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Ryan T. Anderson vs. transgender people

Ryan T. Anderson is an American conservative author and commentator. Anderson is a notable anti-gay and anti-trans activist. Anderson opposes marriage equality and reproductive rights. Anderson supports conversion therapy and has promoted prominent ex-trans activists.

Background

Ryan Thomas Anderson was born on September 4, 1981 in Baltimore, Maryland. Andreson grew up Catholic and has four siblings.

After attending Friends School of Baltimore, Anderson earned a bachelor’s degree from Princeton in 2004. Anderson earned a doctorate from Notre Dame in 2014.

Anti-trans activism

Anderson was a senior research fellow at The Heritage Foundation.

In 2008, Anderson was founder and editor of Public Discourse, a group blog published by the Witherspoon Institute.

In 2018, Anderson published the anti-trans book When Harry Became Sally. After the book was listed as the top seller in Amazon’s Gay & Lesbian Civil Rights History category, Amazon removed the book, citing their hate speech policy. Amazon began selling it again in 2025.

In 2025, Anderson was appointed to the Trump administration’s Religious Liberty Commission.

References

Staff report (February 5, 2025). Amazon statement on “When Harry Became Sally.” Amazon https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/company-news/amazon-statement-on-when-harry-became-sally

Staff report (May 13, 2025). Ryan T. Anderson, Founding Editor of Public Discourse, Appointed to Religious Liberty Commission. Witherspoon Institute https://winst.org/ryan-t-anderson-founding-editor-of-public-discourse-appointed-to-religious-liberty-commission/

Haring, Bruce (February 27, 2021). Amazon Under Fire For Erasing From Its Sales Site Book Critical Of Transgender Movement. Deadline Hollywood https://deadline.com/2021/02/amazon-under-fire-for-removing-transgender-study-1234702507/

Gstalter, Morgan (March 12, 2021). Amazon removing books that frame LGBTQ issues as mental illness. The Hill https://thehill.com/business-a-lobbying/542888-amazon-removing-books-that-frame-lgbtq-issues-as-mental-illness

Trachtenberg, Jeffrey (March 11, 2021). Amazon won’t sell books framing LGBTQ+ identities as mental illnesses. Wall Street Journal https://www.wsj.com/articles/amazon-wont-sell-books-framing-lgbtq-identities-as-mental-illnesses-11615511380?mod=rsswn

Cha, Ariana Eunjung (February 2, 2018). Ryan Anderson’s book on transgender people is creating an uproar. The Washington Post https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/to-your-health/wp/2018/02/02/ryan-andersons-book-calling-transgender-people-mentally-ill-is-creating-an-uproar/

Ford, Zack (January 25, 2018). Conservative book ‘When Harry Became Sally’ attacks trans people while conveniently leaving them out. ThinkProgress https://archive.thinkprogress.org/review-when-harry-became-sally-transgender-moment-4033a1b06dbb/

Coverage in anti-trans press

Jones, D. A. (2019). Book Review: Ryan T. Anderson, When Harry Became Sally: Responding to the Transgender Moment Mark A. Yarhouse, Understanding Gender Dysphoria: Navigating Transgender Issues in a Changing Culture. Studies in Christian Ethics, 32(3), 402–406. https://doi.org/10.1177/0953946819843467

Dreher, Rod (March 8, 2021). Why ‘When Harry Became Sally’ Matters. The American Conservative https://www.theamericanconservative.com/dreher/why-when-harry-became-sally-matters-ryan-t-anderson/

Lu, Rachel (July 29, 2018). The Assault on Reality. National Review https://www.nationalreview.com/magazine/2018/03/05/the-assault-on-reality/

Brown, Elizabeth Nolan (July 18, 2022). How the Controversy Around When Harry Became Sally Boosted Its Popularity. Reason https://reason.com/2022/07/18/when-harry-became-sally/

Selected writing by Anderson

Anderson, Ryan T. (March 19, 2021). When Amazon pulled my book on transgender issues, it tried to shut down debate. USA Today https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/voices/2021/03/19/amazon-pulls-controversial-book-transgender-ryan-anderson-column/4635062001/

Anderson, Ryan T. (February 23, 2021). When Amazon Erased My Book. First Things https://www.firstthings.com/web-exclusives/2021/02/when-amazon-erased-my-book

Anderson, Ryan T. (January 21, 2021). After Inaugural Rhetoric on Unity, Biden Signs Divisive Transgender Executive Order. Heritage Foundation https://www.heritage.org/gender/commentary/after-inaugural-rhetoric-unity-biden-signs-divisive-transgender-executive-order

Anderson, Ryan T. (August 3, 2020). “Transitioning” Procedures Don’t Help Mental Health, Largest Dataset Shows. Heritage Foundation https://www.heritage.org/gender/commentary/transitioning-procedures-dont-help-mental-health-largest-dataset-shows

Anderson, Ryan T. (November 26, 2018). New York Times Reveals Painful Truths About “Sex Change” Surgery. Heritage Foundation https://www.heritage.org/gender/commentary/new-york-times-reveals-painful-truths-about-sex-change-surgery

Anderson, Ryan T. (March 9, 2018). Sex Reassignment Doesn’t Work. Here Is the Evidence. Heritage Foundation https://www.heritage.org/gender/commentary/sex-reassignment-doesnt-work-here-the-evidence

