Talk:Chloe Cole

wow this is slanted

I looked up this girl not knowing anything about her, because the name keeps being mentioned on Twitter. Figured I'd do some research. This information is written so obviously against her it's crazy. The slant is disturbing to say the least, without even knowing her. Very disingenuous. 24.208.23.248 (talk) 17:32, 3 February 2023 (UTC)

Chloe Cole has absolutely no notability outside of traveling across the US to support bans on gender-affirming care, therefore, the article is written based on that. How is the article specifically slanted? It consists entirely of factual content. TheTranarchist ⚧ Ⓐ (talk) 17:40, 3 February 2023 (UTC)

Yep it's stunningly biased. It's amazing how a writer can impute nefarious intent with the slightest twist of a phrase or use of qualifiers. For example:

"According to her testimony..." "Chloe claims" "Chloe has said" "

Why the ubiquitous tone of skepticism over every detail of her life?

Her 'activism' section is uncommonly detailed for someone of her stature. It amounts to a carefully cherry-picked series of incidents (presented with a specious air of objectivity) casting Chloe in a certain light. Lots of guilt-by-association (Proud Boys etc.).

Chloe is a contentious, outspoken figure in a heated culture war, who wades into controversial territory that many people find upsetting. It is the job of encyclopedists, however, to broach such topics with some measure of balance, objectivity and poise. I have my doubts about whether contributors such as "TheTransarchist" have any interest in impartiality.

It is the job of Twitter users, newspaper columnists and future historians to judge Chloe's character. Not Wikipedia authors. 87.114.99.183 (talk) 20:39, 15 February 2023 (UTC)

I did not introduce the skeptical language. Her activism section is not "cherry-picked" (for a start, that's oxymoronic with "overly-detailed"), but a faithful summary of all the reporting done by reliable sources. She has no notability outside of speaking against transgender healthcare, which she is very notable for. If there are sources we missed, feel free to bring them up here. Being trans does not make one inherently biased, but it's interesting you think so (and it's TheTranarchist fyi). Our job as editors is to faithfully summarize the reliable sources that mention her say, which we have. There is no editorializing on her character, merely factual descriptions of her activities. Twitter users are not a recognized judge of character nor a source for Wikipedia, we will include the views of future historians when they come, and the article is already based off of newspaper columnists. TheTranarchist ⚧ Ⓐ (talk) 20:50, 15 February 2023 (UTC)

Explaining my skepticism about "Cole"

"Chloe Cole" (if that is even her real name) seems incredibly suspicious. All we know about her is her unverified testimony to far-right websites and in state legislatures. Her parents have not confirmed any of it, nor have any classmates or other family members. She claimed to have an Instagram, but where is it? Her first tweet was in October 2022. For a child of her age, this is wildly bizarre. User:Bharel, I hope this explains my motivations. If you have any suggestions for how to improve the article to include this (in my view, warranted) skepticism, please let me know. 99.65.214.73 (talk) 02:51, 13 February 2023 (UTC)

I get it. But Wikipedia doesn't run on rumors: everything should be verified with reliable sources. If you think someone's sus, that's a discussion for a platform other than Wikipedia. LilianaUwU ^{(talk / contributions)} 02:54, 13 February 2023 (UTC)

But the sources in the article aren't reliable! For the most part, they're the far-right websites that have interviewed "Cole" and given credence to her story, as well as outlets like Reuters that should really know better. We can't verify any of this at all. I have my own suspicions, but the article should only say what we can verify: the name she uses and what she claims, as well as what she has done to smear the trans community and take away our care. 99.65.214.73 (talk) 03:00, 13 February 2023 (UTC)

For the most part this article actually relies on LGBTQ media, progressive media, and some center-left/center-right media, though it often includes that she appeared in right-wing platforms, that is sourced to reliable sources noting she did rather than the unreliable sources themselves. While it's true Reuters coverage was ridiculously un-thorough, and I'll admit to my own heavy skepticism about her story as well, reliable sources do actually tend to take her name and story at face value. I believe one or two state it was her name at birth. Trust me, I read through over 100 articles to write this lol. And Occam's razor suggests her story is true, since regardless of whether she genuinely was not happy with her transition or is an ideological detransitioner, her story could have been weaponized by the far-right all the same, no need for her to fake anything, which would probably have been caught by at least one of the reliable sources by now. If some reliable sources express doubt we'd have no problem including them, and in Reception some doubt over parts of her story is covered slightly, but until a sizeable enough number of them do we have to take her name and some details of her story at face value. In regards to her age and her Instagram account, I don't find it too bizarre, as the account was her personal one from when she was a minor and not particularly noteworthy to explicitly name (and that it "made her trans" is attributed to her rather than said in wikivoice). Also, the right has been searching for the golden goose of a detransitioner who actually transitioned as a minor for ages, so it's unsurprising they found at least one.

