Close
Search
Menu Menu

New York Times contributors protest biased trans coverage

Credit: Unsplash
By
Glasgow, UK
1 energy + Add Energy
What is energy?
Want to show your appreciation? Give an article “Energy” and it will help us know what you like.
0 comments
0 comments

In the last eight months, it’s estimated that The New York Times has published over 13,945 words of front-page coverage debating medical care for trans children.

Big media loves a moral panic, but it’s a little embarrassing to see it from the Times, as was echoed by an open letter from over 1,200 contributors to the paper last month – among them Cynthia Nixon, Chelsea Manning and Roxanne Gay.

The letter’s main point is that uneven and weighted coverage of a topic in this way goes against the editorial standards which the Times is so depended upon to uphold.

The letter’s signatories complained of an ‘eerily familiar mix of pseudoscience and euphemistic, charged language,’ in the papers’ coverage of trans issues. One article uses the disease-associated term ‘patient zero’ to refer to a young transgender person seeking gender-affirmative care.

Another piece about students changing their gender identity without their parents’ knowledge fails to mention how the legal strategy it covers is one pursued by anti-trans hate groups.

The letter points back to the parallels between the Times’ output in the 60s and 70s, which gave homophobic fears disproportionate cover space and featured doctors claiming homosexuality was a disease which could be cured.

The Times also failed to put the AIDs epidemic on the cover until 1983 (when 500+ patients had already died), and was long considered a hostile workplace for queer people.

However, what is most suspect about the Times’ coverage of trans children is not what’s written – it’s the sheer volume of coverage.

Why are trans children being fixated on more than climate change obstruction, when puberty blockers, hormone therapy, and gender-affirmation surgery have been standard forms of medical care for decades?

Trans pride 2022
Credit: Eerie, London Pride 2022

The letter has been updated twice since it went out, first to protest the Times’ indirect response, which framed complaints as rooted in activism, not editorial standards.

The most recent update, from only a couple weeks ago, notes that the letter has now been signed by over 1,200 Times contributors and over 34,000 media workers and Times readers, and asks again for real engagement with its critiques.

In the meantime, the New York Times has been internally chastising employees for signing, but shows no other plans to respond.

Contributing Writer Glasgow, UK

I’m Agatha (she/her), Remote Writer at Thred. After a Philosophy Degree in Edinburgh, I’m now living in gloomy Glasgow as a journalist (and loving life). I’m interested in tech, local news, and surviving the climate apocalypse. Follow me on LinkedIn, or let me know your thoughts via email.

Popular

Keep up with thred by signing up to our planet-positive newsletter!

More from thred.

Italy bill allows pro-life activists to enter abortion clinics
Credit: Wikimedia Commons
People

Italy bill allows pro-life activists to enter abortion clinics

Described as a regression to ‘medieval times,’ Italy's latest ruling exacerbates already challenging access to abortion and fuels the right-wing government's agenda to restrict abortions in the country. Italy’s far-right leader Giorgia Meloni recently passed legislation allowing anti-abortion activists and organisations to enter abortion clinics. The move is part of the broader package of initiatives introduced by the right-wing government, propped up by the EU’s post-pandemic recovery fund of which Italy...

By Kuala Lumpur, Indonesia
WHO approves new cholera vaccine
Credit: WHO
People

WHO approves new cholera vaccine

In a significant stride toward combating one of the world's most prevalent yet preventable diseases, the World Health Organization (WHO) has approved a new cholera vaccine. Cholera has plagued regions with inadequate sanitation and limited access to clean water for years. According to the World Health Organisation estimates, there are 1.3 to 4 million cases of cholera annually, resulting in 21,000 to 143,000 deaths globally. The majority of these cases...

By Nairobi, Kenya
Exclusive – Discussing rising eco-anxiety with Clover Hogan
Credit: Thred
People

Exclusive – Discussing rising eco-anxiety with Clover Hogan

I spoke with the environmentalist about society’s need to protect young people’s mental health in the face of our current climate crisis and how this frustration can be turned into constructive activism. If, during the last few years, you’ve experienced an overwhelming sense of concern regarding the current state of our planet, know that – by all means – you are not alone. Clover Hogan, now 24, often lies awake...

By London, UK
The black market for greenhouse gases is thriving
Credit: Thred
Planet

The black market for greenhouse gases is thriving

Hydrofluorocarbons are supposed to be dying out under the terms of a global treaty. The compounds represent a major threat to our climate, but remain in hot demand for shady businesses unwilling to change. No, this isn’t leftist propaganda. Greenhouse gas emissions are technically being sold on the black market. But how and why? The Environmental Protection Agency is scrambling to wean the planet off gases called hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) before they...

By London, UK
Accessibility