Barbara Kay is a Canadian writer and anti-transgender activist.
Background
Barbara Kay was born on November 27, 1943 and grew up in Toronto with siblings.
Kay earned a bachelor’s degree from University of Toronto and a master’s degree from McGill University in 1966.
Kay wrote opinion pieces for the National Post before becoming a columnist in 2003. Kay has also written for in The Post Millennial, Pajama, The Walrus, Canadian Jewish News (CJNews), and Epoch Times. Key briefly wrote for Rebel News in 2017 before leaving due to views held by some staffers.
Kay and spouse Ronny Kay married in 1964 and have two children, including anti-trans activist Jonathan Kay.
Anti-transgender activism
Kay opposed Canada’s Bill C-16, which added âgender identity or expressionâ to protected classes in regards to discrimination, hate speech, and hate crimes.
In criticizing the bill in the Post Millennial, Kay described it as “velvet totalitarianism” and misattributed a quotation to Voltaire: “To learn who rules over you, simply find out who you are not allowed to criticize.” The passage was actually by white nationalist Kevin Alfred Strom describing Jewish people.
Kay told publication Canadaland:
âWith regard to the application of the quote to the Church of Gender Identity, I do not regret it at all, and here is why. The quotation makes a great deal of sense. The fact that an anti-Semitic conspiracy theorist actually believed that the Jews ârule over youâ says a great deal about his twisted mind, but it does not reflect reality. I am neither a conspiracy theorist or a transphobic. My quarrel is not with trans gender people, who â I have said this repeatedly â simply want to live their lives in peace, but with the ideologues who are bent on imposing their belief system, founded in theory, but not in evidence, on everyone in the form of compelled speech and compelled expression of belief. The words of the quotation in fact make very good sense. That the mind who thought it up was corrupted by hatred to the point that he was delusionary about who âyou cannot criticizeâ is not my fault.â
During a July 18, 2018 Rights and Freedoms Institute event, Kay used the phrase again to condemn gender neutral pronouns as “compelled speech” and “compelled expression of belief.”
Kay’s Facebook profile uses the anti-trans dogwhistle “Adult human Female.” Kay and anti-trans activist Linda Blade wrote the 2021 book Unsporting: How Trans Activism and Science Denial are Destroying Sport.
References
Strom, Kevin A (August 14, 1993). All America Must Know the Terror That is Upon Us. American Dissident Voices via America First Books http://www.amfirstbooks.com/IntroPages/ToolBarTopics/Articles/Featured_Authors/strom,_kevin/kevin_strom_works/Kevin_Strom_1991-1994/Kevin_A._Strom_19930814-ADV_All_America_Must_Know_the_Terror_That_Is_Upon_Us.html [archive]
Reuters Fact Check (February 5, 2022). âTo learn who rules over youâ quote wrongly attributed to Voltaire. Reuters https://www.reuters.com/article/factcheck-voltaire-quote/fact-check-to-learn-who-rules-over-you-quote-wrongly-attributed-to-voltaire-idUSL1N2UE2LM
Adriaans, Eric (June 14, 2018). Panel Discussion: Bill C-16 Controversy. Toronto: Rights and Freedoms Institute. https://freedom-of-expression.ca/2018/06/14/panel-discussion-bill-c-16-controversy/ [archive]
Goldsbie, Jonathan (July 26, 2018). Barbara Kay Quotes Neo-Nazi To Justify Attack On Trans Identity: The line, which she and others have misattributed to Voltaire, was originally penned to justify criticism of Jews. Canadaland http://www.canadalandshow.com/barbara-kay-quotes-neo-nazi-to-justify-attack-on-trans-identity/ [archive]
Selected anti-trans writing by Kay
