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Assigned Media

@assignedmedia.org
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An independent news website about trans issues, by trans journalists. assignedmedia.org Support our work: www.assignedmedia.org/support

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Assigned Media @assignedmedia.org · 4m
@rikiwilchins.bsky.social 2026 Sep SCOTUS, which has given Trump everything he wants including of course on gutting trans rights is at its lowest approval ever: 61% vs just 34% who approve, with a 54% majority saying they have little trust or confidence it the court.
axios.com
Americans' thumbs-down verdict on SCOTUS
The high court's disapproval is tied for the record high.
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Assigned Media @assignedmedia.org · 49m
The picture for LGBTQ+ Americans has changed in recent years, and for trans folks the change has been the most extreme. That's the upshot of a new report, out today from the Movement Advancement Project. More from @billiejsweeney.bsky.social here: assignedmedia.org/breaking-new...
assignedmedia.org
Wave of Anti-Queer Extremism Is Charted in New Report - Assigned Media
Movement Advancement Project illustrates its speed and “near laser” focus on trans people.
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Assigned Media @assignedmedia.org · 59m
@rikiwilchins.bsky.social [Reed cont] Among Dems opposition to GAC bans runs 16% ahead of support for them, 50% to 34% Inds oppose bans by 10%, by 46% to 36%. And among Reps-- the main supporters -- they only run 8% ahead by 50% to 42% oppose. Not exactly a major slam dunk anymore.
erininthemorning.com
New Poll From The 19th News Shows Public Turning Against Republican Anti-Trans Healthcare Bans
The poll even shows faltering Republican support for such bans.
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Assigned Media @assignedmedia.org · 1h
@rikiwilchins.bsky.social 2026 Sep ErinReed As Reps ramp up their anti-trans ad wave, new polling from 19th News/YouGov shows public turning AGAINST trans youth affirming care bans: 45% oppose lawmakers, 38% for, and 17% unsure. www.erininthemorning.com/p/new-poll-f...
erininthemorning.com
New Poll From The 19th News Shows Public Turning Against Republican Anti-Trans Healthcare Bans
The poll even shows faltering Republican support for such bans.
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Assigned Media @assignedmedia.org · 4h
@rikiwilchins.bsky.social 2026 Sep Advocate Trans male NYT games engineer was fatally shot by his in-laws during bitter custody battle with his estranged wife. His in-laws have been taken into custody. The NYT coverage buried the fact that he was trans down in the body of their article.
advocate.com
A transgender father pleaded for more time with his children. Days before a custody hearing, he was killed
New York Times games engineer Jonathan McKinsey and his estranged wife alleged mutual abuse. Now, his in-laws face charges for his murder.
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Assigned Media @assignedmedia.org · 4h
@rikiwilchins.bsky.social 2026 Sep Advocate After vetoing a state asylum law, CA Gov Gavin Newsom signs bills protecting trans medical privacy from out-of-state subpoenas and support for discharged trans service members. htps://www.advocate.com/politics/states/california-gavin-newsom-injectable-prep
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Assigned Media @assignedmedia.org · 4h
@rikiwilchins.bsky.social 2026 Sep Summary on red state Dems tracking right on trans issues as election approaches. [gift link] wapo.st/47bOxpj
wapo.st
Red-state Democrats veer right on transgender issues, sparking backlash
Several are adopting more conservative rhetoric or publicly opposing transgender girls playing in girls’ sports.
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Assigned Media @assignedmedia.org · 4h
@rikiwilchins.bsky.social 2026 Sep Wash Po documents the ways trans Kansans are fighting back legally against laws about govt issued ID in the state. [gift link] wapo.st/4ALs9R6
wapo.st
Trans people, anguished by Kansas driver’s license law, go to court
Plaintiffs are expected to testify this week about the negative effects of carrying identification that doesn’t match how they look and feel.
