivan, Andrew (April 8, 2022). Who Is Looking Out For Gay Kids? Substack https://andrewsullivan.substack.com/p/who-is-looking-out-for-gay-kids-a19
Sullivan, Andrew (February 18, 2022). The Backlash Against Trans Extremism. Substack https://andrewsullivan.substack.com/p/the-backlash-against-trans-extremism
Sullivan, Andrew (February 18, 2022). The Trans Movement Is Not About Rights Anymore. Substack https://andrewsullivan.substack.com/p/the-trans-movement-is-not-about-rights-67e
Sullivan, Andrew (October 8, 2021). Dave Chappelle Is Right, Isn’t He? The comedian defends reality. Which is currently under siege. Substack https://andrewsullivan.substack.com/p/dave-chappelle-is-right-isnt-he-b23
Sullivan, Andrew (April 9, 2021). A Truce Proposal in the Trans Wars. Substack https://andrewsullivan.substack.com/p/a-truce-proposal-in-the-trans-wars-c49
Ring, Trudy (July 15, 2020). Right-Leaning Out Journalists Bari Weiss, Andrew Sullivan Leave Posts. The Advocate https://www.advocate.com/media/2020/7/15/right-leaning-out-journalists-bari-weiss-andrew-sullivan-leave-posts
Sullivan, Andrew (November 1, 2019). The Hard Questions About Young People and Gender Transitions. Intelligencer http://nymag.com/intelligencer/2019/11/andrew-sullivan-hard-questions-gender-transitions-for-young.html
Sullivan, Andrew (September 20, 2019). When the Ideologues Come for the Kids. Intelligencer https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2019/09/andrew-sullivan-when-the-ideologues-come-for-the-kids.html
Sullivan, Andrew (February 1, 2019). The Nature of Sex. Intelligencer https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2019/02/andrew-sullivan-the-nature-of-sex.html
Ennis, Dawn (January 28, 2015). Andrew Sullivan Says Goodbye to the Blogosphere. The Advocate https://www.advocate.com/politics/media/2015/01/28/andrew-sullivan-says-goodbye-blogosphere
Sullivan, Andrew (June 2, 2014). Engaging The T. The Dish https://dish.andrewsullivan.com/threads/engaging-the-t/
Kornbluth, Jesse (April 11, 2011). Profile of Andrew Sullivan, blogger supreme. Harvard Magazine https://www.harvardmagazine.com/2011/04/worlds-best-blogger
Sullivan, Andrew (August 28, 1989). Here Comes The Groom: A (conservative) case for gay marriage. The New Republic https://newrepublic.com/article/79054/here-comes-the-groom
Media
The Dishcast with Andrew Sullivan and Brianna Wu (December 27, 2024). Brianna Wu On Trans Life. https://andrewsullivan.substack.com/p/brianna-wu-on-trans-life
Club Random with Bill Maher and Andrew Sullivan (March 2, 2023). Why Being Gay is now considered Bigoted w/ Andrew Sullivan. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H-Gf3RRGDM0
Megyn Kelly and Andrew Sullivan (October 10, 2022). The Lies of “Gender Affirming Care” Grow More Extreme, with Andrew Sullivan. The Megyn Kelly Show https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c87CuvD5j24
TRIGGERnometry with Konstantin Kisin, Francis Foster, and Andrew Sullivan (June 29, 2022) Andrew Sullivan: “Leave Kids the F*ck Alone!” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K8f_f-lhuUw
Real Time with Bill Maher, Katie Herzog, Andrew Sullivan, and Christine Emba (June 24, 2022). Overtime: Andrew Sullivan, Katie Herzog, Christine Emba | Real Time with Bill Maher (HBO). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G7QITC__mV4
Andrew Sullivan with Mara Keisling (February 26, 2021). Mara Keisling On The Trans Debate. https://andrewsullivan.substack.com/p/mara-keisling-on-the-trans-debate
Andrew Sullivan with Dana Beyer (November 27, 2020). Dana Beyer On Her Trans Victories, The Science Of Sex, And The Tensions Within “LGBTQ.” Substack https://andrewsullivan.substack.com/p/dana-beyer-on-her-trans-victories
Resources
Andrew Sullivan (andrewsullivan.com)
X/Twitter (x.com)
Substack (substack.com)
Wikipedia (en.wikipedia.org)
Facebook (facebook.com)
The Atlantic (theatlantic.com)
New York Magazine (https://nymag.com/author/andrew-sullivan/)
Digital Riptide (digitalriptide.org)
New York Times (nytimes.com)
The New Republic (newrepublic.com)
Slate (slate.com)
Big Think (bigthink.com)
YouTube (youtube.com)
The New Yorker (newyorker.com)
The Daily Beast (thedailybeast.com)
C-SPAN (c-span.org)
IMDb (imdb.com)
Foundation Against Intoleranve & Racism (fairforall.org)
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