The Epoch Times, a media organization associated with the Falun Gong, continues to promote an anti-transgender agenda through its media platforms, and I am astounded that this remains almost unchecked.
This is concluded based on a simple review of several articles put forward by this publication, including its coverage of the MISS NTD Beauty Pageant, a New York City-based contest sponsored by NTD (New Tang Dynasty), a television station also controlled by the Falun Gong. This pageant stipulates that contestants must be “natural-born females.” The pageant’s exclusionary policy has sparked widespread criticism from transgender advocates, who argue that it perpetuates discrimination and harmful stereotypes. In contrast, The Epoch Times has defended the pageant, asserting that it upholds traditional values.
In an article as recent as 2023, The Epoch Times commended the pageant for celebrating what it termed “ancient values” and for its promotion of “traditional femininity.” The article included a quote from pageant director Jenny Sun, who asserted that the event was “not about discriminating against anyone,” but rather about celebrating “the natural beauty of women.”
However, this endorsement of the MISS NTD Beauty Pageant constitutes just one facet of The Epoch Times’ (as an extension of the Falun Gong) anti-transgender stance. In recent years, the publication has been accused of disseminating articles that propagate negative stereotypes concerning transgender individuals. For instance, a recent article in The Epoch Times suggested that transgender individuals were more prone to engage in criminal activities. In fact, the opposite is true, transgender people are over four times more likely than cisgender people to be victims of violent crime,* and in fact, false rhetoric of this nature invariably leads to hate crimes being committed against this marginalized group.
Moreover, The Epoch Times has produced an original documentary film on “debunking” transgender as real or authentic, titled “Gender Transformation: The Untold Realities.” This “documentary” focuses on parents, politicians and even the school system as having a pro-transgender-INDOCTRINATION position, which is patently false. It has drawn additional criticism for its portrayal of transgender people, as it is filled with inaccuracies and biases. Additionally, the re-enactments / actors portray people who support transgender people as evil souls ready to brainwash children into being transgender at any opportunity. The film includes interviews with transgender individuals but is heavily edited to present a negative perspective on transgenderism. It spreads the unfounded and ridiculous belief that transgender individuals suffer from mental illness and pose a threat to society.
The Epoch Times’ anti-transgender agenda is particularly concerning in light of the existing discrimination and violence that transgender individuals often encounter in today’s world. In the United States, transgender individuals are disproportionately more likely to face unemployment, homelessness, and violence compared to the general population. According to the Human Rights Campaign, at least 40 transgender or gender non-conforming individuals were killed in the United States in 2022. This violence also disproportionately affects Black and Latina transgender women.
The Epoch Times’ rhetoric against transgender individuals is contributing to the normalization of discrimination and violence against this vulnerable group and it is imperative to condemn The Epoch Times and other media outlets that willfully choose to propagate anti-transgender sentiment.
*“Gender Identity Disparities in Criminal Victimization: National Crime Victimization Survey, 2017–2018” appears in the American Journal of Public Health and is co-authored by Andrew R. Flores, Ph.D., Ilan Meyer, Ph.D., and Lynn L. Langton, Ph.D., and Jody L. Herman, Ph.D.