David Mastio vs. transgender people

by Andrea James Reviewed September 24, 2026 5 min read

David Mastio is a conservative American writer and anti-transgender activist. Mastio has produced consistently anti-transgender content.

Mastio often links transgender people to violence and criminality while also claiming violence against trans people is overstated. Mastio has worked at anti-trans outlets Washington Examiner and Washington Times and has written anti-trans pieces for USA Today, New York Post, New York Sun, Boston Globe, and Kansas City Star.

Background

David Matthew “Dave” Mastio was born on November 9, 1971 in Mons, Belgium to nurse Roseann Mastio and Richard “Dick” Mastio, founder of market research firm Mastio & Company. In 1993, David Mastio got engaged to future attorney Hilary Jo (Nuzum) Mastio. Both worked at Mastio & Company at the time.

Mastio earned a bachelor’s degree from University of Iowa in 1995.

Mastio was assistant op-ed editor for USA Today from 1995 to 1997, Washington correspondent for Detroit News from 1997 to 1999, and editorial writer for USA Today from 1999 to 2002. In 2004, Mastio was a speechwriter for United States Trade Representative Robert Zoellick, who served during the George W. Bush administration. In 2005, Mastio was founding editorial page editor of newly-created Washington Examiner. From 2006 to 2007, Mastio was an editorial writer for The Virginian-Pilot. From 2006 to 2010, Mastio operated news aggregators BlogNetNews and RightyBlogs. From 2009 to 2012, Mastio was deputy editorial page editor and senior editor at Washington Times. From 2012 to 2022, Mastio returned to USA Today as forum editor and later deputy editorial page editor and columnist. From 2022 to 2024, Mastio was regional editor for The Center Square and a freelance opinion contributor at The Kansas City Star. From 2024 to 2026, Mastio was national columnist and editor of “The Point” at the Star.

Mastio and former spouse Hilary divorced around 2002 and have two children. In 2021, Mastio reported having a nonbinary child named Theo Mastio: “I feel the same about my nonbinary child as I do about my more standard-issue kinder.” Mastio got remarried to banking executive Kathryn Wilkerson Mastio. They also have a child.

Anti-trans activism

Mastio first began writing about trans topics in 2021 with an opinion piece on two sexual assaults that occurred at Loudoun County, Virginia high schools, near where Mastio lived. Mastio blamed the crimes on the school district’s “bathroom policy.” The teen perpetrator, Hunter Heckel, was convicted and released from secure treatment upon reaching adulthood. A 2023 New York Times investigative report by John Homans traced how politicians and writers like Mastio weaponized the crimes to fuel a broader national culture war regarding gender-inclusive bathroom protections. Homans debunked core claims linking transgender rights policies to the assaults, establishing that the perpetrator was cisgender and did not identify as transgender or use a trans-inclusive policy to access the restroom.

On March 11, 2022, Mastio tweeted “At last, I am able to say what I couldn’t before: People don’t get pregnant, but women do.” In August Mastio was demoted by USA Today after refusing to delete it. Mastio then appeared in conservative media and began writing more frequent anti-transgender pieces.

In 2026, Mastio received significant conservative coverage by claiming unlawful killings of trans people are overstated by activists and are dropping under the Trump Administration. Following success of a March Kansas City Star piece, Mastio got paid again to write a similar piece for The Boston Globe in September.

References

Staff report (September 24, 2026). Boston Globe Says Anti-Trans Violence Is Down. Is It? TransVitae https://www.transvitae.com/boston-globe-says-anti-trans-violence-is-down-is-it/

“Bricki” (September 24, 2026). Yes, Trans Homicides Are Down. Now Read the Fine Print. TransVitae https://www.transvitae.com/yes-trans-homicides-are-down-now-read-the-fine-print/

Ojeda. Devon (March 18, 2026). So, there’s no anti-trans epidemic? Deadly violence isn’t the only danger | Opinion. Kansas City Star https://www.kansascity.com/opinion/readers-opinion/guest-commentary/article315089524.html

Anti-trans coverage

Margolis, Matt (September 23, 2026). Liberal Paper Debunks the Myth of ‘Trans Genocide’ in the United States. PJ Media https://pjmedia.com/matt-margolis/2026/09/23/liberal-paper-debunks-the-myth-of-trans-genocide-in-the-united-states-n4957571

