The Manhattan Statement on Higher Education: 2025 anti-trans manifesto

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The Manhattan Statement on Higher Education is a 2025 group letter signed by many key figures in anti-trans activism.

Among the grievances they list is trans healthcare for minors:

“The universities have contributed to a new kind of tyranny, with publicly funded initiatives designed to advance the cause of digital censorship, public health lockdowns, child sex-trait modification, race-based redistribution, and other infringements on America’s long-standing rights and liberties.”

Signatories

• Christopher Rufo, Manhattan Institute
• Jordan Peterson, University of Toronto
• Bishop Robert Barron, Diocese of Winona-Rochester
• Virginia Foxx, United States Congress
• Victor Davis Hanson, Hoover Institution
• Niall Ferguson, Hoover Institution
• Ayaan Hirsi Ali, HHoover Institution
• Sergiu Klainerman, Princeton University
• Omar Sultan Haque, Harvard University
• Joshua Rauh, Stanford University
• John Cochrane, Stanford University
• Iván Marinovic, Stanford University
• Dorian Abbot, University of Chicago
• Joshua Mitchell, Georgetown University
• Carol Swain, Vanderbilt University
• Bradley Thompson, Clemson University
• Gad Saad, Concordia University
• Lee Jussim, Rutgers University
• Eric Kaufmann, University of Buckingham
• J.D. Haltigan, University of Buckingham
• Alex Priou, University of Austin
• Peter Boghossian, University of Austin
• Pavlos Papadopoulos, Wyoming Catholic College
• Pedro Domingos, University of Washington
• Dan Bonevac, University of Texas
• Luciano de Castro, University of Iowa
• Brandon Warmke, University of Florida
• Bryan Caplan, George Mason University
• Adam Kolasinski, Texas A&M University
• Joshua Katz, American Enterprise Institute
• Christina Hoff-Sommers, American Enterprise Institute
• Solveig Gold, American Council of Trustees and Alumni
• Jay Greene, Heritage Foundation
• Scott Yenor, Claremont Institute
• Jim Piereson, Manhattan Institute
• Peter Wood, National Association of Scholars
• Yoram Hazony, Edmund Burke Foundation
• Ben Shapiro, Daily Wire
• Rich Lowry, National Review
• Roger Kimball, The New Criterion
• Daniel McCarthy, Modern Age
• Mark Bauerlein, First Things
• David Rieff, Author

References

Hollyfield, Jerod Ra’Del (August 4, 2025). No Country for Coeds: How the Right’s scorched-Earth approach to higher ed compromises its fundamental principles. The Pamphleteer https://pamphleteer.co/post/no-country-for-coeds/

Wilson, John K. (July 28, 2025). The Manhattan Statement: A Debate. Eric Kaufmann responds to John K. Wilson’s criticisms of a conservative group’s “new contract” for higher ed. Inside Higher Ed https://www.insidehighered.com/opinion/columns/debatable-ideas/2025/07/28/manhattan-statement-debate

Wilson, John K. (July 22, 2025). The Dangers of the Manhattan Statement. Inside Higher Ed https://www.insidehighered.com/opinion/columns/debatable-ideas/2025/07/22/dangers-manhattan-statement

Olson, Walter (July 22, 2025). A Manhattan Institute Manifesto Would Give this President Sweeping Power to Force University Compliance with Right-Wing Demands. The UnPopulist https://www.theunpopulist.net/p/a-manhattan-institute-manifesto-would

Quinn, Ryan (July 15, 2025). Rufo, Shapiro, Others Request New Higher Ed ‘Contract.’ Inside Higher Ed https://www.insidehighered.com/news/quick-takes/2025/07/15/rufo-shapiro-others-ask-trump-new-higher-ed-contract

Anti-trans coverage

Muehlenberg, Bill (July 24, 2025). The Manhattan Statement: A Bold Blueprint to Rescue Higher Education. The Daily Declaration https://dailydeclaration.org.au/2025/07/24/manhattan-statement/

Carvalho, Carlos (July 17, 2025). The Crisis That Led to UATX: President Carlos Carvalho on the Manhattan Statement on Higher Education. University of Austin https://uatx.substack.com/p/the-crisis-that-led-to-uatx

Rufo, Christopher F. (July 17, 2025). The Manhattan Statement on Higher Education. City Journal https://www.city-journal.org/article/manhattan-statement-higher-education-universities

Rufo, Christopher F. (July 14, 2025). How to Save Higher Ed—and End the Serial Abuse of American Taxpayers. The Free Press https://www.thefp.com/p/the-president-wants-to-fix-higher-education-policy-reform-campus-university

Resources

Manhattan Institute and signatories (July 15, 2025). The Manhattan Statement on Higher Education. https://manhattan.institute/article/the-manhattan-statement-on-higher-education