Gender-affirming care is “an integral determinant of trans people’s well being.” At least 51 studies show that gender transition is effective in treating gender dysphoria and can significantly improve the well-being of transgender individuals. Gender-affirming surgeries were also “associated with a 42% reduction in psychological distress and a 44% reduction in suicidal ideation,” according to research led by Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. In addition, multiple studies have shown gender-affirming care decreases suicidality in trans youth. However, Gutfeld regularly criticizes gender-affirming care and the medical professionals who provide it. 

• On his eponymous Fox show, Gutfeld complained that liberals think “the cure for perhaps a temporary gender confusion is surgery.” Gutfeld argued that, as a result, gay and lesbian adults may be replaced with “surgically altered heterosexuality.” [Fox News, Gutfeld!, 4/8/22]
• Gutfeld agreed with J.K. Rowling that “we are watching a new kind of conversion therapy for young gay people who are being set on a lifelong path of medicalization that may result in the loss of their fertility and/or full sexual function.” The “only winners here,” he said, are “whack job therapists, surgical butchers, and Big Pharma.” [Fox News, Gutfeld!, 1/25/23]
• Gutfeld claimed doctors are “cutting up kids like a Thanksgiving turkey.” He later said, “Because as we all know, there's no better treatment for autism, depression, and unhappiness than putting your privates in a blender.” [Fox News, Gutfeld!, 2/21/23]
• After complaining that “activists talk about trans kids’ suicides like it’s rampant,” Gutfeld asked if the statistics “improve after mutilation and hormones, or do they get worse?” He added, “Plastic surgery and drugs aren’t the key to happiness.” [Fox News, Gutfeld!, 6/13/23]
• Gutfeld compared trans people undergoing gender-affirming surgeries to people who were “very depressed and suicidal until they had a healthy limb removed.” He also suggested that opposing or debating the expansion of trans rights was simply “keeping children away from delusional butchers” who tell them “they were born wrong and that their healthy organs should be removed.” [Fox News, The Five, 7/11/23]
• Gutfeld claimed it is “child abuse” when people insist that “kids going through the wrong puberty should receive hormone injections.” [Fox News, Gutfeld!, 7/25/23]
• Gutfeld said parents of trans youth are “accessorizing with children [they] pump full of hormones and idiotic beliefs.” He referred to parenting trans children as “this decade’s adopting African orphans.” [Fox News, Gutfeld!, 9/5/23]

Being transgender is not a new phenomenon, but the modern rise in trans visibility could be attributed to the increase in public support and change in societal values. There are also important health benefits that can come from transitioning. As demonstrated by a literature review completed by Cornell University, transitioning leads to an “improved quality of life, greater relationship satisfaction, higher self-esteem and confidence, and reductions in anxiety, depression, suicidality, and substance use.” Additionally, regrets after transitioning are extremely rare. Gutfeld ignores these facts, and instead seems to dismiss the idea that a trans person could even truly exist or that there is any legitimate reason someone would desire to transition. 

• Gutfeld discounted trans youths’ desires to transition, saying, “It feels like a social phenomenon, a gender version of Tide pods; you know, I’m doing it, why aren’t you?” He also fearmongered: “The longer we deny this, the more kids will fall under the spell of influencers, then the knives of the doctors who forgot the Hippocratic oath.” [Fox News, Gutfeld!, 4/13/22]
• Gutfeld argued that “this explosion in gender precariousness suggests” that “it’s not just about identity, it’s about profit,” so trans kids “don’t stand a chance, especially once they see the attention they get from this.” He added, “Before you know it, parents are sucked into a consequential crisis,” and “no parent actually believes their healthy child needs to have their genitals removed.” [Fox News, Gutfeld!, 10/11/22]
• Gutfeld argued that people began to “lean in” to “gender ideology” because it was “something to set them apart” and “made people feel special.” He speculated that a day will come when “everyone will look back on this era and wonder how a mass psychosis convinced so many people that biology doesn't exist.” [Fox News, Gutfeld!, 11/16/23]
• Gutfeld asserted that the increase in the number of students coming out as nonbinary in Oregon schools is “evidence of a social and psychological contagion.” [Fox News, Gutfeld!, 12/5/23]

Gutfeld does not hesitate to criticize advocates for trans people, whether they're trans individuals themselves or allies showing support. He has called activists “delusional” while attempting to discredit their motives. 

