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The New Yorker and transgender people

The New Yorker is an American media organization. Its coverage of trans topics has been generally nuanced and balanced.

Background

The New Yorker was founded in 1925. It primarily covers culture and profiles figures in the news.

Trans and gender diverse coverage

Trans and gender diverse people they have covered or who have bylines include:

  • Jane Schoenbrun
  • Lucy Sante
  • Paul B. Preciado
  • Masha Gessen
  • MĂłnica Taboada-Tapia
  • Greek Lankton
  • Elliot Page
  • Imogen Binnie
  • Lia Thomas
  • Maia Kobabe
  • Caitlyn Jenner
  • Candy Darling
  • Judith Butler
  • Torrey Peters
  • Joey Soloway
  • Christine Hallquist
  • Peppermint
  • T Cooper
  • Janet Mock
  • Michelle Ainsworth and Jennifer Lee
  • Gavin Grimm
  • Jordy Rosenberg

The magazine has also profiled people who work closely with trans and gender diverse people, including photographers Ethan James Green and Melody Melamed, and plastic surgeon Jordan Deschamps-Braly.

What Is a Woman? (2014)

In 2014, The New Yorker tackled the conflict between “radical feminism vs. transgenderism” on their podcast, discussing a piece by Michelle Goldberg that sympathetically profiled gender critical activists. The full title of Goldberg’s piece is “What is a Woman? The dispute between radical feminism and transgenderism.”

Goldberg outlines the 1973 controversy around attacks on trans singer Beth Elliott at the West Coast Lesbian Conference, as well as the attacks on artist Sandy Stone in the late 1970s.

Goldberg interviews Lierre Keith at a Radfems Respond event in Portland, Oregon, and name-drops several others:

Goldberg also interviewed biologist Julia Serano for the piece. Serano wrote several critical responses, sharing all email correspondence with Goldberg. Serano was concerned about how Sheila Jeffreys misused passages from Serano’s autobiography to claim Serano was “autogynephilic.” Although Goldberg removed some of the passages in the draft after Serano objected, Serano wrote that Goldberg “casually mentions that Jeffreys (who is depicted as a sympathetic, if eccentric, character in the article) considers me to be an ‘autogynephile’ without mentioning any of my arguments against the theory and Jeffreys’s hypocritical appropriation of it.”

In Columbia Journalism Review, Jos Truitt sharply criticized Goldberg’s framing:

To any observer aware of the conflict, the article reads like a push piece for Jeffreys’ book: It accepts her framing on a number of issues, and the only trans woman voices, included at the end of the article, are women trans-exclusionary radical feminists have attempted to discredit, quoted using trans-exclusionary feminists’ framing. Goldberg establishes that trans identities should be up for debate by first quoting a trans-exclusionary radical feminist using male pronouns to refer to trans women, and then using male pronouns herself.

A Club for the Cancelled (2023)

Emma Green’s profile of the “Gathering of Thought Criminals” gives a glimpse into one reactionary network that was part of the burgeoning anti-trans movement. People mentioned include:

Is It Possible to Be Both Moderate and Anti-Woke? (2023)

Emma Green’s profile of “anti-woke nonprofits” chronicles how Foundation Against Intolerance & Racism was founded and mismanaged. People mentioned include many leading lights in anti-transgender activism:

Christopher Rufo profile (2023)

Emma Green’s brief profile of anti-trans extremist Christopher Rufo’s 2023 book tour for America’s Cultural Revolution mentions Manhattan Institute president Reihan Salam and Rufo’s chief of staff Armen Tooloee:

As the waitstaff packed up the booze, Rufo reminisced with Armen Tooloee, his chief of staff. “We got surrounded by a mob of angry non-binaries in Florida,” Rufo said. Tooloee “walks in with the biggest smile on his face, like yea-a-ah. There’s cops everywhere. And Armen is in a state of bliss. He’s like a Buddha!” Tooloee, who has a groomed beard, said that he’d had a lot of practice dealing with progressive protesters as an undergraduate, when he ran a College Republicans’ “affirmative-action bake sale.” (Black students got cheaper cookies than white students, for example.)

