Emily Yoffe is an American author and anti-transgender activist. Yoffe’s anti-trans coverage in The Free Press was rewarded by the Trump administration, which gave Yoffe the exclusive on their January 2025 executive order “Defending Women from Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government.”
Background
Emily Joy Yoffe was born October 15, 1955. Yoffe graduated from Wellesley College in 1977.
In 1994 Yoffe married reporter John Douglas Mintz (born 1952). Their child Eliora Rose Mintz (born 1995) is a lawyer.
Yoffe wrote the “Dear Prudence” advice column for Slate from 2006 to 2015.
Anti-transgender activism
In 2020, Yoffe signed the “Harper’s Letter,” which featured many other anti-trans activists in Yoffe’s circle.
Yoffe was a frequent guest on anti-transgender podcast The Femsplainers hosted by Danielle Crittenden and Christina Hoff Sommers.
Yoffe contributed to the anti-trans publication The Free Press in 2022 and joined the staff later that year.
Jamie Reed allegations
In 2023, Jamie Reed came forward to complain about treatment protocols at employer Washington University Transgender Center at St. Louis Children’s Hospital. Republican Ernie Trakas joined Vernadette Broyles in representing Reed. Both are involved in the Child and Parental Rights Campaign, which claims “gender ideology” is a threat to children.
Yoffe interviewed Reed with Broyles and Bari Weiss.
“Caroline” allegations
Also in 2023, Yoffe followed up with a self-report from “Caroline,” an unsupportive parent of “Casey,” who attended the St. Louis Clinic. “Casey”disputed Yoffe’s reporting, feeling it was necessary to do so under the actual name Alex:
My name is Alex. Emily Yoffe and Bari Weiss worked in cooperation with my mom to write an article about our experience with Washington University. The article is filled with falsehoods and misconceptions. Now, my family is being threatened with legal action from big-time lawyers and we need help paying for legal defense. More at https://twitter.com/sleepyoktobur/status/1643347040250781706?s=46
(GoFundMe)
Yoffe has since uplifted other anti-trans activists, including Jesse Singal, Leor Sapir, J. Michael Bailey, and Lisa Selin Davis.
Eithan Haim and children’s stolen medical records
In May 2024, Texas surgeon Eithan Haim was charged with illegally obtaining the private medical records of pediatric patients receiving gender transition care at Texas Children’s Hospital and sharing them with anti-trans activist Christopher Rufo. Yoffe presented Haim as a heroic truth-teller in several Free Press articles. In 2025, the Trump administration dropped the charges against Haim.
References
Burns, Katelyn (April 13, 2023 11:59). Won’t somebody think of the children? OPINION: When media publish trans kids’ medical histories without their full consent, they thrust them into a harmful spotlight. Xtra* https://xtramagazine.com/health/trans-kids-free-press-249066
McNeill, Zane (April 11, 2023). Trans Teen Calls Out Right-Wing Reporter for Publishing Story Without Consent. Truthout https://truthout.org/articles/trans-teen-calls-out-right-wing-reporter-for-publishing-story-without-consent/
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
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
Hansford, Amelia (April 6, 2023). Teen hits back after mum shares fake news about puberty blockers: ‘This is my story, not hers.’ PinkNews https://www.thepinknews.com/2023/04/06/puberty-blockers-transition-story-the-free-press/
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
Bassett, Laura (April 4, 2023). Gender Fluid Teen Pushes Back Against ‘False’ Viral Story Their Mom Gave to Conservative Outlet. Jezebel https://jezebel.com/gender-fluid-teen-pushes-back-against-false-viral-story-1850301057
Schrappen, Colleen (March 5, 2023. Parents push back on allegations against St. Louis transgender center. ‘I’m baffled..’ STLtoday.com https://www.stltoday.com/news/local/metro/parents-push-back-on-allegations-against-st-louis-transgender-center-i-m-baffled/article_a94bc4d2-e68b-535f-b0c7-9fefb9e8e9f4.html
Hanshaw, Annelise (March 1, 2023). Families dispute whistleblower’s allegations against St. Louis transgender center. Missouri Independent https://missouriindependent.com/2023/03/01/transgender-st-louis-whistleblower/
Munz, Michele (February 19, 2023). Choice of lawyers for whistleblower at St. Louis transgender clinic taints her motive, critics say. St. Louis Post-Dispatch https://www.stltoday.com/news/local/metro/choice-of-lawyers-for-whistleblower-at-st-louis-transgender-clinic-taints-her-motive-critics-say/article_7b36198a-af0d-57cf-a06c-f45952b3b307.html
