Major media style guide tells press to avoid terms like 'biological sex,' defends gender surgery for minors

The latest media style guidance from the Associated Press instructed journalists in their reporting to respect LGBTQ subjects’ preferred pronouns, advised them to avoid terms like "biological sex," and provided a mini lesson arguing for the existence of transgender medical procedures for minors. 

The guide also insisted that reporters only quote qualified experts when providing statements on biology or "athletic regulations" regarding trans people in sports and urged them to avoid using phrases like "both sexes," as people identity with more than two.

It also instructed reporters not to write that a trans individual was born a boy or girl but to refer to their "sex assigned at birth."

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The AP Style Guide, or as it refers to itself, "The journalist’s bible," put out a new update to its "Transgender Coverage Topical Guide" so that reporters can provide the most sensitive coverage of LGTBQ and trans issues.

AP Style Guide subscribers received an email this week containing the new guidance which gave them very specific language to use in talking about sex and gender. Most major media outlets subscribe to AP style, so they are expected to implement these pointers, which include instructions to avoid referring to biological sex and tips for how to reference someone’s preferred pronouns.

The guide began 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, and then use your judgment to be both sensitive and accurate."

The first specific tip provided guidance on quoting people about trans issues, and trans issues in the world of competitive sports. According to the guide, you should only quote the experts, and avoid ordinary people with less credentialed opinions. 

It stated, "Avoid false balance — giving a platform to unqualified claims or sources in the guise of balancing a story by including all views. For instance, don't quote people speaking about biology or athletic regulations unless they have the proper background." 

It then claimed that reporters should never be using the phrase both sexes, or both genders, "Since not all people fall under one of two categories for sex or gender — as in the cases of nonbinary and intersex people."

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The guide continued, listing terms and phrases that should be outdated and replaced with more trans-inclusive ones. For example, AP Style Guide frowned upon noting if someone was born a boy or born a girl: "Use the term sex assigned at birth instead of biological sex, birth gender, was identified at birth as, born a girl and the like."

The guide added, "Avoid terms like biological sex, along with biological male and biological female, which opponents of transgender rights sometimes use to refer to transgender women and transgender men, respectively."

Of course, the term "groomer" is to be avoided, as some people use it "to stoke fears about LGBTQ+ people's interactions with children, or education about LGBTQ+ people, comparing their actions to those of child molesters," the guide said. 

The style guide also devoted an entire section of the update to a defense of "gender transitions and gender-affirming care." It claimed, "Transgender medical treatment for youths is increasingly under attack in many states and has been 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 the gender dysphoria persists and they meet other criteria, teens can begin hormone treatments that prompt sexual development, including changes in appearance. Guidelines from leading authorities on gender-affirming medical care say surgery generally should be reserved for adults, with exceptions for older teens who meet certain criteria."

In terms of how to use a trans or nonbinary person’s pronouns, the guide offered this advice: "Don't refer in interviews or stories to preferred or chosen pronouns. Instead, the pronouns they use, whose pronouns are, who uses the pronouns, etc."

The AP entry then ended with a glossary of LGBTQ-related terms including "gender-identity," "genderqueer," "intersex," and "nonbinary;" along with tips on how to best refer to them in reporting.

Fox News Digital reached out to the Associated Press for comment. This story will be updated with any response. 

Bears considering other locations for new stadium despite already paying $197.2 million for land

The Chicago Bears said Friday they are thinking about abandoning their current plan to build a new stadium in nearby Arlington Heights and are considering looking at other locations.

This comes despite the team already buying the Arlington Heights land for $197.2 million.

The Bears are citing a property assessment they said is too high, so the area is "no longer our singular focus."

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"It is our responsibility to listen to other municipalities in Chicagoland about potential locations that can deliver on this transformational opportunity for our fans, our club and the State of Illinois," the team said.

"The stadium-based project remains broadly popular in Arlington Heights, Chicagoland and the state. However, the property’s original assessment at five times the 2021 tax value, and the recent settlement with Churchill Downs for 2022 being three times higher, fails to reflect the property is not operational and not commercially viable in its current state."

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The Bears said in September they would not seek public funding for the construction of the stadium, but they expect to for the surrounding "entertainment district."

The Bears envision the entertainment district to include restaurants, offices, a hotel, fitness center and more "that will provide considerable economic benefits to Cook County."

The city of Chicago proposed last summer enclosing Soldier Field and increasing its capacity from a league-low 61,500, but the Bears repeatedly insisted that the only possibilities they were considering were for the Arlington Heights site.

The Bears remain committed to their current lease on Soldier Field, which has been their home since 1974.

Fox News' Paulina Dedaj and Scott Thompson, and the Associated Press, contributed to this report.

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