Skip to content

Jonah Goldberg vs. transgender people

Jonah Goldberg is a conservative American writer and anti-transgender activist. Goldberg is a fellow of the American Enterprise Institute, was a longtime contributor to National Review, and co-founded anti-trans group blog The Dispatch.

Background

Jonah Goldberg was born on March 21, 1969 to media executive Sidney Goldberg (1931–2005) and literary agent Lucianne Goldberg (1935–2022). Goldberg had a sibling, Joshua (1967–2011).

Goldberg earned a bachelor’s degree from Goucher College in 1991. Goldberg then taught English in Prague for about a year, then moved to Washington D.C. in 1992 to work at the American Enterprise Institute for writer Ben J. Wattenberg. After working with Wattenberg on several PBS documentaries, including Gargoyles: Guardians of the Gate (1994) and Notre Dame: Witness to History (1999). Goldberg was a founding producer at New River Media for Wattenberg’s Think Tank with Ben Wattenberg (1996–1997).

Goldberg joined the National Review as a contributing editor in 1998 and launched their blog National Review Online (NRO) that year. Goldberg also wrote a column for the publication and the commentary feature G-File. Goldberg left National Review in 2019.

In 2001, Goldberg married conservative writer Jessica Lynn Gavora (born 1963), who served as chief speechwriter and senior policy adviser to former Attorney General John Ashcroft. They have one child, Lucy Tighe Goldberg (born 2003).

In 2004, Goldberg confirmed that in 1997, Goldberg’s parent Lucianne advised Monica Lewinsky to record conversations and save a semen-stained dress as evidence during the sex scandal involving Bill Clinton.

In 2005, Goldberg started writing a column for the Los Angeles Times.

Comments on trans subjects

In 1999, Goldberg made a number of disparaging comments about Transexual Menace founder Riki Anne Wilchins after Wilchins was profiled in the New York Times. Goldberg walked back some of these comments following reader feedback.

In a 2023 discussion on CNN, Goldberg said about West Texas A&M University canceling a student drag show:

I have no problem with a private university or any public republic university saying that certain things are inappropriate. They can be wrong, and that’s fine. You can have arguments about it. I certainly agree that drag shows have a long history, and to all of a sudden be as freaked out by them is a little weird. That said, I have trans friends. Like, one of the biggest intellectual influences on it on my life is Deirdre McCloskey who’s a brilliant economist, and she is trans. I do think there is something fundamentally weird that says you have to show your solidarity and your appreciation for serious — for serious people who happen to be trans by being really into and indulging in what are essentially transgender strip shows. 

The Remnant podcast

On October 2, 2017, Goldberg launched The Remnant with Jonah Goldberg. Goldberg has hosted many anti-trans guests, including Musa al-Gharbi, Nellie Bowles, Matthew Continetti, Ross Douthat, Caitlin Flanagan, David French, Jeffrey Goldberg, Sam Harris, Carole Hooven, Jeremiah Johnson, Charles Fain Lehman, Megan McArdle, John McWhorter, Yascha Mounk, Charles Murray, Caroline Criado Perez, Steven Pinker, Thomas Chatterton Williams, and Kevin D. Williamson.

The Dispatch blog

In October 2019, Goldberg launched a Substack called The Dispatch. Anti-trans contributors include “Katherine Dee”, David French, Jeremiah Johnson, James Kirchick, Claire Lehmann, Yascha Mounk, Jesse Singal, and Kevin D. Williamson. Conservative trans financial policy analyst Jessica Riedl also contributes.