• Gutfeld mocked staff at England’s Northern School of Contemporary Dance for asking instructors to “use terms like people and folk” instead of “ladies and gentlemen” and “not make assumptions of dancer’s identities.” [Fox News, Gutfeld!, 7/18/22]
• Gutfeld criticized job applicants for including pronouns on their resumes. [Fox News, Gutfeld!, 3/8/23]
• Gutfeld claimed that the trans community receives support due to “a combination of fear of being called transphobic, and also there’s got to be money to be made.” [Fox News, The Five, 3/9/23]
• Gutfeld complained about the administration of Wellesley College, a historic women’s college, deciding not to allow transgender men into its halls despite admitting transgender women and nonbinary students. He continued, “So you have a college for women who says, ‘to hell with biology,’ anyone can get in if they simply identify as a woman, but if you got the actual female parts, but think you’re a dude, no such luck.” Wellesley College currently accepts “those who live as women and consistently identify as women,” including trans women, cis women, and nonbinary people who were assigned female at birth and “feel they belong in [Wellesley’s] community of women.” [Fox News, Gutfeld!, 3/16/23; Wellesley College, accessed 12/18/23]
• Gutfeld whined: “When are people going to remove their little neopronouns from their Twitter bylines? Because it’s really embarrassing. You’re a loser if you have them.” [Fox News, The Five, 8/21/23] 
• After the Michigan Supreme Court released a ruling that prohibited judges from misgendering anyone in court, Gutfeld complained, “This is kind of scary to me because there’s no science behind it.” He ranted, “This is basically a step toward compelling this in everyday life once it’s in the courts.” [Fox News, Gutfeld!, 9/29/23; The Associated Press, 9/27/23]

Gutfeld insists that trans women are a threat to cis women in all facets of life, including in their careers and family lives, while suggesting that trans women have enacted a “new misogyny” simply by virtue of existing as trans people. In reality, trans women are not a threat to cis women or to women’s rights more broadly. On the contrary, trans women face discrimination and misogyny like cis women, as well as compounded discrimination because of their gender identity. Similarly to cis women, trans women are paid 60 cents for every dollar a typical worker earns and experience high rates of domestic violence. 

• Gutfeld defended comedian Dave Chappelle for arguing that “women have a right to be mad at trans women.” [Fox News, Gutfeld!, 10/7/21]
• Gutfeld lashed out at a MSNBC writer who called out “the current trend in conservative rhetoric of viewing women solely through the prism of childbearing.” Gutfeld cited the article, which discussed trans men, as an example of “linguistic bullying from the radical left” and complained, “You’re compelled to call a 21-year-old gender studies beta male in a skirt a ‘they,’ but an actual pregnant woman is a ‘birthing person?’” [Fox News, Gutfeld!, 7/11/22; MSNBC, 7/7/22]
• Gutfeld argued trans influencer Dylan Mulvaney would “take a job from a biological woman” by going on a college speaking tour to discuss female empowerment. He also said, “This is literally mansplaining.” [Fox News, Gutfeld!, 7/27/23]
• Gutfeld argued that being trans is “the new misogyny” because you can say you are a woman and then “humiliate other women in public — and without getting canceled.” [Fox News, Gutfeld!, 8/16/23]

Gutfeld staunchly opposes educating children on the existence of LGBTQ people. He passionately defended Florida’s Parental Rights in Education bill, also known as the “Don’t Say Gay” bill, that banned discussion of LGBTQ issues in elementary classrooms. Using a familiar tactic among Fox personalities, Gutfeld framed the bill as an effort to combat the sexualization of children, demonizing inclusivity and playing off false tropes that LGBTQ people are pedophiles and “groomers.”

