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The Associated Press’s latest media style guidelines instructed journalists in their reporting to respect the preferred pronouns of LGBTQ nationals, advised them to avoid terms like “biological sex,” and provided a mini-lesson advocating the existence of medical procedures for transgender people for minors.
The guide also urged reporters to quote only qualified experts when making statements about biology or “athletic regulations” regarding transgender people in sports, urging them to avoid phrases such as “both genders” as people have identity with more than two.
It also instructed reporters not to write that a trans person was born a boy or a girl, but to refer to their “gender assigned at birth”.
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The AP Style Guide recently updated its guidelines for transgender and non-binary issues. (Associate Press/Getty Images)
The AP Style Guide, or as it calls itself, “The journalist’s bible,” has released a new update to its “Transgender Coverage Topical Guide” to help reporters deliver the most sensitive coverage of LGTBQ and trans issues.
AP Style Guide subscribers received an email this week with the new guidelines giving them very specific language to use when talking about sex and gender. Most major media outlets endorse the AP style, so they are expected to implement these directions, which include instructions to avoid referencing biological sex and tips for referencing one’s favorite pronouns.
The guide started with some general advice, stating, “Gender terminology is vast and constantly evolving; a style guide can’t cover everything. Let your sources guide you on how they want to be identified, then use your judgment to be both sensitive and accurate .”
The first specific tip offered guidelines for citing people on trans issues and trans issues in the world of competitive sports. According to the guide, you should only quote the experts and avoid common people with less reliable opinions.
It read: “Avoid a false balance – give a platform to balance unqualified claims or sources under the guise of a story by including all points of view. For example, don’t quote people who talk about biology or athletics regulations unless they have the proper background to have.”
It then went on to claim that reporters should never use the phrase both sexes or both sexes: “Since not all people fall under one of two sex or gender categories — as in the case of non-binary and intersex people.”
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The updated AP style guide advised journalists on how to reference the preferred pronouns of LGBTQ people and trans issues in competitive sports. (Mike Kemp/In Images via Getty Images)
The guide went on to list terms and expressions that should be obsolete and replaced by more trans-inclusive terms. For example, AP Style Guide frowned upon noting whether someone was born a boy or a girl: “Use the term sex assigned at birth instead of biological sex, birth sex, was identified at birth as, born a girl, and the like.”
The guide added: “Avoid terms such as biological sex, along with biological man and biological woman, which transgender rights opponents sometimes use to refer to transgender women and transgender men, respectively.”
Of course, the term “trimmer” should be avoided, as some people use it “to stir up fear about LGBTQ+ people’s interactions with children, or educate about LGBTQ+ people, comparing their actions to those of child molesters,” he said. the guide.
The style guide also devoted an entire portion of the update to a defense of “gender transitions and gender-affirming care.” It claimed: “Transgender medical treatment for youth is under increasing attack in many states and is subject to restrictions or outright bans. But it has been available in the United States for more than a decade and is endorsed by major medical associations.”
The guide then stated: “If gender dysphoria persists and they meet other criteria, teens can begin hormone treatments that stimulate sexual development, including changes in appearance. Guidelines from leading authorities in gender-affirming medical care say that surgery in the should generally be reserved for adults, with exceptions for older teens who meet certain criteria.”
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Regarding using a trans or non-binary person’s pronouns, the guide gave the following advice: “Do not refer to preferred or chosen pronouns in interviews or stories. etc.”
The AP entry then ended with a glossary of LGBTQ-related terms, including “gender identity,” “genderqueer,” “intersex,” and “non-binary”; along with tips on how best to reference it in reports.
Fox News Digital contacted the Associated Press for comment. This story will be updated with every comment.
The AP Style Guide also noted how leading doctors claim that some minors may undergo transgender medical procedures. ((Photo by Andrea Ronchini/NurPhoto via Getty Images))
Gabriel Hays is an associate editor for Fox News Digital.