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ryan cooper @ryanlcooper.com · 21h
I’ve always said Third Way was basically uh sensible
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KEStleVania II: Simon's Quest @kesghidorah.bsky.social · 20h
Common @billiejsweeney.bsky.social win
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💀 Beignet Blanc 💀 @puckingladylike.bsky.social · 19h
Lol I wonder how much of this is from people like me replying to the absolutely insane amount of fundraising texts with "stop throwing trans kids under the bus and I'll think about donating again"
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busty pixie demon @0xafaebabe.gay · 19h
you do not gotta hand it to third way. wtf is trans advocates have “gotten more pragmatic” plus there’s a whole quote where the implication was it was fine to dog on trans rights when that meant kids care and sports. fuck off (3rd way, not assigned)
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[Christopher M. Federico] @chrispps.bsky.social · 18h
This is a meaningful signal from one set of competing elites in the Democratic coalition. That said, I think it’s less a matter of the ‘dynamic changing’ and more a matter that there was always far less electoral advantage to be gained from airlocking trans ppl than elites have come to believe.
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Assigned Media @assignedmedia.org · 20h
@rikiwilchins.bsky.social 2026 Sep ErinReed Ky Gov. Andy Beshear, who vetoed a sports ban in in a state Trump carried by 30% and is likely presidential nominee, tells CNN's Jake Tapper he has one message for Dems: "We don't throw anybody under the bus." www.erininthemorning.com/p/ky-gov-bes...
erininthemorning.com
KY Gov. Beshear Has Message For Anti-Trans Dems: “We Don’t Throw Anybody Under The Bus.”
The governor provides a counterpoint to those who believe red state Democrats need to capitulate on transgender rights.
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Micah @rincewind.run · 23h
third way figured out dems should stop attacking trans people? third way?!
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Pride Ott 🦦 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️ @hikoukihikouki9.bsky.social · 23h
tbh the thing is that this issue really isn't salient despite most Republican efforts so Dems really aught to just be like "IDK man seems like something schools/sport leagues/doctors/whatever should handle it's not really something I'm super worried about"
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CoachN @coachn.bsky.social · 23h
THIS. Please read and share; as I think the fact that even more centrist Democrats are now realizing that the Carville Corporate D “triangulation”—trying to mute GOP power by ceding them issues & entire communities—is not just morally wrong, but a *political* loser as well, is a vital story.
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Walker Bragman @walkerbragman.bsky.social · 23h
NEW from @accountabilityji.bsky.social and @assignedmedia.org: Reporter @billiejsweeney.bsky.social has an important story on the changing dynamics of the politics around transgender rights and issues. www.importantcontext.news/democrats-lo...
importantcontext.news
Democrats Lose by Punching Down on Trans Issues, Strategists Say
Insiders, including at centrist think tank Third Way, are cautioning Democratic candidates against echoing Republican talking points on trans rights.
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Thaddeus is a girl's name 🏳️‍⚧️ @thaddeus.zone · 22h
on the one hand, i'll believe it when i see it but regardless, it's wild to hear this from a senior vp at fucking *third way*
“I think protecting trans people, trans kids in particular,” Erickson added, “has become an important part of the agenda for the entire progressive movement.”
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Billie Jean Sweeney @billiejsweeney.bsky.social · 22h
Proud that this report was published by independent media at @accountabilityji.bsky.social and @assignedmedia.org Support independent journalism
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Ari Drennen @aridrennen.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
Trump’s Education Department says 2,000 gold medals were “stolen” from women and girls. The number came from HeCheated, an anti-trans website that counts nearly every first place it can find, from middle school meets to events with one entrant. www.thenewtranssexual.com/p/the-rights...
thenewtranssexual.com
The Right’s “Stolen Medals” Number Comes From a Site That Counts Middle School Meets and One-Person Races
Trump’s Education Department repeated the claim that over 2,000 gold medals were “stolen.” The group that built the number never said which of the site’s results it counted.