• Gutfeld minimized the impact of Florida’s Parental Rights in Education bill on discussions of sexual orientation, sexuality, and LGBTQ families: “Letting parents have this conversation as opposed to a teacher on TikTok is not disrespectful to gays or trans people. It's just common sense.” While Florida’s Parental Rights in Education law does not dictate what speech teachers may engage in on social media, some have questioned whether the law’s vague language effectively prohibits mentions or discussion of students' own families in the classroom if they are LGBTQ. [Fox News, The Five, 3/31/22; Vox, 3/15/22]
• Gutfeld argued that “the latest delusion” is believing “that Florida's parental rights bill is an attack on gay and trans people.” As the Human Rights Campaign has pointed out, however, this bill harms the LGBTQ community by “block[ing] teachers from talking about LGBTQ+ issues or people, further stigmatizing LGBTQ+ people and isolating LGBTQ+ kids.” [Fox News, Gutfeld!, 4/1/22; Human Rights Campaign, 6/30/22]
• Gutfeld discounted concerns that the Parental Rights in Education bill harms trans kids, explaining, “They have less evidence of that than we have that Brian Stelter has abs.” In fact, pediatric psychologists have argued that “the law stigmatizes being gay or transgender and could harm the mental health of LGBTQ+ youth, who are already more likely to face bullying and attempt suicide than children who are cisgender and straight.” [Fox News, Gutfeld!, 4/8/22; The Guardian, 4/4/22; Human Rights Campaign, 8/26/20]

Gutfeld’s critiques of products made for the LGBTQ community — specifically Target’s inclusive swimwear line — were part of a larger narrative peddled by right-wing media that these products were nefariously made for and marketed to children. Target denied the accusation, yet due to conservative backlash, the company removed the products from some stores in order to protect its employees from harassment and attacks. This strategy has been repeated by the right to attack corporations making inclusive products for the LGBTQ community. 

• Gutfeld suggested that seeing trans people sell products for large companies is like “watching a civil rights movement at a thousand times speed, but minus the civil part.” He also disparaged the Corporate Equality Index, which rates workplaces on LGBTQ equality. [Fox News, Gutfeld!, 4/10/23; Human Rights Campaign, Corporate Equality Index, 2022]
• Discussing Target’s inclusive swimwear line, Gutfeld argued that “no one is saying trans people don’t exist or don’t deserve rights or bikinis,” but claimed that corporations should “stop using baby clothes to push some delusional cultural trend or to indulge in political exhibitionism.” Target did not market this swimwear line as children’s or baby clothes. [Fox News, Gutfeld!, 5/23/23; Business Insider, 5/24/23]
• Gutfeld lambasted Target’s inclusive swimwear line, saying, “Target is selling fetish bikinis that allow so-called women to tuck in their penises. It’s just strange!” [Fox News, Gutfeld!, 5/25/23]
• After Mulvaney participated in an ad for Bud Light, Gutfeld joked, “Portraying a beer-drinking bubblehead in a bubble bath, Dylan didn’t just ape a woman, she played them as ditzy morons. I’m surprised she didn’t heat that bubble bath by tossing in a toaster.” Gutfeld continued to mock Mulvaney, complaining about her upcoming college speaking tour and misgendering her. [Fox News, Gutfeld!, 7/28/23]

Gutfeld disregards the disproportionate violence that trans people face. According to Everytown for Gun Safety, transgender people are “uniquely impacted by gun violence,” and they are 2.5 times more likely to be victims of violence than cisgender people. 

• Gutfeld seemingly denied that trans people face increased threats of violence because of their identities: “Simply claiming you’re trans or nonbinary — it’s not risky. It’s not illegal, that’s for sure.” [Fox News, Gutfeld!, 7/21/22]
• Gutfeld mocked Gov. Gavin Newsom for making California a “sanctuary state” for trans children, “because you know how unsafe it is for them around the country.” [Fox News, Gutfeld!, 1/3/23]
• Gutfeld derided soccer player Megan Rapinoe’s claim that “Dave Chappelle making jokes about trans people directly leads to violence, whether it’s verbal or otherwise, against trans people,” demanding, “What violence are you talking about?” before suggesting that attacks on trans people are “nowhere to be found.” [Fox News, Gutfeld!, 7/12/23]

Gutfeld uses anti-trans rhetoric while discussing the participation of trans women in sports in a vitriolic campaign to demonize trans athletes. Gutfeld has implied that trans athletes are dominating sports when in reality only an extremely small number of trans athletes participate in professional and NCAA sports. Gutfeld falsely portrays trans women as a threat to women’s sports but routinely denies the existence of racism, pay inequities, sexual abuse, and lack of athletic opportunities in schools that can actually threaten women in sports. Anti-trans bigotry in sports has even led to harsh scrutiny of cis women who have naturally high levels of testosterone. 