@Bharel could you please self-revert for the reasons above? I'm sympathetic to the skepticism but the reliable sources as they stand don't warrant it in wikivoice. TheTranarchist ⚧ Ⓐ (talk) 16:16, 13 February 2023 (UTC)

Self revert what may I ask? I have undone my revert right after reverting as I wasn't sure about that one. Bar Harel (talk) 01:03, 15 February 2023 (UTC)

@Bharel Sorry, to clarify I was referring to the revert of the revert. The original version factually states her name as Chloe Cole, an IP editor changed it say her name is only allegedly Chloe Cole, you reverted then reverted your revert. I appreciate the skepticism but even reliable sources take her name and story at face value so I think we have to as well. I also worry it cheapens the article, as I haven't seen any other article express such skepticism about a public figure's name in wikivoice. TheTranarchist ⚧ Ⓐ (talk) 01:09, 15 February 2023 (UTC)

I've tried a couple of times, but I have to manually edit and remove it, as plenty of versions went by. I haven't forgotten but I'll do it and revert the anon user's changes, will just take me a little bit of time. I've been away for a few days unfortunately. Bar Harel (talk) 07:53, 23 February 2023 (UTC)

Checked the entire diff, seems to be irrelevant now. ♥

Thanks for your support :-) Bar Harel (talk) 05:16, 26 February 2023 (UTC)

@Bharel No worries, had to patch it manually since some concerns were raised at BLPN, sorry it took me a while to get back to you lol. TheTranarchist ⚧ Ⓐ (talk) 13:25, 26 February 2023 (UTC)

Irrelevant activism

"Gender-affirming care is supported by health institutes such as the American Medical Association, the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the Columbia University Irving Medical Center, and the Yale School of Medicine, who have spoken out against such bans. Organizations such as the American Civil Liberties Union have also spoken out against such bans."

Why is this included in the article? It's an article about a person, not about gender affirming care. Icanhasgramr (talk) 03:07, 14 February 2023 (UTC)

Agreed. I have removed the paragraph from the article lead. Elli (talk | contribs) 01:39, 15 February 2023 (UTC)

Do you think that paragraph could be moved to reception? Many sources comment on the medical groups and human rights groups opposing bills she's actively supported, so it seems worth mentioning. TheTranarchist ⚧ Ⓐ (talk) 21:03, 16 February 2023 (UTC)

Proud Boys

As there seems to be some guilt by association without actual association, I removed one mention Proud Boys and rephrased another as she commented on their activities that day. If there actions are relevant, they should be covered elsewhere, not in the midst of a biography with unclear connection to the subject beyond proximity.Slywriter (talk) 21:16, 15 February 2023 (UTC)

Thank you for trimming it down! The second two reductions I have no notes, for the first, the Nashville Matt Walsh rally, that the Proud Boys were in attendance received widespread press attention which explicitly called out their presence and numbers. A few sources that I believe are in the article mentioned it but I hadn't referenced them, I can't remember if out of oversight or a desire not to over-cite (pun unintended). The Tennessee Lookout (currently uncited) source mentions their attendance and that Cole appeared as well, stating that The crowd was a mostly-white mix of the Walsh faithful, transgender rights allies, members of the white nationalists Proud Boys and vocal individuals preaching on Christianity and sin. As does Media Matters for America (currently citation 14) which states Footage from the rally, which included speeches from Walsh, Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), and other media figures and local politicians, shows that it attracted a cadre of extremists, including members of the violent Proud Boys extremist group and multiple protesters brandishing signs explicitly calling for violence against medical professionals. More covered it, but those were the ones who also noted Cole's attendance that I found with a quick search. Would it be alright to re-add Among the crowds were dozens of the far-right group the Proud Boys, who were eventually separated from the crowd of mostly counter-protestors by state troopers in addition to the above sources? TheTranarchist ⚧ Ⓐ (talk) 21:31, 15 February 2023 (UTC)

My issue is that she wasn't the organizer, so don't see how the crowd acted and who was present are relevant and due in her biography.

