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Douglas Murray vs. transgender people

Douglas Murray is a conservative British author and anti-transgender activist.

Background

Douglas Kear Murray was born July 16, 1979 in London. Murray graduated from Oxford. In 2006 Murray wrote a book defending neoconservatism. Murray was director of Centre for Social Cohesion, but conflicts about their anti-immigration and anti-Islamist stances forced the organization to merge into the Henry Jackson Society after Murray left.

Murray has written for most major anti-trans publications, including The Spectator, The Telegraph, National Review, The Wall Street Journal, UnHerd, and the New York Post. In February 2022, Murray became a Fox News contributor. Murray is a fellow at the National Review Institute.

Anti-transgender activism

Murray identifies as gay and aligns with the faction of anti-trans queer conservatives.

Murray has said that it is a lie that a man can become a woman. In September 2020, during an appearance on Joe Rogan’s podcast, Murray compared accepting trans people to “late-empire sign of things falling apart”. Murray believes there is no such thing as non-binary gender.

Murray’s 2019 book The Madness of Crowds: Gender, Race and Identity has a section called Trans. Murray believes that identity politics are a threat to Western civilization.

References

Briwn, Rivkah (March 6, 2020). The Jewish community should see Melanie Phillips and Douglas Murray for what they are – wolves in sheep’s clothing. The Independent https://www.independent.co.uk/voices/melanie-phillips-douglas-murray-jewish-book-week-muslims-trans-issues-a9380166.html

Horton, James (March 4, 2025). Douglas Murray: a pathetic nuisance who’s had a mid-life radicalisation crisis. Canary https://www.thecanary.co/opinion/2025/03/04/douglas-murray/

Shatto, Rachel (January 31 2022). Joe Rogan Continues to Spew Anti-Trans Rhetoric on His Spotify Podcast. The Advocate https://www.advocate.com/news/2022/1/31/joe-rogan-continues-spew-anti-trans-rhetoric-his-spotify-podcast

Wood, Heloise (May 10, 2021). Douglas Murray criticises transphobia letter, slamming ‘left-wing bubble’ of publishing. The Bookseller https://www.thebookseller.com/news/douglas-murray-criticises-transphobia-letter-slamming-left-wing-bubble-publishing-1259104

January, Brianna (September 18, 2020). Joe Rogan and guest discuss whether trans people are a sign of “the end of America”. Media Matters for America https://www.mediamatters.org/joe-rogan-experience/joe-rogan-and-guest-discuss-whether-trans-people-are-sign-end-america

Reynolds, Daniel (September 17, 2019). Right-Wing U.K. Writer Epically Schooled for Misgendering Sam Smith.The Advocate https://www.advocate.com/people/2019/9/17/right-wing-uk-writer-epically-schooled-misgendering-sam-smith

Anti-trans coverage

Kearns, Madeleine (October 1, 2019). An Interview with Douglas Murray: Gender, Race, and Identity. National Review https://www.nationalreview.com/2019/10/douglas-murray-book-the-madness-of-crowds-gender-race-and-identity/

Dori, Roni (July 29, 2021). Douglas Murray: ‘What I Mind Is the Lie That a Man Can Become a Woman’. Haaretz https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/2021-07-29/ty-article-magazine/.highlight/what-i-mind-is-the-lie-that-a-man-can-become-a-woman/0000017f-e3f4-d568-ad7f-f3ff39520000

Selected writing by Murray

Murray, Douglas (September 4, 2025). Coward Malcolm Gladwell admits he lied about trans athletes — and reveals an important truth about our modern culture. New York Post https://nypost.com/2025/09/04/opinion/malcolm-gladwell-admits-he-lied-about-trans-athletes-because-telling-the-truth-destroyed-careers/

Murray, Douglas (June 26, 2025). Standing up to bullying, unscientific transgender activist mob. New York Post https://nypost.com/2025/06/26/opinion/standing-up-to-bullying-unscientific-transgender-activist-mob/

Murray, Douglas (February 8, 2025). Trump’s stopping US spending on crazy foreign projects – why can’t Britain? The Sun https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/33255319/keir-starmer-trump-labour-funk/

Murray, Douglas (August 1, 2024). Brutal, unfair Olympic beating tragic result of letting biological men compete in women’s sports. New York Post https://nypost.com/2024/08/01/opinion/brutal-unfair-olympic-beating-tragic-result-of-letting-biological-men-compete-in-womens-sports/

Murray, Douglas (June 22, 2023). ‘Gender-affirming surgery’ puts a feel-good phrase on child butchery. New York Post https://nypost.com/2023/06/22/gender-affirming-surgery-puts-a-feel-good-phrase-on-child-butchery/

Murray, Douglas (July 14, 2022). Can we ever be woke enough for the trans extremists? New York Post https://nypost.com/2022/07/14/can-we-ever-be-woke-enough-for-the-trans-extremists/