Kornick, Lindsay (September 23, 2026). Boston Globe op-ed says violence against transgender people is ‘going down’ despite activist claims. Fox News https://www.foxnews.com/media/boston-globe-op-ed-concedes-violence-against-transgender-people-going-down-despite-activist-claims

Sexton, John (September 22, 2026). Boston Globe: Trans Genocide Isn’t Happening. HotAir https://hotair.com/john-s-2/2026/09/22/boston-globe-trans-genocide-isnt-happening-n3819243

Nolte, John (September 22, 2026). Nolte: Violence Against Transgenders Drops by Nearly Half Under Trump. Breitbart https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2026/09/22/nolte-violence-against-transgenders-drops-by-nearly-half-under-trump/

Schorr, Isaac (July 1, 2022). Former USA Today Editor Recounts Witch Hunt Triggered by ‘Anti-Trans’ Tweet. National Review https://www.nationalreview.com/news/former-usa-today-editor-describes-witch-hunt-triggered-by-anti-trans-tweet/

Selected writing by Mastio

Mastio, David (September 22, 2026). In Trump’s America, violence against transgender people isn’t going up – it’s going down. Boston Globe https://www.bostonglobe.com/2026/09/22/opinion/trump-transgender-murder-rate-down/

Mastio, David (July 16, 2026). University Chancellor Tells Congress ‘Vast Majority of Pregnancies Are in Women.’ New York Sun https://www.nysun.com/article/university-chancellor-tells-congress-vast-majority-of-pregnancies-are-in-women

Mastio, David (March 6, 2026). As Kansas laws grow hostile, deadly violence against trans people declines | Opinion. Kansas City Star https://www.kansascity.com/opinion/opn-columns-blogs/david-mastio/article314895814.html

Mastio, David (February 6, 2026). Why the Kansas trans bathroom bill won’t be controversial in a few years | Opinion. Kansas City Star https://www.kansascity.com/opinion/opn-columns-blogs/david-mastio/article314561852.html

Mastio, David (January 23, 2026). America chooses sanity and so does the Missouri Supreme Court (7-0!) | Opinion. Kansas City Star https://www.kansascity.com/opinion/opn-columns-blogs/david-mastio/article314334139.html

Mastio, David (September 4, 2025). Did Minneapolis Catholic shooter’s trans identity fuel ‘anti-Christian’ hate? | Opinion. Kansas City Star https://www.kansascity.com/opinion/opn-columns-blogs/david-mastio/article303855756.html

Mastio, David (June 25, 2025). The transgender activist agenda went too far, but that shouldn’t be the end | Opinion. Kansas City Star https://www.kansascity.com/opinion/opn-columns-blogs/david-mastio/article309263070.html

Mastio, David (April 11, 2025). She/her, He/him: Please keep your obvious pronouns out of my emails | Opinion. Kansas City Star https://www.kansascity.com/opinion/opn-columns-blogs/david-mastio/article303855756.html

Mastio, David (October 30, 2024). Gender clinic researcher admits withholding results due to politics. Facts are facts | Opinion. Kansas City Star https://www.kansascity.com/opinion/article294726339.html

Mastio, David (June 23, 2022). USA Today demoted me for a tweet — because its woke newsrooms are out of touch with readers. New York Post https://nypost.com/2022/06/23/usa-today-demoted-me-for-a-tweet-because-the-companys-woke-newsrooms-are-out-of-touch-with-readers/

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/

Media

Unmuted with Marsha Blackburn and David Mastio (August 19, 2022). David Mastio To Sen. Blackburn: Centrist Journalists Are Being Replaced By Woke College Graduates. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dscpOP96sMQ

Sideline Sanity with Michelle Tafoya with David Mastio (July 20, 2022). David Mastio on the Tweet that got him Fired. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j_z2AU4Bp9Y

USA Today with David Mastio (October 29, 2021). David Mastio talks about Loudoun County situation. https://www.usatoday.com/videos/opinion/2021/10/29/david-mastio-talks-loudoun-county-situation/6189269001/