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The Wall Street Journal vs. transgender people

The Wall Street Journal is an American media organization.

Their journalism is considered center to center-right, and the editorial page is considered right-wing/conservative. The opinion section frequently promotes and platforms major anti-trans voices, including Gerald Posner, J. Michael Bailey, Abigail Shrier, Leor Sapir, and Colin Wright.

Contributors

In 2023, the WSJ significantly increased its anti-transgender coverage.

Leor Sapir and Colin Wright wrote a piece attacking academic publisher Springer after it retracted an unethical paper by J. Michael Bailey in 2023. The previous year, Wright had invoked the “tomboy erasure” conspiracy theory that claims gender diverse cisgender children are being forced to transition as a form of anti-LGB conversion therapy.

Abigail Shrier was allowed to complain about “The Transgender War on Women.”

Joe Barrett covered state recognition of trans identity documents. Jathon Sapsford and Stephanie Armour quoted anti-trans activist Leor Sapir, and Republican politicians Dan Crenshaw and Chris Christie, with rebuttal by Democrat Frank Pallone Jr. Stephanie Armour also covered Medicaid coverage of trans health services.

Laura Kusisto and Louise Radnofsky covered sex-segregated competitive sports. Ben Chapman and Laine Higgins also covered this.

Mariah Timms covered anti-trans developments in Missouri under AG Andrew Bailey.

Lindsay Wise, Simon J. Levien, and Isaac Yu covered Republican attempts to control the reproductive freedom and bodily autonomy of others.

Elizabeth Findell, Adolfo Flores and Peter Champelli covered the Texas ban on trans healthcare.

Mariah Timms and Laura Kusisto covered Tennessee’s ban on trans healthcare for minors.

Talal Ansari covered Zooey Zephyr’s removal from the Montana House floor.

The editorial board opined about “Transgender Patients vs. Religious Doctors: The Franciscan Alliance might be the new Little Sisters of the Poor.”

2023 Endocrine Society attacks

After Roy Eappen and Ian Kingsbury of anti-trans group Do No Harm attacked the Endocrine Society, President Stephen R. Hammes responded with an outline of the medical consensus behind the Endocrine Society’s guidelines.

Hammes was then attacked by a group of anti-trans clinicians in a subsequent letter. The signatories are:

FINLAND

UNITED KINGDOM

SWEDEN

  • Angela Sämfjord, M.D. Senior consultant, Sahlgrenska University Hospital
  • Sven Román, M.D. Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist

NORWAY

  • Anne Wæhre, M.D., Ph.D. Senior consultant, Oslo University Hospital

BELGIUM

  • Em. Prof. Patrik Vankrunkelsven, M.D. Ph.D. Katholieke Universiteit Leuven Honorary senator
  • Sophie Dechêne, M.R.C.Psych. Child and adolescent psychiatrist
  • Beryl Koener, M.D., Ph.D. Child and adolescent psychiatrist

FRANCE

  • Prof. Celine Masson, Ph.D. Picardy Jules Verne University Psychologist, Oeuvre de Secours aux Enfants, Co-director, Observatory La Petite Sirène
  • Caroline Eliacheff, M.D. Child and adolescent psychiatrist, Co-director, Observatory La Petite Sirène
  • Em. Prof. Maurice Berger, M.D. Ph.D. Child psychiatrist

SWITZERLAND

  • Daniel Halpérin, M.D. Pediatrician

SOUTH AFRICA

  • Prof. Reitze Rodseth, Ph.D. University of Kwazulu-Natal
  • Janet Giddy, M.B.Ch.B., M.P.H. Family physician and public-health expert
  • Allan Donkin, M.B.Ch.B. Family physician

UNITED STATES

  • Clin. Prof. Stephen B. Levine, M.D. Case Western Reserve University
  • Clin. Prof. William Malone, M.D. Idaho College of Osteopathic Medicine Director, Society for Evidence Based Gender Medicine
  • Prof. Patrick K. Hunter, M.D. Florida State University Pediatrician and bioethicist

Hammes was also criticized by a group of parents that included Kathleen Dooley.

References

Conservative signatories (July 14, 2023). Youth Gender Transition Is Pushed Without Evidence. Wall Street Journal https://www.wsj.com/articles/trans-gender-affirming-care-transition-hormone-surgery-evidence-c1961e27

Readers (July 26, 2023). Parents Need Answers on Pediatric Gender Medicine. Wall Street Journal https://www.wsj.com/articles/parents-trans-gender-diverse-kids-medical-care-endocrine-1287c55

Sapsford, Jathon; Armour, Stephanie (June 19, 2023). U.S. Becomes Transgender-Care Outlier as More in Europe Urge Caution. Wall Street Journal https://www.wsj.com/amp/articles/u-s-becomes-transgender-care-outlier-as-more-in-europe-urge-caution-6c70b5e0

Leor Sapir and Colin Wright

Eappen, Roy; Kingsbury, Ian (June 28, 2023). The Endocrine Society’s Dangerous Transgender Politicization. Members we spoke with take exception to the group’s guidelines on ‘gender-affirming care.’ Wall Street Journal https://www.wsj.com/amp/articles/the-endocrine-societys-dangerous-politicization-endocrinologists-gender-affirming-care-arkansas-dac768bd

Hammes, Stephen R. (July 4, 2023). Endocrine Society Responds on Gender-Affirming Care It improves the well-being of transgender and gender-diverse people. Wall Street Journal https://www.wsj.com/amp/articles/trans-gender-affirming-care-endocrine-society-evidence-fdb8562c

Resources

The Wall Street Journal (wsj.com)