Kay, Barbara (March 16, 2025). Barbara Kay: A chance for fairness in women’s sport. National Post https://nationalpost.com/opinion/protecting-fairness-in-womens-sport
Kay, Barbara (August 11, 2024). Barbara Kay: Groundswell against gender-affirming care becoming too loud to ignore. https://nationalpost.com/opinion/groundswell-against-gender-affirming-care-becoming-too-loud-to-ignore
Kay, Barbara (April 20, 2024). Barbara Kay: CBC doubles down on unscientific youth transgender care in wake of Cass Review. https://nationalpost.com/opinion/cbc-doubles-down-on-unscientific-youth-transgender-care-in-wake-of-cass-review
Kay, Barbara (April 7, 2024). Barbara Kay: Lawsuits could be the answer to unfair, trans-inclusive women’s sports. https://nationalpost.com/opinion/barbara-kay-lawsuits-could-be-the-answer-to-unfair-trans-inclusive-womens-sports
Kay, Barbara (March 10, 2024). Barbara Kay: Leaked files expose the ethical rot behind modern transgender medicine.https://nationalpost.com/opinion/barbara-kay-leaked-files-expose-the-ethical-rot-behind-modern-transgender-medicine
Kay, Barbara (December 3, 2023). Barbara Kay: Silenced teacher becomes a hero of the anti-woke resistance. https://nationalpost.com/opinion/silenced-teacher-becomes-a-hero-of-the-anti-woke-resistance
Kay, Barbara (October 8, 2023). Barbara Kay: The movement to oppose gender activism in schools is growing â and science is on its side. https://nationalpost.com/opinion/the-movement-to-oppose-gender-activism-in-schools-is-growing-and-science-is-on-its-side
Kay, Barbara (September 9, 2023). Barbara Kay: Like Jordan Peterson, these medical professionals won’t be silenced. https://nationalpost.com/opinion/like-jordan-peterson-these-medical-professionals-wont-be-silenced
Kay, Barbara (July 23, 2023). Barbara Kay: Breaking the ideological logjam over transgender youth health. https://nationalpost.com/opinion/breaking-the-ideological-logjam-over-transgender-youth-health
Kay, Barbara (April 29, 2023). Barbara Kay: Woke Dylan Mulvaney campaign was destined to be a Bud Light failure. https://nationalpost.com/opinion/woke-dylan-mulvaney-campaign-was-never-going-to-work-for-bud-light
Kay, Barbara (February 5, 2023). Barbara Kay: Scotland scandalized over rapists placed in women’s prisons, while Canada turns a blind eye. https://nationalpost.com/opinion/scotland-scandalized-over-rapists-placed-in-womens-prisons-while-canada-turns-a-blind-eye
Kay, Barbara (January 21, 2023). Barbara Kay: Fairness may be coming back to sport. https://nationalpost.com/opinion/fairness-may-be-coming-back-to-sport
Kay, Barbara (September 24, 2022). Barbara Kay: How StatsCan is contradicting its own data on trans Canadians. https://nationalpost.com/opinion/barbara-kay-how-statscan-is-contradicting-its-own-data-on-trans-canadians
Kay, Barbara (August 6, 2022). Barbara Kay: Tavistock closure highlights harms caused by radical gender theorists. https://nationalpost.com/opinion/barbara-kay-tavistock-closure-highlights-harms-caused-by-radical-gender-theorists
Kay, Barbara (April 9, 2022). Barbara Kay: When gender rights only protect those who do not fit stereotypes. https://nationalpost.com/opinion/barbara-kay-in-ontario-schools-gender-rights-only-protect-those-who-do-not-fit-stereotypes
Kay, Barbara (December 20, 2021). Barbara Kay: The case for an ‘open’ category to welcome trans athletes in sports. https://nationalpost.com/opinion/barbara-kay-the-case-for-an-open-category-to-welcome-trans-athletes-in-sports
Kay, Barbara (August 29, 2021). Barbara Kay: Trudeau the fake feminist ignores female inmates’ concerns. https://nationalpost.com/opinion/barbara-kay-trudeau-the-fake-feminist-ignores-female-inmates-concerns