With that said, if you re-add, I'm not going to revert as I want to see if I can find any similar situated BLPs that have Good or Featured status to see how proximate actions of sympathetic, but not allied groups were covered. Andy Ngo is only one I could think of off-hand to look at and is not Good or Featured. In his article, various far-right groups are prominently mentioned because of direct interactions. Slywriter (talk) 23:59, 15 February 2023 (UTC)

Given her comments on them just practicing their free speech and not being able to do anything about their attendance in other cases, I think it's important to document that they're repeat attendees. It's one thing if some proud boys show up at one rally you're the speaker for, another if they've shown up at several. I've re-added the Nashville mention and added the fact that Cole was the keynote speaker at the event. Also, any luck finding similar BLPs for us to reference? TheTranarchist ⚧ Ⓐ (talk) 20:10, 16 February 2023 (UTC)

seems to be entirely historical and nothing stands out as being similar. Haven't looked at good yet, will in a few hours. Slywriter (talk) 20:29, 16 February 2023 (UTC)

You are drawing a connection between Chloe Cole and the Proud Boys that does not appear to be supported by any reliable sources. That's what Wikipedia calls original research. No one should be surprised that members of the Proud Boys were at some of the same far-right events. That doesn't mean that Cole has any influence over them or vice versa. Round and rounder (talk) 20:33, 16 February 2023 (UTC)

I am not drawing a connection and you should re-read WP:OR. The connection has been drawn in reliable sources, as they have consistently noted that she has spoken at rallies that had a large number of Proud Boys in attendance. To say "she spoke at this event" without any context of who else spoke, who attended, and how the public reacted, is whitewashing. Neither I nor the article have said Cole has any influence over them or vice-versa, just noted times they've appeared together as reported in RS. If no one should be surprised that members of the Proud Boys were at some of the same far-right events, why are you objecting to mentioning that they were? TheTranarchist ⚧ Ⓐ (talk) 21:01, 16 February 2023 (UTC)

@TheTranarchist Can we have a reasonable discussion about this? Not including that some Proud Boys were at a far-right event is not "whitewashing". It's just a unnecessary detail in an already overly detailed article. There doesn't seem to be any connection between Cole and the Proud Boys other than Cole sometimes speaks at events which some members of the Proud Boys sometimes attend. By including them, you are implying a connection. No reliable source says there is any connection. Round and rounder (talk) 21:14, 16 February 2023 (UTC)

We are not implying a connection by including that they intended, apart from the obvious connection that they attended the same rally, which is indisputable. Reliable sources have repeatedly noted Proud Boys have appeared at the events she's speaking at. We follow RS. We don't exclude details because you think that by mentioning them people will make assumptions. Factually speaking, the PB's attend her events. The only connection one could pick up from her article is that some of her events have been attended by Proud Boys, which is true. How people interpret that is not up to us. TheTranarchist ⚧ Ⓐ (talk) 21:57, 16 February 2023 (UTC)

Interesting that despite PBs showing up at rallies that feature Daryle Lamont Jenkins speaking, we don't mention them in attendance at his events, interestingly enough, there is no controversy or mention on his page either with regard to the impacts of his doxxing activities. WP:BALANCE WP:IMPARTIAL. Kcmastrpc (talk) 15:22, 18 February 2023 (UTC)

I fail to see how that's in any way relevant here. Is there any evidence they've shown up to his events, and if there is, are they there to oppose him or cheer him on? Two very different things and I hardly think there's any evidence of the latter... His article does need work, and frankly I've got no problem mentioning that proud boys showed up to protest him if we have the sources, but that's for discussion there, not here. Also, his article's lead literally states he has been credited with pioneering the practice of doxing and the article itself mentions his work in that regard so it's certainly mentioned. If you can find reliable sources saying there is a "controversy" about the ethics of him doxxing Nazis, mention them. TheTranarchist ⚧ Ⓐ (talk) 15:52, 18 February 2023 (UTC)