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Billie Jean Sweeney @billiejsweeney.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
The right's attacks on trans people have always been the tip of the spear, an entry point into wider abuses that threaten American democracy. Government agents have killed and kidnapped people on US streets. Tens of thousands are held in inhumane detention camps, deprived of due process.
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Billie Jean Sweeney @billiejsweeney.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
Terry Schilling, a main architect of Republicans’ transphobic campaign messaging, has talked about the "magic" in spreading hate-driven propaganda. "How do win, how do we replicate this on other issues?” he asked on a right-wing podcast. What might those issues be?
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Emma Arcadia @emarcadia.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
This is legitimately a fascinating read. Third Way seems to be adopting the McBride strategy kind of in full here, there's at least rhetorically a pretty radical break from their previous anti-trans vice signaling
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alternate ending @jamiroqueer.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
my compliments to whomever grabbed Third Way by the head and turned it so they were actually looking out the window
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The Massachusetts Spy @themassspy.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
I believe it was AJ Liebling who said that when all the ice cream stands sell only strawberry, the customer chooses the one who provides the largest scoop.
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Indiscreet Function @homotopic.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
Interesting comments from Third Way here
“On this issue, the dynamic has really shifted,” she said. Republicans and the right have grown far more extreme, while advocates for trans people have moved to a “more pragmatic place.” 

“The MAGA folks took from the 2024 election that this was a great issue for them, that it was one that united their base and made Democrats uncomfortable,” Erickson said. “And that was all true at that moment, but now they’re going way beyond any concerns the public had.” 

She added: “Going after healthcare for adults, kicking people out of the military, taking people’s driver’s licenses away, they can’t pick up their kids at school – these are well beyond the pale for most American voters. We’ve got an HHS secretary right now who believes the only appropriate healthcare for transgender people is conversion therapy. That’s crazy.” 

“I think protecting trans people, trans kids in particular,” Erickson added, “has become an important part of the agenda for the entire progressive movement.”

Addressing trans issues directly while refocusing attention to Republicans’ policy failures – including a war with no clear goal, economic distress and rampant corruption – is the tactic widely promoted among strategists advising the Democrats. Translating that into effective responses at the ground level in the heat of a campaign has not always gone well.

“I’ve implored folks to practice talking about it,” Erickson said of the candidates. “You know, practice saying ‘I trust parents in my district to make decisions for their kids more than politicians.’ Practice saying, ‘sure, we need rules but politicians aren’t the right ones to make it.’”
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Evan Urquhart @evanurquhart.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
Definitely click through on this story for the quotes from the Third Way spokesperson, who AGREED Democratic candidates should NOT adopt Republican language on trans issues. I was floored - even tried to get Billie to put it in the headline. This is not just analysis, these quotes are news.
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Assigned Media @assignedmedia.org · 29/09/2026
Democrats seem headed for big wins, but one avenue for self-sabotage would be adopting R's framing on trans rights. @billiejsweeney.bsky.social spoke with insiders incl Lanae Erikson of Third Way and Rep. Sarah McBride for this substanial piece of new reporting. assignedmedia.org/breaking-new...
assignedmedia.org
Democrats Lose by Punching Down on Trans Issues, Strategists Say - Assigned Media
Insiders, including at centrist think tank Third Way, are cautioning Democratic candidates against echoing Republican talking points on trans rights.
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Assigned Media @assignedmedia.org · 29/09/2026
@rikiwilchins.bsky.social 2026 Sep After a fed judge blocked Bureau of Prison's policy to deny trans prisoners hormones (and surgery and wigs), Trump makes emergency appeal to SCOTUS. apnews.com/article/tran...
apnews.com
Trump administration asks Supreme Court to allow transgender medical care restrictions in prison
The Trump administration is asking the Supreme Court to allow restrictions on gender-affirming care in prisons for now.