Kay, Barbara (June 21, 2021). Barbara Kay: The complicated truth about transwomen in womenâs prisons. https://nationalpost.com/opinion/barbara-kay-the-complicated-truth-about-transwomen-in-womens-prisons
Kay, Barbara (June 7, 2021). Barbara Kay: Transgender weightlifter may expose the unfairness of trans athletes in Tokyo. https://nationalpost.com/opinion/barbara-kay-transgender-weightlifter-may-expose-the-unfairness-of-trans-athletes-in-tokyo
Kay, Barbara (April 23, 2021). Barbara Kay: Gad Saad â the man who’s not afraid to call BS. https://nationalpost.com/opinion/barbara-kay-gad-saad-the-man-whos-not-afraid-to-call-bs
Kay, Barbara (April 12, 2021). Barbara Kay: Without exemptions to protect women in prison, gender identity laws are unconstitutional. https://nationalpost.com/opinion/barbara-kay-without-exemptions-to-protect-women-in-prison-gender-identity-laws-are-unconstitutional
Kay, Barbara (November 27, 2020). Barbara Kay: The problems with Bill C-6 and the gender affirmation model. https://nationalpost.com/opinion/barbara-kay-the-problems-with-bill-c-6-and-the-gender-affirmation-model
Kay, Barbara (November 20, 2020). Barbara Kay: The case for deep-sixing Bill C-6. https://nationalpost.com/opinion/barbara-kay-the-case-for-deep-sixing-bill-c-6
Kay, Barbara (November 6, 2020). Barbara Kay: I know a misogynistic sports policy when I see it. https://nationalpost.com/opinion/barbara-kay-i-know-a-misogynistic-sports-policy-when-i-see-it
Kay, Barbara (October 23, 2020). Barbara Kay: Transgender sports policies have thrown fair play out the window. https://nationalpost.com/opinion/barbara-kay-transgender-sports-policies-have-thrown-fair-play-out-the-window
Kay, Barbara (January 23, 2020). Barbara Kay: Will 2020 will be the year of reason in the cancel-culture wars? https://nationalpost.com/opinion/barbara-kay-will-2020-will-be-the-year-of-reason-in-the-cancel-culture-wars
Kay, Barbara (November 19, 2019). Barbara Kay: Douglas Murray is a writer who says what the rest of us would like to. https://nationalpost.com/opinion/barbara-kay-the-writer-who-says-what-the-rest-of-us-would-like-to
Kay, Barbara (October 24, 2019). Barbara Kay: How feminist Meghan Murphy fell victim to progressives’ double standard. https://nationalpost.com/opinion/barbara-kay-a-feminist-falls-victim-to-progressives-double-standards
Kay, Barbara (June 25, 2019). Barbara Kay: When gender identity education and theory goes wrong. https://nationalpost.com/opinion/barbara-kay-when-gender-identity-education-and-theory-goes-wrong
Kay, Barbara (November 13, 2018). Barbara Kay: For culture warrior David Horowitz, deplatforming is no deterrent. https://nationalpost.com/opinion/barbara-kay-for-culture-warrior-david-horowitz-deplatforming-is-no-deterrent
Kay, Barbara (September 13, 2018). Barbara Kay: Diluting the meaning of ‘woman,’ to appease transgender activists, is misogyny. https://nationalpost.com/opinion/barbara-kay-transwomen-deserve-respect-but-they-arent-women
Kay, Barbara (August 22, 2018). Barbara Kay: A new report sounds the alarm on Rapid Onset Gender Dysphoria. https://nationalpost.com/opinion/barbara-kay-a-new-report-sounds-the-alarm-on-rapid-onset-gender-dysphoria
Kay, Barbara (July 10, 2018). Barbara Kay: One woman’s journey from social-justice warrior to free-speech champion. https://nationalpost.com/opinion/barbara-kay-one-womans-journey-from-social-justice-warrior-to-free-speech-champion
Kay, Barbara (July 3, 2018). Barbara Kay: Suggestions for the new Ontario sex-ed curriculum. https://nationalpost.com/opinion/barbara-kay-suggestions-for-the-new-ontario-sex-ed-curriculum
Kay, Barbara (July 7, 2018). Bill C-16, or The Transgender Identity Bill, is an act of âVelvet Totalitarianism.â The Post Millennial https://www.thepostmillennial.com/bill-c-16-or-the-transgender-identity-bill-is-an-act-of-velvet-totalitarianism/
