‘USA Today’ and transgender people

by Andrea James Reviewed September 24, 2026 5 min read

USA Today is an American media organization. Their coverage of trans topics is generally fair and accurate, with occasional anti-trans pieces in the Opinion section.

Background

In 1980, media company Gannett began workshopping a national newspaper. They created prototypes in 1981, announced the launch in 1982, and published the first edition in select markets in September 1982. By late 1983, they had developed national distribution. One of their marketing innovations was to produce the entire paper in full color. They first turned a profit in 1987.

Their website launched in 1995. In 2005, they announced they were merging the previously separated print and digital newsrooms. In 2010, they pivoted to a focus on digital. In 2015, they launched the USA Today Network, which shares content to local Gannett outlets. In 2024 they moved their headquarters from Virginia to New York City. In 2025, parent company Gannet changed its name to USA Today Co.

Podcasts

USA Today has produced many podcasts, including:

AFTERMATH: crime reporters from the Accused podcast team
Boxing Junkie: Bob Velin, Mike Coppinger
Capital Download: Susan Page
Changing the Game: Nancy Armour
The City: Robin Amer
College Football Fix: Paul Myerberg, Dan Wolken
Cup of Politics: Paul Singer
Dad Rock: Patrick Foster, Jim Lenahan
Due Date: Ashley May
EPL Soccer Junkie: Martin Rogers, Sophie Nicolaou
The Excerpt (formerly 5 Things): Dana Taylor, previously with Taylor Wilson. Launched about 2015.
Extra Point: USA Today Sports staff
Football Four: Paul Myerberg, George Schroeder, Dan Wolken and others
For The Win
The Full Story
Going for Gold
The Mothership: Brett Molina, Kelly Lawler, Brian Truitt. November 2018.
NBA A to Z: Sam Amick, Jeff Zillgitt
NFL Junkie: Jarrett Bell, Tom Pelissero, Lindsay H. Jones, Lorenzo Reyes and others
NHL Top Shelf: Kevin Allen, Jimmy Hascup, Peter Barzilai
Punchlines
Seven Days of 1961
The Short List
The Sneak: Nate Scott. November 2019.
Sports Seriously Soccer Podcast: Jon Arnold
Start Your Engines
The Storytellers Project Podcast: Megan Finnerty
Straight Up Hollywood: Andrea Mandell, Bryan Alexander, Carly Mallenbaum, Bill Keveney
Summer Reading
Talking Tech: Brett Molina, Mike Snider
USA TODAY Fantasy Sports
The Walkoff
The Wall: Reporting on the Border: Nicole Carroll
Women of the Year: Connie Schultz

Selected anti-trans coverage

Jacques, Ingrid (June 30, 2026). Supreme Court protects girls in sports, upholds biological reality | Opinion. USA Today https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/columnist/2026/06/30/supreme-court-transgender-ruling-sports-protects-girls/90476407007/

Jacques, Ingrid (January 12, 2026). SCOTUS, let states do what’s right: Defend women in sports | Opinion. USA Today https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/columnist/2026/01/12/supreme-court-state-bans-transgender-athletes-sports/88030868007/

Jacques, Ingrid (March 31, 2026). Supreme Court conversion therapy ruling is win for free speech | Opinion. USA Today https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/columnist/2026/03/31/supreme-court-rejects-colorado-conversion-therapy-ban/89402152007/

Jacques, Ingrid (October 16, 2025). Kudos to Keira Knightley for not buckling to the left’s J.K. Rowling boycott | Opinion. USA Today https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/columnist/2025/10/16/keira-knightley-jk-rowling-trans-boycott-harry-potter/86674281007/

Jacques, Ingrid (June 18, 2025). Supreme Court rightly allows states to hit brakes on gender meddling for kids | Opinion. USA Today https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/columnist/2025/06/18/supreme-court-ruling-transgender-ban-gender-affirming-care/84259196007/

Jacques, Ingrid (July 3, 2025). Finally! Penn will erase trans athlete’s records. But are they just biding time? | Opinion. USA Today https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/columnist/2025/07/03/trump-penn-transgender-swimmer-lia-thomas/84444211007/

Jacques, Ingrid (September 5, 2025). Comedy writer arrested for anti-trans tweets? UK speech crackdown is a warning. | Opinion. USA Today https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/columnist/2025/09/05/jk-rowling-graham-linehan-arrested-anti-trans-posts/85942909007/

Jacques, Ingrid (June 22, 2025). Trump is winning on immigration – and Democrats are falling right into his trap | Opinion. USA Today https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/columnist/2025/06/22/ice-raids-immigration-trump-democrats-arrested/84257347007/

Jacques, Ingrid (June 10, 2025). Can you be legally punished for misgendering someone? Colorado says yes. | Opinion. USA Today https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/columnist/2025/06/10/trans-rights-law-colorado-lawsuits-first-amendment/84049312007/

