The Rise of Anti-Trans Rhetoric and Its Mainstreaming by Conservative Media
The anti-transgender movement has gained significant traction in recent years, fueled by a network of conservative groups and amplified by influential media outlets. This campaign, often cloaked in the language of protecting children, has led to a surge in state legislation restricting gender-affirming care for young people. The movement’s success can be traced back to figures like Dr. Michelle Cretella, who characterized gender dysphoria as a “passing phase” or a sign of “underlying psychopathology” and labeled gender-affirming care “child abuse.” Cretella’s inflammatory rhetoric, disseminated through platforms like the Heritage Foundation, quickly gained traction within conservative circles and laid the groundwork for legislative action.
The Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), a powerful legal organization at the forefront of the conservative Christian movement, played a crucial role in translating this rhetoric into legal action. The ADF, known for its successful Supreme Court challenges to Roe v. Wade and other landmark decisions, adopted the anti-trans narrative and began filing lawsuits challenging gender-affirming care. This litigation strategy, coupled with strategically crafted press releases and court filings, effectively injected anti-trans talking points into mainstream media discourse. The ADF’s influence extended beyond legal battles, shaping public perception and fueling a broader cultural backlash against transgender rights.
The ADF’s message found a particularly receptive audience in emergent right-wing media outlets like The Free Press, founded by Bari Weiss. Weiss provided a platform for anti-trans voices, including Abigail Shrier, whose lengthy articles attacking “gender ideology” helped further solidify and popularize anti-trans sentiment. The Free Press also amplified the unsubstantiated claims of a supposed whistleblower, contributing to the spread of misinformation about transgender healthcare. This symbiotic relationship between the ADF and The Free Press demonstrates how new media platforms can be instrumental in disseminating and legitimizing fringe viewpoints.
The influence of the anti-trans narrative extended even to established media outlets like The New York Times. An investigation by Assigned Media revealed a pattern of the Times echoing ADF talking points and amplifying their arguments, effectively mainstreaming a highly partisan and often misleading perspective. The Times’ coverage of transgender issues, including a widely criticized 11,000-word magazine piece, often mirrored the ADF’s legal arguments and rhetoric. This convergence raises concerns about objectivity and the potential for media outlets to inadvertently serve as conduits for biased information.
The spread of disinformation about transgender healthcare is not limited to media coverage. The Federal Trade Commission held a workshop on the supposed “dangers” of gender-affirming care, an event critics described as “government-sponsored disinformation.” Similarly, a report issued by the Department of Health and Human Services was criticized for its flawed methodology and biased conclusions. These instances highlight the growing influence of anti-trans ideology within government institutions and the potential for these platforms to be used to disseminate misinformation and promote harmful policies.
The consequences of this campaign are far-reaching. State bans on gender-affirming care, often containing biased exceptions for cisgender individuals and intersex children, are proliferating. These bans, fueled by misinformation and fear-mongering, deny transgender youth access to essential medical care and threaten their well-being. The ongoing efforts to restrict gender-affirming care are part of a broader assault on medical science and evidence-based healthcare, with implications that extend far beyond the transgender community. The conflation of medically established treatments with “novel” and potentially dangerous practices undermines public trust in healthcare providers and reinforces harmful stereotypes.