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fernuzz @fernuzz.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
I'd say dems should listen to the guy who won a statewide election in kentucky, twice, but maybe that's too woke
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Jillian Whitton 🏳️‍⚧️, rising @jillianw.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
“I’ve never wavered on these issues, and politically, I’ve been successful,” Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan said in an interview with The Advocate, going on to say that allies aren’t “willing to hurt a community to score political points.” Some centrists get it.
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Assigned Media @assignedmedia.org · 28/09/2026
Check it out: Not one but TWO Democratic governors recently spoke out against the party abandoning trans rights. Plus Cheryl Reeve continues to be a stand out ally at the WNBA and a lawsuit confronts the impact of Trump's discriminatory policies in HIV/AIDS care. assignedmedia.org/breaking-new...
assignedmedia.org
Democratic Governors, WNBA Coach Defend Trans People in Sport - Assigned Media
Leading Off: Reagan appointed judge defends trans Americans, WNBA coach Cheryl Reeve defends trans athletes, and Governors Gretchen Whitmer and Andy Beshear both spoke out in favor of Democrats contin...
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Assigned Media @assignedmedia.org · 27/09/2026
@rikiwilchins.bsky.social Talarico would do well to recall that "VA Rep nominee Winsome Earle-Sears blanketed airwaves with ads that characterized Dem Abigail Spanberger as 'being for they/them.' Spanberger called for 'getting politics out of our schools and trusting parents” and won by 15%'"
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Assigned Media @assignedmedia.org · 27/09/2026
@rikiwilchins.bsky.social 2026 Sep CNN follows up it's on-air report on how Dem candidates are responding to the deluge of anti-trans ads from Rep with a deeper analysis. www.cnn.com/2026/09/27/p...
cnn.com
Facing a barrage of Republican anti-trans ads, some Democrats are mirroring the GOP message | CNN Politics
Two years ago, President Donald Trump’s campaign buried Vice President Kamala Harris with ads on transgender issues as he stormed back into the White House.
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Assigned Media @assignedmedia.org · 27/09/2026
@rikiwilchins.bsky.social With Reps in battleground states running on trans issues, CNN poll finds once again that it runs dead last in voters' concerns after elections, crime, tariffs, etc. Good for them for finally positing a question other pollsters still ignore. [Live screen grab]
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Assigned Media @assignedmedia.org · 25/09/2026
@rikiwilchins.bsky.social [Talarico cont] Unfortunately he says he still support a nationwide ban on affirming care for trans kids. Get educated, James! www.erininthemorning.com/p/texas-dem-...
erininthemorning.com
Texas Dem. Senate Candidate Talarico Clarifies He Still Opposes Statewide Ban On Trans Athletes
The Democratic candidate has not, however, walked back his support for a trans surgery ban for youth.
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Assigned Media @assignedmedia.org · 25/09/2026
@rikiwilchins.bsky.social 2026 Sep ErinReed TX Dem Senate candidate James Talarico walks back his apparent support for keeping trans girls out of sports saying he opposes TX statewide ban and believes it should be "decided on an athlete by athlete, sport by sport basis."
erininthemorning.com
Texas Dem. Senate Candidate Talarico Clarifies He Still Opposes Statewide Ban On Trans Athletes
The Democratic candidate has not, however, walked back his support for a trans surgery ban for youth.
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Assigned Media @assignedmedia.org · 25/09/2026
The FCC sets its sights on "controversial issues in kids programming," such as a Muppet wearing a dress. @alyssaur.bsky.social brings you the story here in this week's TWIBS!
assignedmedia.org
TWIBS: Princess Gonzo Terrifies Brendan Carr - Assigned Media
FCC Chair Brendan Carr has some strong words for Democrats who reject "transgender character" TV warnings.