• Gutfeld questioned whether Leyna Bloom, a trans tennis player who was offered the cover of Sports Illustrated magazine, would have “been on the cover if she wasn’t trans.” [Fox News, Gutfeld!, 7/20/21]
• After former University of Pennsylvania swimmer Lia Thomas, a trans woman, was beaten by Iszac Henig, a trans man, while competing in the women's division at a college swim meet, Gutfeld complained that trans people are “allowed to pick the division that’s easiest.” Henig was not on hormone therapy at the time. After beginning hormone therapy, he moved to compete in the men’s division for his senior year. [Fox News, Gutfeld!, 1/10/22; NBC News, 1/10/22; SwimSwam, 1/06/23]
• In response to the news that the Boston Marathon had announced a nonbinary division using qualifying times from the women’s division as its standard, Gutfeld asked if it meant that “the male-to-female trans will have an edge in qualifying.” [Fox News, Gutfeld!, 9/14/22]
• Gutfeld argued that “no one really cares about adults getting sex changes,” but “when you do it mysteriously right before you start engaging in female sports or it involves children, it sets off an alarm.” He added, “Intrinsically we feel that it’s cutting in line.” [Fox News, The Five, 4/27/23]
• Gutfeld argued that “male chauvinism has been repackaged as inclusivity” and “destroying the dreams of young female athletes is equity” because of the inclusion of trans women in women’s sports. [Fox News, Gutfeld!, 9/12/23]

Gutfeld attacks and discounts support for trans youth, who “face significant disparities compared to their cisgender peers,” with up to 28% of LGBTQ youth experiencing homelessness at some point in their lives. Another way to support trans youth is to ensure access to gender-affirming care. According to one study, receiving gender-affirming care was “associated with 60% lower odds of moderate or severe depression and 73% lower odds of suicidality over a 12-month follow-up.” Ensuring safety for trans youth also means creating safe spaces and environments to express their gender and sexual identities, but dozens of laws have been proposed or passed in states that would force teachers to out trans students without their consent. 

• Gutfeld argued that activists are pushing “young children when they express gender confusion” to transition, while inadvertently “eliminating gays.” According to Gutfeld, instead of having “a young boy with feminine traits” who “might just grow up to be a healthy gay man,” activists are “going to push him in a direction that requires decades of drugs, decades of therapy, and possibly surgery and higher rates of depression and suicide.” [Fox News, The Five, 6/17/19]
• Gutfeld argued that “a small group of delusional activists” is pushing “invasive permanent surgeries on healthy kids.” Gender-affirming care for trans youth does not typically involve surgical interventions and is often oriented toward preventing the need for surgery in the future. Gender-affirming care is also associated with lower rates of depression and suicidality in trans youth. [Fox News, The Five, 1/24/23; Healthline, accessed 12/19/23; Journal of Adolescent Health, 12/14/21] 
• Gutfeld argued that the thought process of conservatives around trans rights “has nothing to do with trans adults at all,” but rather is “about protecting kids from the hard left, who are using kids as cannon fodder in a culture war.” [Fox News, Gutfeld!, 1/24/23]
• In response to a California teacher claiming she was fired for saying she would out trans students to their parents, Gutfeld asked, “Since when has someone saying, ‘Hey, don’t tell your parents about our obsession with your genitals’ has ever been the good guy?” [Fox News, Gutfeld!, 2/21/23]
• Gutfeld complained when some schools suggested trans children shouldn’t be forced to tell their transphobic parents about their gender identity. According to Gutfeld, this suggestion “enabled psychotic activists who seek to separate parents from their children at school through this perverse portal called ‘privacy.’” [Fox News, The Five, 8/21/23]
• Although Gutfeld explained “there is nothing wrong with coming out,” he still complained about an L.A. school district celebrating National Coming Out Day for its students. [Fox News, Gutfeld!, 10/5/23]