Murray, Douglas (June 16, 2022 ). Trans surgery for children is not a ‘right’ to be fought for. New York Post https://nypost.com/2022/06/16/trans-surgery-for-children-is-not-a-right-to-be-fought-for/

Murray, Douglas (October 22, 2021). How Stonewall was exposed: The charity can no long explain its fanciful dogmas. UnHerd https://unherd.com/2021/10/how-stonewall-was-exposed/

Murray, Douglas (August 6, 2021). Does Owen Jones have a woman problem? Certain journalists aren’t allowed to express scepticism about the transgender debate. UnHerd https://unherd.com/2021/08/does-owen-jones-have-a-woman-problem/

Murray, Douglas (May 26, 2021). How Stonewall sacrificed gay rights. UnHerd https://unherd.com/2021/05/how-stonewall-sacrificed-gay-rights/

Murray, Douglas (May 7, 2021). Publishing is now a Left-wing bubble. UnHerd https://unherd.com/2021/05/publishing-is-now-a-leftist-bubble/

Murray, Douglas (November 22, 2019). Can we ever be woke enough for the trans extremists? New York Post https://nypost.com/2022/07/14/can-we-ever-be-woke-enough-for-the-trans-extremists/

Murray, Douglas (November 22, 2019). Has trans activism gone too far? UnHerd https://unherd.com/2019/11/has-trans-activism-gone-too-far/

Murray, Douglas (November 8, 2019). Drag kids are the product of a dangerous American delusion: The way the 12-year-old drag act, Desmond is Amazing, has been pushed on the world betrays a worrying tendency. UnHerd https://unherd.com/2019/11/drag-kids-are-the-product-of-a-dangerous-american-delusion/

Murray, Douglas (September 14, 2019). It’s now easier for a teacher to decide your little girl is a little boy than it is to give them aspirin! In a vital new book, DOUGLAS MURRAY reveals how transgender rights have become one of the most toxic issues of our age. Daily Mail https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7464157/DOUGLAS-MURRAY-reveals-transgender-rights-one-toxic-issues-age.html

Murray, Douglas (March 6, 2019). Why Titania is perfect for our times: The avenging SJW angel, Titania McGrath, has disrupted a tired genre. UnHerd https://unherd.com/2019/03/why-titania-is-perfect-for-our-times/

Media

The Origins Podcast with Lawrence Krauss and Douglas Murray (May 27, 2023). Douglas Murray: From Poetry to Free Speech. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LKNzcX-6vYs

TRIGGERnometry with Konstantin Kisin, Francis Foster, and Douglas Murray (May 24, 2023). Douglas Murray Opens Up on America, AI and LGBTQ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z1FxfJr6Bik

Sky News / The Rita Panahi Show with Rita Panahi and Douglas Murray (Feb 3, 2023). ‘Religious zealotry’ of trans debate falling apart as it ‘defies reality’: Douglas Murray. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pRePOQqWKmk

Sky News / The Rita Panahi Show with Rita Panahi and Douglas Murray (December 28, 2022). ‘Cultural weirdness’: Douglas Murray slams trans girl experiencing ‘period pain’. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6-kXxCotNXk

Fox News with Jesse Watters and Douglas Murray (December 8, 2022). Douglas Murray on trans activists battering lesbian feminist group: We’ve seen this coming for years. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q6megJ0FbpU

London Real with Brian Rose and Douglas Murray (August 10, 2022). Douglas Murray on Gender Pronouns ♀♂⚥ âš² ☿ ⚦ ⚨ âš© …. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w0tMT76EgNk

TalkTV with Peter Tatchell and Douglas Murray (April 1, 2022). Douglas Murray: ‘Can a man be trans if he remains a man?’ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LtoHDp3LpzQ

Sky News / The Rita Panahi Show with Rita Panahi and Douglas Murray (March 21, 2022). Douglas Murray: ‘Everything we all know is forgotten’ with transgender ideology. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HYR4QvOuAP8

Skeptic with Michael Shermer and Douglas Murray (October 16, 2020). Michael Shermer with Douglas Murray — The Madness of 2020 (Special Episode). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tWjugMlQ_54

John Anderson Media with John Anderson and Douglas Murray (Jan 9, 2020). The Madness of Crowds | Douglas Murray. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qYaYk09kEDs

Cosmic Skeptic / Within Reason with Alex J. O’Connor and Douglas Murray (November 20, 2019). Debating Douglas Murray on Gender, Reparations, and Extinction Rebellion. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gCtBUvFL-QQ

Times News with Rod Liddle and Douglas Murray (September 23, 2019). Douglas Murray on gender, race and identity | Liddle’s Got Issues. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J3nLx_sAgE0

Resources

Douglas Murray (douglasmurray.net)

Gatestone Institute (gatestoneinstitute.org)

Wikipedia (en.wikipedia.org)

X/Twitter (x.com)

Facebook (facebook.com)

Instagram (instagram.com)

The Spectator (spectator.co.uk)

The Telegraph (telegraph.co.uk)

UnHerd (unherd.com)