Jacques, Ingrid (June 2, 2025). Trump is right: Transgender athletes turn girls’ track meets into a farce | Opinion. USA Today https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/columnist/2025/06/02/california-track-meet-trans-athletes-high-school/83977938007/

Jacques, Ingrid (April 11, 2025). Women refuse to compete against transgender athletes. They shouldn’t have to. | Opinion. USA Today https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/columnist/2025/04/11/stephanie-turner-fencing-uk-pool-championship-womens-sports/82990317007/

Jacques, Ingrid (February 28, 2025). ‘Inseminated person’ vs. ‘mother’? Dems keep proving they’ve lost common sense | Opinion. USA Today https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/columnist/2025/02/28/inseminated-person-wisconsin-evers/80491973007/

Jacques, Ingrid (February 23, 2025). Trump is winning for women and girls by preserving Title IX’s original intent | Opinion. https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/columnist/2025/02/23/trump-executive-order-womens-sports-ncaa-trans-athletes/79317263007/

Jacques, Ingrid (January 26, 2025). Liberals want to erase women. Trump is standing up for our most basic rights. | Opinion. USA Today https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/columnist/2025/01/26/trump-executive-order-gender-biological-sex/77903998007/

Jacques, Ingrid (November 27, 2024). J.K. Rowling and Nancy Mace are right: Women deserve their own safe spaces | Opinion. USA Today https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/columnist/2024/11/27/mace-johnson-bathroom-policy-transgender/76564383007/

Jacques, Ingrid (November 14, 2024). Opinion: Democrats lost because they’re out of touch with most Americans. Will they learn? USA Today https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/columnist/2024/11/14/trump-seth-moulton-trans-athletes-democrats/76228989007/

Jacques, Ingrid (December 4, 2024). Supreme Court hears arguments in trans case. They should uphold Tennessee law. | Opinion. USA Today https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/columnist/2024/12/04/supreme-court-transgender-healthcare-minors/76592302007/

Jacques, Ingrid (August 18, 2024). No laughing matter: Humorless scolds on the left want to silence your ‘offensive’ views. USA Today https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/columnist/2024/08/18/walz-free-speech-musk-rowling-babylon-bee/74795802007/

Jacques, Ingrid (August 6, 2024). Olympic boxers deserve compassion. But questions of fairness shouldn’t be brushed aside. USA Today https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/columnist/2024/08/06/olympic-boxer-controversy-fairness-sports-title-ix/74679486007/

Jacques, Ingrid (June 20, 2024). Biden overplayed his hand on Title IX rewrite. Women and the courts are pushing back. USA Today https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/columnist/2024/06/20/biden-title-ix-tulsi-gabbard-riley-gaines/74075258007/

Jacques, Ingrid (April 28, 2024). Biden’s new Title IX rules bring back ‘kangaroo courts.’ They will hurt, not help, women. USA Today https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/columnist/2024/04/28/biden-title-ix-transgender-sports-campus-sexual-assault-betsy-devos/73382044007/

Jacques, Ingrid (April 23, 2024). Not a good look, USC: Cancel culture comes for colleges as graduation season begins. USA Today https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/columnist/2024/04/23/usc-valedictorian-commencement-speech-cancelled-first-amendment/73412903007/

Jacques, Ingrid (April 22, 2024). ‘Extreme caution’: Cass Review raises red flags on gender-affirming care for trans kids. USA Today https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/columnist/2024/04/22/transgender-care-cass-review-puberty-blockers-kids/73355213007/

Jacques, Ingrid (March 25, 2024). These women say transgender rules discriminate against them. So they’re suing the NCAA. USA Today https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/columnist/2024/03/25/ncaa-lawsuit-rules-transgender-athletes-lia-thomas/73051554007/

Jacques, Ingrid (August 29, 2023). Oberlin coach stood up for women in sports. Then faced public shaming from her college. USA Today https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/columnist/2023/08/29/trans-rights-womens-sports-conflict-college-coaches-fear-cancelled/70699982007/

Jacques, Ingrid (April 21, 2023). Free speech under attack: ‘Triggered’ students mob athlete who spoke about women’s sports. USA Today https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/columnist/2023/04/21/riley-gaines-sfsu-growing-attack-free-speech-college-campuses/11695771002/

Jacques, Ingrid (March 29, 2023). Americans increasingly don’t value God, country or children. Can anything still unite us? USA Today https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/columnist/2023/03/29/nashville-school-shooting-response-exposes-division-american-values/11549585002/

Jacques, Ingrid (June 23, 2022). Would adding gender identity to Title IX be a game changer? Some say yes, and not in a good way. USA Today https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/columnist/2022/06/23/title-ix-women-athletes-struggle/7692561001/

Mastio, David (October 29, 2021). Trans bathroom policy is ripping my community apart. Parents should do better for our kids. USA Today https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/voices/2021/10/29/trans-bathroom-policy-sexual-assault/8568005002/