Anderson, Ryan T. (February 9, 2018). Transgender Ideology Is Riddled With Contradictions. Here Are the Big Ones. Heritage Foundation https://www.heritage.org/gender/commentary/transgender-ideology-riddled-contradictions-here-are-the-big-ones

Anderson, Ryan T. (January 30, 2018). Transgender Ideology Hurts Kids. Heritage Foundation https://www.heritage.org/gender/commentary/transgender-ideology-hurts-kids

Anderson, Ryan T. (January 29, 2019). The Left Is Shunning Liberals With Concerns About Transgender Agenda. Heritage Foundation https://www.heritage.org/gender/commentary/the-left-shunning-liberals-concerns-about-transgender-agenda

Anderson, Ryan T. (January 22, 2018). The Sex-Change Revolution Is Based on Ideology, Not Science. Heritage Foundation https://www.heritage.org/gender/commentary/the-sex-change-revolution-based-ideology-not-science

Anderson, Ryan T. (July 26, 2017). 5 Good Reasons Why Transgender Accommodations Aren’t Compatible With Military Realities. Heritage Foundation https://www.heritage.org/civil-society/commentary/5-good-reasons-why-transgender-accommodations-arent-compatible-military

Anderson, Ryan T. (June 7, 2016). Government Shouldn’t Impose Transgender Ideology on Nation. Heritage Foundation https://www.heritage.org/civil-society/commentary/government-shouldnt-impose-transgender-ideology-nation

Media

Young America’s Foundation (November 16, 2024). Responding to the Transgender Movement | Dr. Ryan T. Anderson LIVE at the 2024 Fall College Retreat. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MatE8yWdfZI

FOCUS Catholic (April 30, 2023). Dr. Ryan T. Anderson | SEEK22 | Responding to the Transgender Ideology. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L_LyMdtRSTc

Young America’s Foundation (April 21, 2023). Responding to the Transgender Movement | Dr. Ryan T. Anderson LIVE at the Faith & Freedom Seminar. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OxxX6Xg1QE0 alt url https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6l3b8jNT4YY

Young America’s Foundation (July 6, 2022). Gender identity | Ryan Anderson LIVE at NHSLC. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EPbzDyWiuDM

The Daily Signal (January 10, 2022). Amazon Banned This Book on Transgender Ideology. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KYXXSl4C1RY

National Conservatism (April 5, 2021). Yoram Hazony with Ryan Anderson | Victims of Trans Activism | NatConTalk. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z1R3RqPpSIA

The Heritage Foundation (January 22, 2021). How the Biden Administration is Advancing the LGBT Agenda | Ryan Anderson on CBN. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HZf43-4gEbY

The Federalist with Emily Jashinsky and Ryan T. Anderson (January 21, 2021). There’s Nothing Moderate Or Unifying About Biden’s Sweeping New Transgender Executive Order. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ITYDmxoPaBQ

Franciscan University of Steubenville with Michael Hernon, Regis Martin, William Newton, and Ryan T. Anderson (October 5, 2018). Franciscan University Presents: The Transgender Moment. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BK0_thLAwvI

Steubenville Conferences (September 27, 2019). Dr. Ryan Anderson | When Harry Became Sally | Defending the Faith Conference. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0dtQHs6HHWY

National Review with Kathryn Jean Lopez and Ryan T Anderson (May 12, 2018). What to Do in Our Current ‘Transgender Moment.’ https://www.nationalreview.com/2018/05/transgender-cultural-moment-ryan-anderson-when-harry-became-sally/

Patrick Coffin Show (March 6, 2018). 65: Responding to the Transgender Moment—Ryan Anderson. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FSAgsBFh8Ck

Heritage Response Room (March 3, 2018). Ryan Anderson Talks “When Harry Became Sally” With Fox News. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qckkeYlLbIs

Dallas Forum on Law, Politics, and Culture (February 21, 2018). Dr. Ryan T. Anderson, “When Harry Became Sally: Responding to the Transgender Moment.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9VjlxHMwhsA

Love and Fidelity Network (December 21, 2017). Ryan T. Anderson – When Harry Became Sally: Responding to the Transgender Moment. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BoeBLvIe5mk

Minnesota Catholic Conference (December 19, 2017). Ryan Anderson, Ph.D. – Understanding and Responding to the Transgender Moment. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LbGZnnSIjbA

Resources

GLAAD Accountability Project (glaad.org/gap)

Wikipedia (en.wikipedia.org)

Encounter Books (encounterbooks.com)

X/Twitter (x.com)

Facebook (facebook.com)

Ethics & Public Policy Center (eppc.org)

Heritage Foundation (heritage.org)

Witherspoon Institute (winst.org)

  • About: Staff: Ryan T. Anderson, Public Discourse Founder, Editor-in-Chief
  • winst.org/about [archive – see 2019 ff.]

C-SPAN (c-span.org)

Prime Matters (primematters.com)

National Affars (nationalaffairs.com)

The New Criterion (newcriterion.com)

First Things (firstthings.com)

Catholic Answers (catholic.com)

James Wilson Institute (jameswilsoninstitute.org)

National Review (nationalreview.com)

Public Discourse (thepublicdiscourse.com)

Catholic Information Center (cicdc.org)

Mere Fidelity (merefidelity.com)

The Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission (erlc.com)