Selected articles

Thomas, Louisa (January 19, 2025). What’s Really Behind the House Bill to Ban Transgender Athletes from School Sports? The New Yorker https://www.newyorker.com/sports/sporting-scene/whats-really-behind-the-house-bill-to-ban-transgender-athletes-from-school-sports

Seidlitz, Holden (June 10, 2024). Jane Schoenbrun Finds Horror Close to Home. The New Yorker https://www.newyorker.com/culture/persons-of-interest/jane-schoenbrun-finds-horror-close-to-home

Brody, Richard (May 3, 2024). “I Saw the TV Glow” Is a Profound Vision of the Trans Experience. The New Yorker https://www.newyorker.com/culture/the-front-row/i-saw-the-tv-glow-is-a-profound-vision-of-the-trans-experience

Witt, Emily (March 21, 2024). How Lucy Sante Became the Person She Feared. The New Yorker https://www.newyorker.com/books/page-turner/how-lucy-sante-became-the-person-she-feared

Brody, Richard (November 10, 2023). A Philosopher-Filmmaker’s Polyphonic Perspective on Trans Experience. The New Yorker https://www.newyorker.com/culture/the-front-row/a-philosopher-filmmakers-polyphonic-perspective-on-trans-experience

Green, Emma (August 14, 2023). Conservative Pirates Take Park Avenue. The New Yorker https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2023/08/21/conservative-pirates-take-the-mondrian-hotel [later retitled Counterprogramming]

Green, Emma (June 5, 2023). Is It Possible to Be Both Moderate and Anti-Woke? The New Yorker https://www.newyorker.com/news/annals-of-activism/is-it-possible-to-be-both-moderate-and-anti-woke

Remmick, David (March 11, 2023). What We Talk About When We Talk About Trans Rights. The New Yorker https://www.newyorker.com/news/the-new-yorker-interview/what-we-talk-about-when-we-talk-about-trans-rights

Mackey, Danielle (December 21, 2022). Isolation and Belonging in “Two-Spirit.” The New Yorker https://www.newyorker.com/culture/the-new-yorker-documentary/isolation-and-belonging-in-two-spirit

Fateman, Johanna (November 28, 2022). Greer Lankton’s Lonely Dolls. The New Yorker https://www.newyorker.com/culture/photo-booth/greer-lanktons-lonely-dolls

Long, Crispin (July 12, 2022). Elliot Page Brings His Misfit Characters to Life. The New Yorker https://www.newyorker.com/culture/culture-desk/elliot-page-brings-his-misfit-characters-to-life

Burt, Stephanie (June 20, 2022). The Invention of the Trans Novel. The New Yorker https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2022/06/27/the-invention-of-the-trans-novel-imogen-binnie-nevada

Gessen, Masha (June 14, 2022). How Kyiv’s L.G.B.T.Q. Community Found Shelter from the Russian Invasion. The New Yorker https://www.newyorker.com/news/dispatch/how-kyivs-lgbtq-community-found-shelter-from-the-russian-invasion

Thomas, Louisa (March 17, 2022). How One Swimmer Became the Focus of a Debate About Trans Athletes. The New Yorker https://www.newyorker.com/sports/sporting-scene/how-one-swimmer-became-the-focus-of-a-debate-about-trans-athletes

Long, Crispin (January 31, 2021). The Insider Insights of “Detransition, Baby.” The New Yorker https://www.newyorker.com/books/page-turner/the-insider-insights-of-detransition-baby

Kobabe, Maia (December 18, 2020). The Best Gifts I Received Before Top Surgery. The New Yorker https://www.newyorker.com/humor/daily-shouts/best-gifts-i-received-before-top-surgery

Editors (June 9, 2019). Sunday Reading: Pride & the Fiftieth Anniversary of Stonewall. The New Yorker https://www.newyorker.com/books/double-take/sunday-reading-pride-and-the-fiftieth-anniversary-of-stonewall