Kay, Barbara (March 6, 2018). Barbara Kay: There’s no safe space on campus to debate bathroom politics. https://nationalpost.com/opinion/barbara-kay-theres-no-safe-space-on-campus-to-debate-bathroom-politics
Kay, Barbara (January 24, 2018). Barbara Kay: B.C. school official protests ‘transgender education’ â and pays the price. https://nationalpost.com/opinion/barbara-kay-b-c-school-official-protests-transgender-education-and-pays-the-price
Kay, Barbara (December 13, 2017). Barbara Kay: Parents face scorn for worrying about letting their children change genders. https://nationalpost.com/opinion/barbara-kay-parents-victimized-in-the-identity-vs-mental-health-battle-over-transgendered-children
Kay, Barbara (February 14, 201). Barbara Kay: Enter Milo Yiannopoulos, progressivism’s spawn and history’s pendulum in action. https://nationalpost.com/opinion/barbara-kay-enter-milo-yiannopoulos-progessivisms-spawn-and-historys-pendulum-in-action
Kay, Barbara (January 24, 2017). Barbara Kay: Betsy DeVos’ support of due process on campuses makes her an excellent pick for secretary of education. https://nationalpost.com/opinion/barbara-kay-betsy-devos-support-of-due-process-on-campuses-makes-her-an-excellent-pick-for-secretary-of-education
Kay, Barbara (July 31, 2012). Barbara Kay: The cold, cramped, atheistic world of Sam Harris. https://nationalpost.com/opinion/barbara-kay-the-cold-cramped-atheistic-world-of-sam-harris
Kay, Barbara (May 21, 2012). Barbara Kay: Jenna Talackova goes double dipping in the theatre of gender politics. https://nationalpost.com/opinion/barbara-kay-jenna-talakova-goes-double-dipping-in-the-theatre-of-gender-politics
Kay, Barbara (May 25, 2011). Barbara Kay: A child’s biology is not a matter of choice. https://nationalpost.com/full-comment/barbara-kay-a-childs-biology-is-not-a-matter-of-choice
Kay, Barbara (May 10, 2010). Barbara Kay: Support Pride or you’re a homophobe. https://nationalpost.com/full-comment/barbara-kay-support-pride-or-youre-a-homophobe
Kay, Barbara (April 28, 2010). Barbara Kay: The cult of multisexualism. https://nationalpost.com/full-comment/barbara-kay-the-cult-of-multisexualism
Media
Leaders on the Frontier David Leis and Barbara Kay (September 18, 2024). We Are Letting Our Children Down | Barbara Kay. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vPAgtiEyyu4
Leaders on the Frontier David Leis and Barbara Kay (September 17, 2024). UK Shutting Down Gender Affirming Centres, Canada’s Ignoring This | Barbara Kay. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5nGstDH97jk
Rebel News with Ezra Levant and Barbara Kay (August 8, 2023). Transgenderism in schools: A feature interview with Barbara Kay. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LZUNhuKC6nk
Rebel News with Ezra Levant and Barbara Kay (Jul 20, 2023). Barbara Kay calls out the sexualization of children through trans activism and gender ideology. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9u8qhOloYlc
The Democracy Fund with Kim Jones, Heather Mason, Amy Hamm, Jenn Smith, (September 15, 2022). LIVE EVENT: Protecting Women’s Spaces In The Age of Transgenderism. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ycorHLs2qco
Unsafe Space with Carter Laren, Juliet Dillon, Mia Cathell, and Barbara Kay (August 1, 2022). [Narrative Dissonance] Gender Identity Clinic Forced to Close | With Barbara Kay & Mia Cathell
Unsafe Space with Carter Laren, Keri Smith, and Barbara Kay (July 27, 2021). [Deprogrammed] Unsporting: Linda Blade and Barbara Kay. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DR8AIjpR1KQ