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Assigned Media @assignedmedia.org · 24/09/2026
@rikiwilchins.bsky.social 2026 Sep The NYT, one of the nation's leading non-MAGA cheerleaders for ending GAC for youth, summarizes the status of the six major hospital systems which have stopped supplying care in settlements with the Trump admin. [gift] www.nytimes.com/2026/09/22/u...
nytimes.com
Hospitals Shut Youth Gender Clinics in Deal with Trump Administration
At least six hospitals have struck agreements with the Trump administration to pay fines and stop providing gender-transition treatments to minors.
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Assigned Media @assignedmedia.org · 24/09/2026
@rikiwilchins.bsky.social 2026 Sep To complain about Equality PAC's endorsement of transphobe Rep Marcy Kaptur and throwing trans people under the bus, please use this contact form: lgbtequalitypac.org/contact-us/
lgbtequalitypac.org
Contact Us - Equality PAC
Contact Us Please fill out this form and we will get back to you as quickly as possible. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Chip in now to jo...
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Assigned Media @assignedmedia.org · 24/09/2026
@rikiwilchins.bsky.social 2026 Sep ErinReed Less than a week after Rep Marcy Kaptur (D-OH) released ad saying: “I voted with Reps to keep trans ideology out of our schools..." Equality PAC -- the “political arm of the Congressional Equality Caucus” -- sends an email endorsing her for re-election.
erininthemorning.com
Equality PAC, Political Arm Of Congressional LGBTQ Caucus, Endorses Marcy Kaptur Days After Her Anti-Trans Ad
“Do we need to endorse people in order to support them? Do we need to support them in order to have power in Congress?”
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Evan Urquhart @evanurquhart.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
Trans people aren't going quietly, and Assigned Media's journalists are doing what we can to make sure their stories, and their passion, reaches you.
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iraylavent.bsky.social @iraylavent.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
@zohrankmamdani.bsky.social, there are trans people in front of NYC Langone who are crying out for equal access for their healthcare needs. They need you to fight for them.
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Assigned Media @assignedmedia.org · 24/09/2026
Protestors and trans youth gathered on Tuesday to picket NYU Langone for sacrificing their gender-affirming care to appease the DoJ. @valorievandieman.bsky.social brings you the story here!
assignedmedia.org
“I’ve Had to Accept This Cruelty as Just Like Normal” - Assigned Media
Protestors gather in New York City to picket NYU Langone, the latest hospital to settle with the Department of Justice and cut off gender-affirming care.
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Ken Schneck @kenschneck.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
UPDATE: Equality Ohio has lowered Rep. Kaptur’s grade on their Candidate Scorecard from a "B" to a “D.” thebuckeyeflame.com/2026/09/17/m...
thebuckeyeflame.com
Democratic U.S. Representative Mary Kaptur releases two anti-transgender ads ahead of Ohio primaries
‘I voted with Republicans to keep transgender ideology out of our schools'
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Assigned Media @assignedmedia.org · 23/09/2026
A proposed rule in Denver seeks to protect its LGBTQ+ population from hostile data collection. @alyssaur.bsky.social brings you the story here!
assignedmedia.org
New Proposal Would Protect Trans People’s Info in Denver - Assigned Media
Denver's city council is planning to hear an ordinance proposal that would create a rule protecting trans people's self-identification data.
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Raymond Currier @teaandcharcoal.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
One thing striking about this to me is all the people in the comments (cis and trans) litigating whether or not what Molloy did was "okay," something the article is demonstrably not about, and inadvertently proving the exact fucking point of the article. We are in a system that pushes marginalized
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Alma Avalle @goodbyealma.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
A huge part of why I decided not to go back to Condé Nast after my wrongful termination was knowing how much hostility that job opened me up to. Whatever I would get out of being on staff again was outweighed by the hate and vitriol I received as a visible trans woman in the media
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Alejandra Caraballo @esqueer.net · 22/09/2026
Phenomenal essay on the way the current moment is affecting prominent trans folks. It's a pressure cooker that is systematically breaking us down to take us out of the fight.
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