Als, Hilton (March 24, 2019). “To Live in the World, and Not to Hide”: An Interview with Janet Mock. The New Yorker https://www.newyorker.com/culture/the-new-yorker-interview/to-live-in-the-world-and-not-to-hide-an-interview-with-janet-mock

Schulman, Michael (March 12, 2019). A Counterculture Portraitist’s Chronicle of New York’s Youth. The New Yorker https://www.newyorker.com/culture/photo-booth/a-counterculture-portraitists-chronicle-of-new-yorks-youth

Lipstein, Ray (November 26, 2018). “Man Made,” a Film About Transgender Bodybuilders, Upends the Traditional Documentary Gaze. The New Yorker https://www.newyorker.com/culture/culture-desk/man-made-a-film-about-transgender-bodybuilders-upends-the-traditional-documentary-gaze

Solowat, [Joey] (October 7, 2018), [Joey] Soloway Tells the Personal Story Behind “Transparent.” The New Yorker https://www.newyorker.com/culture/personal-history/are-you-sitting-down

Gessen, Masha (August 16, 2018). Christine Hallquist’s Vermont Win and the Emergence of Transgender Politicians. The New Yorker https://www.newyorker.com/news/our-columnists/christine-hallquists-vermont-win-and-the-emergence-of-transgender-politicians

Schulman, Michael (July 27, 2018). “Head Over Heels,” Reviewed: A Trans-Positive Spin on a Sixteenth-Century Romance, with Help from the Go-Go’s. The New Yorker https://www.newyorker.com/culture/culture-desk/head-over-heels-reviewed-a-trans-positive-spin-on-a-sixteenth-century-romance-with-help-from-the-go-gos

Waldman, Katy (June 27, 2018). “Confessions of the Fox” Is a Cunning Metafiction of Vulpine Versatility. The New Yorker https://www.newyorker.com/books/page-turner/confessions-of-the-fox-is-a-cunning-metafiction-of-vulpine-versatility

Mead, Rebecca (March 12, 2018). The Story of a Trans Woman’s Face. The New Yorker https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2018/03/19/the-story-of-a-trans-womans-face

Goetsch, Diana (March 6, 2018). Teaching William Zinsser to Write Poetry. The New Yorker https://www.newyorker.com/culture/personal-history/teaching-william-zinsser-to-write-poetry

Hart, Michelle (July 16, 2017). Portrait of a Couple in Love and in Transition. The New Yorker https://www.newyorker.com/culture/photo-booth/a-portrait-of-a-middle-aged-couple-in-transition

Bridy, Richard (April 7, 2017). A Film Series Explores the Crossing of Gender Lines. The New Yorker https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2017/04/17/a-film-series-explores-the-crossing-of-gender-lines

Gersen, Jeannie Suk (December 6, 2016). Gavin Grimm’s Transgender-Rights Case and the Problem with Informal Executive Action. The New Yorker https://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/gavin-grimms-transgender-rights-case-and-the-problem-with-informal-executive-action

Seliger, Mark (July 25, 2016). The Trans Community of Christopher Street. The New Yorker https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2016/08/01/the-trans-community-of-christopher-street

Alford, Henry (June 13, 2016). North Carolina Police Blotter. The New Yorker https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2016/06/20/north-carolina-police-blotter-by-henry-alford

Socarides, Richard (March 28, 2016). North Carolina and the Gay-Rights Backlash. The New Yorker https://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/north-carolina-and-the-gay-rights-backlash

Dunham, Cyrus Grace (February 8, 2016). The Forgotten Ones: Queer and Trans Lives in the Prison System. The New Yorker https://www.newyorker.com/books/page-turner/the-forgotten-ones-queer-and-trans-lives-in-the-prison-system

Gersen, Jeannie Suk (January 25, 2016). Who’s Afraid of Gender-Neutral Bathrooms? The New Yorker https://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/whos-afraid-of-same-sex-bathrooms

Dunham, Cyrus Grace (November 19, 2015). Stuck in Stonewall. The New Yorker https://www.newyorker.com/culture/culture-desk/stuck-in-stonewall