Juno News with Candice Malcolm and Barbara Kay (May 26, 2020). Ep. 5 | Barbara Kay | The Woke Left, Cancel Culture and Radical Trans Activism. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DLs6h4csXa8
Juno News with Andrew Lawton and Barbara Kay (February 6, 2020). Trans Politics and Free Speech (feat. Barbara Kay). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z0PL0tNJX0s
Rebel News with Ezra Levant and Barbara Kay discussing Ken Zucker (January 28, 2020). Barbara Kay on the gender dysphoria researcher overcoming cancel culture | Ezra Levant. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6b3NmOhCJr8
Rebel News with Ezra Levant and Barbara Kay (December 17, 2019). Barbara Kay: Ontario mother takes on school’s trans ideology with Human Rights claim | Ezra Levant. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9I02_n7M6X8
Rebel News with Ezra Levant and Barbara Kay (October 26, 2019). Barbara Kay: âTrans exclusionaryâ feminist Meghan Murphy is being protested (again) | Ezra Levant. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TNELHTfNXqY
Faytene TV with Faytene Grasseschi and Barbara Kay (October 2, 2019). Barbara Kay on Gender, Genital Waxing, Freedom, Marijuana, Integrity & The Election. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6PHW2bVU650
Rebel News with Ezra Levant and Barbara Kay (August 23, 2019). Barbara Kay: Transgenders sue rape shelter for “discrimination” | Ezra Levant. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xdr2EFoK6hI
Bridge City News with Paul Arthur and Barbara Kay (July 5, 2019). Paul Arthur interviews Barbara Kay on the dangers of gender fluidity – July 4, 2019. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_jkNX5ygxso
Unsafe Space with Carter Laren, Keri Smith, and Barbara Kay (June 27, 2019). [Deprogrammed] Barbara Kay on Trans Activism. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5RZNeN4XjLE
Rebel News with Ezra Levant and Barbara Kay (March 6, 2019). Barbara Kay: Trans athletes have âerasedâ REAL women from sports. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MJFyJh2RWco
Rebel News with Ezra Levant and Barbara Kay (November 23, 2018). Trans “woman” gets light sentence for sexually assaulting daughter. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-fN9LrBEyvI
Rebel News with Ezra Levant and Barbara Kay (October 19, 2018). Barbara Kay: Trans athletes will end women’s sports. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ph4Y26MABnU
SFS York panel with Debra Soh, Lindsay Shepherd, Jared Brown, Sarina Singh, and Barbara Kay (July 31, 2018). BILL C-16 and COMPELLED SPEECH: One Year Later. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2PPXwcYtHn0
Rebel News with Ezra Levant and Barbara Kay (July 17, 2018). Gender identity programs are junk science | Barbara Kay. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0LqleYq_Azo
Rebel News with Ezra Levant and Barbara Kay (July 2, 2019). Barbara Kay: School defends teaching transgender to tots | Ezra Levant. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jkl0wwuWohU
Ideacity with Mark Steyn and Barbara Kay (June 26, 2018). Barbara Kay & Mark Steyn – Freedom of Speech. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n7P9bQ_PwfM
LGBT Canada In The Media (July 14, 2018). Barbara Kay – Teaching Gender Identity Is Child Abuse & Gaslights Kids | Ontario Sex Ed Curriculum [CBC News clip]. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ilyXXIg_4uE
Rebel News with Ezra Levant and Barbara Kay (May 9, 2018). Barbara Kay: Non-binary birth certificates are “nuts.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z0hFJVyEUOg
Resources
Barbara Kay (barbarakay.ca)
Wikipedia (en.wikipedia.org)
Twitter (twitter.com)
Facebook (facebook.com)