Hail Flory, Julie (February 9, 2023). Statement on Transgender Center – The Source – Washington University in St. Louis. The Source https://source.wustl.edu/2023/02/statement-on-transgender-center/
Missouri Attorney General’s Office (February 9, 2023). Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey Confirms Launch of Multi-Agency Investigation into St. Louis Transgender Center for Harming Hundreds of Children. https://ago.mo.gov/home/news/2023/02/09/missouri-attorney-general-andrew-bailey-confirms-launch-of-multi-agency-investigation-into-st.-louis-transgender-center-for-harming-hundreds-of-children
Cruz, Eliel (August 28, 2014). GLAAD Condemns Slate‘s Emily Yoffe’s Advice. The Advocate https://www.advocate.com/bisexuality/2014/08/28/glaad-condemns-slates-emily-yoffes-advice
Staff report (September 18, 1994). Weddings – Emily J. Yoffe, John D. Mintz. New York Times https://www.nytimes.com/1994/09/18/style/weddings-emily-j-yoffe-john-d-mintz.html
Selected anti-trans writing by Yoffe
Yoffe, Emily (June 18, 2025). The End of Youth Gender Transition? The Free Press https://www.thefp.com/p/the-end-of-youth-gender-transition
Yoffe, Emily (January 24, 2025). Eithan Haim: ‘We Took On the Federal Leviathan and We Won.’ The Free Press https://www.thefp.com/p/eithan-haim-we-took-on-the-federal
Yoffe, Emily (January 19, 2025). EXCLUSIVE: Trump’s Day One Executive Order on ‘Male and Female.’ The Free Press https://www.thefp.com/p/trumps-day-one-executive-order-male-female-gender-ideology-pronouns
Yoffe, Emily (June 18, 2024). Whistleblower Surgeon Could Face a Decade in Prison. The Free Press https://www.thefp.com/p/whistleblower-surgeon-eithan-haim-prison
Yoffe, Emily (June 10, 2024). A Doctor Told the Truth. The Feds Showed Up at His Door. The Free Press https://www.thefp.com/p/eithan-haim-gender-distressed-children-indicted
Yoffe, Emily (April 3, 2023). ‘I Felt Bullied’: Mother of Child Treated at Transgender Center Speaks Out. The Free Press https://www.thefp.com/p/i-felt-bullied-mother-of-child-treated
Yoffe, Emily (February 14, 2023). Jamie Reed Blows the Whistle on Pediatric Gender Care. The Free Press. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_6sPG7gleOs&t=631s
Yoffe, Emily (June 27, 2022). Biden’s Sex Police. The Free Press https://www.thefp.com/p/bidens-sex-police
Yoffe, Emily (July 21, 2020). A Taxonomy of Fear: There is a pattern in the way speech is silenced. Understanding it can help us stand up to the illiberalism of this moment. Persuasion https://www.persuasion.community/p/a-taxonomy-of-fear
Yoffe, Emily and signatories (July 7, 2020). A Letter on Justice and Open Debate. Harper’s https://harpers.org/a-letter-on-justice-and-open-debate/
Yoffe, Emily (March 20, 2014). Dear Prudence Need to Know: My ex didn’t reveal she was transgender—until her sister told me. Slate https://slate.com/human-interest/2014/03/dear-prudence-my-ex-didnt-tell-me-she-was-transgender-until-i-confronted-her.html
Yoffe, Emily (November 20, 2012). He Becomes Her: In a live chat, Prudie advises a woman falling out of love with her transgender husband. Slate https://slate.com/human-interest/2012/11/dear-prudence-do-i-have-to-stay-with-my-transgender-husband.html
Media
Manhattan Insights with Yael Hungerford, Abigail Shrier and Emily Yoffe (March 7, 2024). Bad Therapy: Why the Kids Aren’t Growing Up | A Conversation with Abigail Shrier. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qHBILSnloCc
myhomie2taro (April 9, 2023). Trans Teen FIGHTS BACK Against Bari Weiss And Emily Yoffe’s Poor Reporting. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4q1pGZfPWD4
The Free Press with Bari Weiss, Jamie Reed and Vernadette Broyles (February 14, 2023). Jamie Reed Blows the Whistle on Pediatric Gender Care. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_6sPG7gleOs
The Good Fight with Yascha Mounk and Emily Yoffe (March 8, 2021). Intent Matters – The Good Fight with Yascha Mounk (Emily Yoffe). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rp0SuhEOiI0
The Femsplainers with Danielle Crittenden and Emily Yoffe (Augist 1, 2020). “Use Your Words! Wait, No Cancel That…” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3IrbKc5UDwU
Resources
Wikipedia (en.wikipedia.org)
Facebook (facebook.com)
X/Twitter (x.com)
Muck Rack (muckrack.com)