The Issue

The Atlantic published a balanced and nuanced article about de-transitioning young adults for its July/August cover story. Within hours, it was re-titled from the more encompassing title: “Your Child Says She’s Trans. She Wants Hormones and Surgery. She’s 13,” to the more innocuous title ““When Children Say They Are Transgender.” It was followed in quick succession by several pro-trans articles, which indicates they were pressured by trans-activists, just as institutions, professionals and journalists are today.

What You Can Do

Email The Atlantic editors (and cc other media outlets) and let them know this back tracking is not acceptable, nor ethical and that it is harmful to a confused public, who need balanced and well-researched information on the topic of de-transtioning young adults.

Email Script

Dear Editor,

I am concerned that The Atlantic is submitting to bullying by gender identity ideologues and adding to the censorious environment engineered by trans-activists who oppose journalistic investigation into the topic of transgenderism.

Your cover story, “Your Child Says She’s Trans. She Wants Hormones and Surgery. She’s 13,” for July/August, by Jesse Singal, was balanced and nuanced investigative reporting on de-transitioning youth and their families, but within hours of its appearance, it had been renamed to “When Children Say They Are Transgender.” The original title actually spoke more comprehensively to the article’s material of de-transitioning young adults and their experiences within their families, whereas the second suggested the article was just about children. Why was it changed? Was the second title more palatable to the gender ideologues that are forcing media, professionals, institutions and others to take a non-critical position on their narratives and belief systems?

The following week The Atlantic published a succession of articles critical of Jesse Singal’s article and research. This again, suggests pressure from political activists. We see this pressure escalating in western cultures where ‘”gender identity’’ ideology is promoted. When Lindsay Shepherd, a student and teaching assistant at Wilfrid Laurier University in Canada, resisted pressure by the university to frame her as dangerous, the university established a tribunal of officials to interrogate her for presenting a narrative to her class that posed questions regarding “gender identity” ideology. James Caspian, a student at Bath University in the UK is suing the university because they would not allow him to officially research de-transitioning people who he was treating in his counseling work. In the US states of Virginia and Delaware, parents are challenging school districts, without success, for teaching “gender identity” ideology to their children. Dr. Kenneth Zucker, an established and respected sex researcher at one of the world’s most renowned clinics for children with sex dysphoria was fired from his position by the sustained political threats of trans-activists.

Your own story about de-transitioning children and their families neglected to include the enormously popular internet site for families of de-transitioners, www.4thwavenow.org who receive on average 60K visitors a month on their website. Parents of children with “rapid onset gender dysphoria” have so few places to turn because the environment is so censorious to their perspectives. The Atlantic has just made the situation worse.

According to the Society of Professional Journalists, ethical journalism strives to ensure the free exchange of information that is accurate, fair, and thorough. Accordingly, journalists are obligated to: seek truth and report it; minimize harm; act independently; and be accountable and transparent. I urge you to provide balanced coverage in all your pieces on the topic of transgenderism. When the press caves to political pundits, we are all in grave danger. The press is the last bastion between democracy and totalitarianism. I urge you to consider this when you run future articles on this topic.

Sincerely,

{YOUR NAME}

Targets

Send an email to:

jeffrey_goldberg@theatlantic.com, swati@theatlantic.com

Copy:

guardian.readers@theguardian.com, USinfo@theguardian.com, dbaquet@nytimes.com, readers@washpost.com, mcgrory@globe.com, acooper@sfchronicle.com, gandersen@SFexaminer.com, outreach@democracynow.org, cosmo.mail@hearst.co.uk, evening@cbsnews.com, NBCNewsMediaRelations@nbcuni.com, Rachel@msnbc.com, betsy.reed@theintercept.com, submissions@truthdig.com, info@truthout.org, counterpunch@counterpunch.org, letters@harpers.org, scoop@motherjones.com, mail@newleftreview.org, comments@newstatesman.co.uk, support@salon.com, slateoffice@slate.com, newsdesk@independent.co.uk,Stephanie.ebbert@globe.com, editorialsubmissions@nymag.com, comments@nymag.com, outreach@democracynow.org, stories@democracynow.org, nermeen@democracynow.org, mike@democracynow.org, producers@democracynow.org, amy@democracynow.org, news@wrtv.com

You can also send an email to The Atlantic via their website. https://www.theatlantic.com/contact/letters/

Twitter: (the mag, author, and two editors)

@TheAtlantic

@jessesingal

@ Sstossel

@mthomps