References

Darrach, Amanda (March 13, 2019). Jonah Goldberg is ‘ideologically grounded, but I feel politically homeless.’ Columbia Journalism Review https://www.cjr.org/business_of_news/jonah-goldberg-national-review-steve-hayes.php

Dedman, Bill (May 9, 2012). Conservative author Jonah Goldberg drops claim of two Pulitzer nominations. NBC News https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/conservative-author-jonah-goldberg-drops-claim-two-pulitzer-nominations-flna761934

Cole, Juan (February 8, 2005). Playing With Human Lives Goldbergs. Informed Comment https://www.juancole.com/2005/02/playing-with-human-lives-goldbergs.html

Selected writing by Goldberg

Goldberg, Jonah (September 9, 2025). Column: Trump now has the NRA standing up for trans rights. Los Angeles Times https://www.latimes.com/opinion/story/2025-09-09/trump-nra-trans-gun-rights

Goldberg, Jonah (June 17, 2025). Column: Maybe the latest Democratic disarray means they’re coming to their senses. Los Angeles Times https://www.latimes.com/opinion/story/2025-06-17/democratic-party-resignations-unions

Goldberg, Jonah (May 30, 2023). Why ‘Bud Lighting’ isn’t stopping any time soon. Los Angeles Times https://www.latimes.com/opinion/story/2023-05-30/beer-bud-light-bud-lighting-target-lgbtq-trans-issues

Goldberg, Jonah (March 4, 2005). The Outlier. National Review https://www.nationalreview.com/corner/outlier-jonah-goldberg/

Goldberg, Jonah (June 17, 1999). Transgender Bender, Revisited. National Review https://www.nationalreview.com/1999/06/transgender-bender-revisited-jonah-goldberg/

Goldberg, Jonah (June 11, 1999). Transgender Bender; Love Goats-R-Us; Miscellany; Correction; The Jonah Poll. National Review https://www.nationalreview.com/1999/06/transgender-bender-love-goats-r-us-miscellany-correction-jonah-poll-jonah-goldberg/

Books

Goldberg, Jonah (2018). Suicide of the West: How the Rebirth of Tribalism, Populism, Nationalism, and Identity Politics Is Destroying American Democracy. Crown Forum, ISBN 978-1101904930

Goldberg, Jonah (2012). The Tyranny of Clichés: How Liberals Cheat in the War of Ideas. Sentinel, ISBN 978-1595230867

Goldberg, Jonah (2008). Liberal Fascism: The Secret History of the American Left, From Mussolini to the Politics of Meaning. Doubleday, ISBN 978-0385511841

Media

The Remnant with Jonah Goldberg and Carole Hooven (August 21, 2025). When Harry Became Sally | Interview: Carole Hooven. https://thedispatch.com/podcast/remnant/when-harry-became-sally-interview-carole-hooven/

Making Sense with Sam Harris and Jonah Goldberg (March 10, 2025). Trump 2.0, DOGE, and America’s Global Decline with Sam Harris and Jonah Goldberg. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pQfrZTJ4vek

Quillette Podcast 38 (June 19, 2019). Jonah Goldberg & Aaron Sibarium with Toby Young

DailyWire+ / The Ben Shapiro Show with Ben Shapiro and Jonah Goldberg (June 10, 2018). Jonah Goldberg | The Ben Shapiro Show Sunday Special Ep. 5. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1zx1Arqeg-0

The Daily Show with Trevor Noah and Jonah Goldberg (April 28, 2018). Jonah Goldberg – “Suicide of the West” and Preserving the American Experiment | The Daily Show. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GSp-Ztb9bvg

PragerU with Jonah Goldberg (August 24, 2015). Are You on the Wrong Side of History? | 5 Minute Video. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ikjZo7w4pq8

PragerU with Jonah Goldberg (March 24, 2014). What is Social Justice? | 5 Minute Videos | PragerU. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rtBvQj2k6xo

Resources

Wikipedia (en.wikipedia.org)

Jonah Goldberg (jonahgoldberg.com)

National Review (nationalreview.com)

  • Jonah Goldberg
  • nationalreview.com/author/jonah-goldberg
  • G-File
  • nationalreview.com/g-file
  • nationalreview.com/goldberg

American Enterprise Institute (aei.org)

X/Twitter (x.com)

The Dispatch (thedispatch.com)

YouTube (youtube.com)

Los Angeles Times (latimes.com)

Facebook (facebook.com)

IMDb (imdb.com)