Weinstein, Michael M. (November 17, 2015). Transgender Portraits and the Things a Body Won’t Tell. The New Yorker https://www.newyorker.com/culture/photo-booth/transgender-portraits-and-the-things-a-body-wont-tell

Burt, Stephanie (July 27, 2015). Kim, Caitlyn, and the People We Want to See. The New Yorker https://www.newyorker.com/culture/cultural-comment/kim-caitlyn-and-the-people-we-want-to-see

Mead, Rebecca (June 2, 2015). Caitlyn Jenner’s Big DĂ©but. The New Yorker https://www.newyorker.com/culture/cultural-comment/caitlyn-jenners-big-debut

Scott, Andrea K. (May 8, 2015). Zanele Muholi. The New Yorker https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2015/05/18/out-look

La Force, Thessaly (April 26, 2015). Bruce Jenner and the Modern American Family. The New Yorker https://www.newyorker.com/culture/culture-desk/bruce-jenner-and-the-modern-american-family

Goldberg, Michelle (July 28, 2014). What Is a Woman? The dispute between radical feminism and transgenderism. The New Yorker https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2014/08/04/woman-2

Editors (July 28, 2014). Out Loud: Radical Feminism Vs. Transgenderism. The New Yorker https://www.newyorker.com/culture/culture-desk/loud-radical-feminism-vs-transgenderism

Als, Hilton (April 18, 2011). Self-Made Woman. The New Yorker https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2011/04/25/self-made-woman

Levy, Ariel (November 19, 2009). Either/Or. The New Yorker https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2009/11/30/caster-semenya-profile-either-or

Als, Hilton (July 13, 2009). Diva Deconstructed. The New Yorker https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2009/07/20/diva-deconstructed

Media

(May 31, 2024). The Trans Athletes Who Changed the Olympics—in 1936 https://www.newyorker.com/podcast/the-new-yorker-radio-hour/the-trans-athletes-who-changed-the-olympics-in-1936

(March 15, 2024). Judith Butler Can’t “Take Credit or Blame” for Gender Furor. https://www.newyorker.com/podcast/the-new-yorker-radio-hour/judith-butler-cant-take-credit-or-blame-for-gender-furor

(June 9, 2023). At an Embattled Moment, the New York Times’ Publisher Makes a Stand https://www.newyorker.com/podcast/the-new-yorker-radio-hour/at-an-embattled-moment-the-new-york-timess-publisher-makes-a-stand

(March 13, 2023). Masha Gessen on the War Against Trans Rights https://www.newyorker.com/podcast/political-scene/masha-gessen-on-the-war-against-trans-rights

(November 4, 2022). Confronting Harassment in “Night Ride” https://www.newyorker.com/culture/screening-room/confronting-harassment-in-night-ride

(June 1, 2022). Rethinking Identity and Testosterone in “Imagine a Body” https://www.newyorker.com/culture/the-new-yorker-documentary/rethinking-identity-and-testosterone-in-imagine-a-body

(May 20, 2022). The Attack on Gender-Affirming Medical Care https://www.newyorker.com/podcast/the-new-yorker-radio-hour/the-attack-on-gender-affirming-medical-care

(October 27, 2021). A Texan Housepainter’s Journey to Gender Confidence https://www.newyorker.com/culture/the-new-yorker-documentary/a-texan-housepainters-journey-to-gender-confidence

Long, Crispin (June 24, 2020). “Raising Baby Grey” Explores the World of Gender-Neutral Parenting https://www.newyorker.com/culture/the-new-yorker-documentary/raising-baby-grey-explores-the-world-of-gender-neutral-parenting

Als, Hilton (January 7, 2019). Janet Mock Finds Her Voice. https://www.newyorker.com/podcast/political-scene/janet-mock-finds-her-voice

Sasha Weiss, Margaret Talbot, and Michelle Goldberg (July 28, 2014). Out Loud: Radical Feminism Vs. Transgenderism. https://www.newyorker.com/culture/culture-desk/loud-radical-feminism-vs-transgenderism

Resources

The New Yorker (newyorker.com)