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The NYT Uses Trans Hate to Discipline Its Workers

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Summary

This article discusses how the New York Times has used anti-trans content to discipline and silence its workers. It argues that while the NY Times is sincerely bigoted against trans people, it is also using this bigotry as a tactic to assert dominance over its own labor force and to rebrand itself as a conservative newspaper. It also discusses how the paper's reactionary turn and embrace of an anti-trans moral panic has been used to undermine workers and their demands for more equitable treatment, and how labor rights and trans rights are intertwined.

Q&As

What is the New York Times accused of doing in regards to trans rights?
The New York Times is accused of playing along with the Republican Party's campaign to push trans people out of public life, overplaying the health risks of chest binding, reframing gender inclusivity as misogyny, and not treating articles on trans issues with journalistic rigor.

How did the New York Times respond to worker criticism in 2020?
The New York Times initially defended the editorial process for the Tom Cotton piece, but under an avalanche of criticism, the paper acknowledged the editorial process had been shoddy, James Dao was moved off opinion, and James Bennet resigned.

What are the tactics of fascism and how do they relate to labor rights?
The tactics of fascism include scapegoating, moral panic, and righteous hatred, which give respectable, thoughtful conservatives and bosses a way to demonize some underlings and divide the others.

What prompted the New York Times to embrace an anti-trans moral panic?
The New York Times embraced an anti-trans moral panic in order to position itself as a scourge of the left, appeal to right wing readers, and assert its independence from and power over its own staffers and workers.

How do labor rights and trans rights connect?
Labor rights and trans rights connect in that as long as there is prevalent bigotry, it will be used to target and to undermine worker movements and worker power, and as long as class hierarchies are entrenched, they will be used to advance and codify bigotry.

AI Comments

👍 This article offers an insightful analysis of the New York Times' anti-trans coverage and how it is used to discipline its workers. It highlights the importance of uniting against both bigotry and class hierarchy to create meaningful change.

👎 This article is overly critical of the New York Times and fails to acknowledge their attempts to create change and provide fair coverage.

AI Discussion

Me: It's about how the New York Times has been using transphobia to discipline its workers. It goes into detail about how the NYT has done this, and how it's part of a larger trend of using bigotry to divide workers and maintain power.

Friend: Wow, that's really concerning. It's so unfair that they are using transphobia as a way to control their employees. It's really disheartening to see how powerful institutions are still willing to resort to such tactics.

Me: Definitely. It's also really important to remember that labor and civil rights issues are connected and that we need to fight for both. It's clear that transphobia is being used to undermine worker movements, and vice versa. We have to fight for both in order to create a better world for everyone.

Action items

Sign petitions and write letters to the New York Times to demand they stop using transphobia to discipline their workers.
Support organizations that are fighting for trans rights and labor rights, such as the National Center for Transgender Equality and the National Employment Law Project.
Educate yourself and others about the intersection of trans rights and labor rights, and how they are connected.

Technical terms

Trans rights: The rights of transgender people, which include the right to self-identify, access healthcare, and participate in public life.
Chest binding: A nonsurgical method of flattening one’s chest.
Gender inclusivity: The practice of including people of all genders in activities, policies, and programs.
Misogyny: Hatred or prejudice against women.
Reactionary: A person who favors a return to an earlier political or social order.
Climate change denialist: A person who denies the existence of climate change.
Liberal rag: A derogatory term for a publication that is perceived to be liberal in its views.
Maoist struggle session: A public humiliation ritual used by the Chinese Communist Party to criticize and punish people accused of political crimes.
Antifa: A left-wing political movement that opposes fascism and other forms of extreme right-wing ideology.
Fascist: A person who believes in a form of government that is authoritarian and nationalistic.
Scapegoat: A person or group that is blamed for the wrongdoings of others.
Moral panic: A feeling of fear spread among a large number of people that some evil threatens the well-being of society.