Celebs Say NYTimes Needs To Be Educated On Trans Issues

Judd Apatow, Margaret Cho, Wilson Cruz, Tommy Dorfman, Lena Dunham, Jameela Jamil, Gabrielle Union-Wade and Jonathan Van Ness are among the celebrities who have signed an open letter from GLAAD to the New York Times criticizing what the LGBTQ+ advocacy group isays is “irresponsible, biased coverage of transgender people,” according to The L-A Times.

“It is appalling that the Times would dedicate so many resources and pages to platforming the voices of extremist anti-LGBTQ activists who have built their careers on denigrating and dehumanizing LGBTQ people, especially transgender people,” says the letter, delivered Wednesday.

“While there have been a few fair stories, mostly human interest stories, those articles are not getting front-page placement or sent to app users via push notification like the irresponsible pieces are.”

While Cruz retweeted a Hollywood Reporter article about the letter, most of the other celebs did not speak out on the topic via Twitter or Instagram.

The letter put a spotlight on what the group says it has done so far to “educate” the New York Times on trans issues and was signed by advocacy groups including the Human Rights Campaign, the Women’s March and PFLAG. It also made demands.

“We won’t stand for the Times platforming lies, bias, fringe theories, and dangerous inaccuracies. We demand fair coverage, we demand that the Times platform trans voices as both sources and full-time writers and editors, and we demand a meeting between Times leadership and the transgender community,” the letter said.

Later Wednesday, a second letter went out — this one signed by more than 180 New York Times staffers and contributors.