Erin Reed and transgender people

Erin Reed is an American journalist. Reed founded the group blog Erin In The Morning, which covers transgender news and politics.

Background

Erin Reed was born on August 18, 1988 and grew up in Louisiana. Reed earned a bachelor’s degree from Louisiana Tech University in 2010 and a master’s degree from Louisiana State University in 2017.

Reed has been a longtime advocate of reforming drug laws, writing for Daily Kos and other outlets about marijuana reform. In 2009 and 2010, police harassed Reed in Louisiana and in Florida, hoping to find Reed in possession of illegal drugs.

Reed made a gender transition in the late 2010s. In 2024, Reed married Montana politician Zooey Zephyr. The co-parent Reed’s child from a previous marriage.

Trans journalism and advocacy

From 2016 to 2021, Reed was digital director for The American Independent (formerly Shareblue). From 2021 to 2022 Reed was a strategist for Chong + Koster.

In 2019, Reed created a Google map of informed consent clinics that offered hormones for trans and gender diverse people. In 2021, “Alix Aharon” / Alexandra Hecht took Reed’s data and repurposed it as a “Gender Offender Mapper.” Hecht’s project was later banned.

Reed also maintains a Legislative Risk Map, which ranks US states based on their policies affecting trans and gender diverse people.

In 2022, Reed founded Erin In The Morning, which covers news about trans and gender diverse topics.

References

Adamczeski, Ryan (January 28, 2026). Transgender Girl Scouts have sold over 71,000 boxes of cookies with the help of journalist Erin Reed. The Advocate https://www.advocate.com/news/people/transgender-girl-scouts-cookies

Conley, H. (January 12, 2026). Reporting While Trans: A dozen journalists on the risks of working in the news industry—and how to ensure their safety. Columbia Journalism Review https://www.cjr.org/feature/reporting-while-trans-security-safety-risks-newsroom-journalism-protection.php

Rudolph, Dana (May 11, 2025). ‘An abundance of motherhood’: Trans journalist Erin Reed gushes about co-parenting with Zooey Zephyr. LGBTQ Nation https://www.lgbtqnation.com/2025/05/an-abundance-of-motherhood-trans-journalist-erin-reed-gushes-about-co-parenting-with-zooey-zephyr/

Lockmiller, Cat (March 5, 2025). False Positive: Transphobic Regimes, Ableist Abandonment, and Evidence-Based Practice. In the Library with the Lead Pipe https://www.inthelibrarywiththeleadpipe.org/2025/false-positive-transphobic-regimes/

Levesque, Brody (May 13, 2024). Journalist Erin Reed wins Best Blog at 35th annual GLAAD awards. Los Angeles Blade https://www.losangelesblade.com/2024/05/13/journalist-erin-reed-wins-best-blog-at-35th-annual-glaad-awards/

Fraizer, Emmet (February 22, 2024). “The Mainstream Media Is Failing Trans People. These Journalists Are Fighting Back. The Nation https://www.thenation.com/article/society/trans-journalists-independent-reporting/

Costley, Drew; Schoenbaum, Hannah; Hanson, Amy Beth (June 27, 2023). Power couple Zooey Zephyr and Erin Reed are spreading hope to fellow trans people. Associated Press https://apnews.com/article/zooey-zephyr-erin-reed-transgender-power-couple-2a1f9767a6f39f626e0b7153274516b3

Hansford, Amelia (May 9, 2023). Trans journalist Erin Reed makes sobering prediction on future of queer rights. PinkNews https://www.thepinknews.com/2023/05/09/erin-reed-us-anti-lgbtq-laws-trans-transphobia/

Yurcaba, Jo (May 8, 2023). Trans Montana Rep. Zooey Zephyr proposes to girlfriend at queer prom. NBC News https://www.nbcnews.com/nbc-out/out-news/trans-montana-rep-zooey-zephyr-proposes-girlfriend-queer-prom-rcna83377

Ahaghotu, Chioma-Emilia; Leshan, Bruce (May 3, 2023). Montana Rep. Zooey Zephyr and her girlfriend avoid ‘swatting’ incidents. WUSA https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/local/maryland/rep-zooey-zephyr-and-her-girlfriend-avoid-swating-incident/65-e883b550-220f-41b2-9699-e0bf6b5f376b

Parks, Casey (June 14, 2023). LGBTQ+ Americans have stronger support than ever — and fiercer backlash. Washington Post https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2023/06/14/lgbtq-rights-state-legislative-attacks/

Ali, Joe (March 19, 2023). Activist creates map of US to show where it’s safe to be trans. PinkNews https://www.thepinknews.com/2023/03/19/activist-creates-map-of-us-showing-where-trans-people-can-live-safely/

O’Brien, Casey (October 16, 2019). Meet the Woman Making It Easier for Trans People Around the Country to Get Hormones. Rewire News Group https://rewirenewsgroup.com/2019/10/16/meet-the-woman-making-it-easier-for-trans-people-around-the-country-to-get-hormones/

Anti-trans coverage

Ryan, Benjamin (May 6, 2026). How Trans Activist Erin Reed Won a Battle Against Youth Gender Medicine Skeptics. Hazard Ratio https://benryan.substack.com/p/how-trans-activist-erin-reed-won

Ryan, Benjamin (May 6, 2026). Transgender Activists Sink Medical-Education Course Skeptical of Gender Transitions for Minors. New York Sun https://www.nysun.com/article/transgender-activists-sink-medical-education-course-skeptical-of-gender-transitions-for-minors

Ryan, Benjamin (November 4, 2025). Fact Checking Erin Reed’s Piece About SEGM and Washington State University, Part 1 of 2 Hazard Ratio https://benryan.substack.com/p/fact-checking-erin-reeds-piece-about alt title: Fact Checking Erin Reed’s Faith in the Southern Poverty Law Center’s Hate Map