User:TheTranarchist, I'm about to look into this, but I'm wondering if this isn't another case of you attempted to blow up this article out of all proportion. We're talking about a bit player in a fringe field who gets some coverage for some crazy shit but in many ways isn't important, if it weren't for the manufacture of outrage that lives on social media more than anywhere else. Not even a blip on the radar screen of the 2020s. Drmies (talk) 22:00, 16 February 2023 (UTC)

• I agree with this edit by Slywriter. I see now that there's conversation at BLPN and I'm going to take a look. Tranarchist, I've dropped some warnings on talk pages of obvious COI/non-neutral editors, and I saw some unproductive IP edits; if needs be we can semi-protect this to keep at least some of the riff-raff out. Drmies (talk) 22:10, 16 February 2023 (UTC)
  • We posted at the same time lol. Semi-protection would be much appreciated and I'd been thinking of asking for that but the vandalism seemed to abate recently. It would be nice to discuss the page productively rather than expending so much effort on vandals. TheTranarchist ⚧ Ⓐ (talk) 22:14, 16 February 2023 (UTC)
    • Let's see how it goes. If it pops back up I'll happily semi-protect it, and please do let me know if there's sus accounts, like the two that I welcomed/warned. Thanks, Drmies (talk) 23:22, 16 February 2023 (UTC)
• @Drmies She has traveled across the country to support attacks on transgender rights and healthcare. She has frequently spoken at far-right events in support of that. She has received extensive coverage in RS for those things alone, so naturally the article reflects that. I have no clue where you're getting the manufacture of outrage that lives on social media from. TheTranarchist ⚧ Ⓐ (talk) 22:11, 16 February 2023 (UTC)
  • And you do not need to retell every detail of each one of those events. Drmies (talk) 22:12, 16 February 2023 (UTC)
    • Not every detail for sure, but proud boys attending, especially when noted in RS that they composed a large chunk of her audience, seems due. TheTranarchist ⚧ Ⓐ (talk) 22:15, 16 February 2023 (UTC)
      • You know that the issue is not whether the Proud Boys were there or whether it's noted in reliable sources--the question really is whether it is her audience. Drmies (talk) 23:22, 16 February 2023 (UTC)

"Anti-transgender activism"?

The lead and the infobox currently says that Cole is known for "anti-transgender activism" but is that accurate? My understanding is that she is against gender affirming medical care for children, not against transitioning in general. Is the label "anti-transgender activist" supported by any reliable sources? If not, doesn't this violate Wikipedia policy in some way? Round and rounder (talk) 19:54, 18 February 2023 (UTC)

Round and rounder, is there better wording you would suggest. Only one source says it outright, so think more explanation would serve the reader. Slywriter (talk) 21:20, 18 February 2023 (UTC)

I don't have a suggestion, but I think that calling her an "anti-transgender activist" is misleading and probably a violation of the rules for living people so it should be removed until a better description is agreed upon. I would have just changed it to "detransitioner" but this topic area is so politically charged that even straightforward changes seem to be met with hostility. Round and rounder (talk) 22:09, 18 February 2023 (UTC)Striking comment from LTA sock. Nil Einne (talk) 11:13, 19 February 2023 (UTC)

Quick note, trans kids are not magically not trans people. Campaigning to forcibly detransition people and deny them access to transgender healthcare is indeed anti-trans activism, regardless of their age.

Speaking to sources:

• anti-trans activist[1]
• anti-trans activist[2]
• In addition to Walsh, speakers at the rally included GOP state politicians from Tennessee, who earlier this year passed multiple anti-trans bills (helping to perpetuate mental health crisis among trans youth in the state), and Blackburn, who used the confirmation hearing for Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson to push anti-trans talking points. Other speakers included Tulsi Gabbard, Dr. Colin Wright, and Chloe Cole.[3] Note, Cole has pushed for the same legislation as those politicians.
• Chloe Cole, an 18-year-old who detransitioned and whom the anti-trans movement has turned into a celebrity for their movement[4]
• He referenced Chloe Cole, a woman who got a mastectomy as a teenager when she believed herself to be a trans man. She has since become an anti-transgender advocate [5]
• We are having this rally out of compassion today, because we have seen what these surgeries and hormones are doing to individuals,” said Rutherford County Turning Point chapter president Hannah Faulkner. “We love you LGBTQ,” claimed Faulkner, who also said, “This is not an anti-trans rally because transgender does not exist.”[6] If you're speaking at a rally and the only defense to being called anti-trans is to say "transgender doesn't exist", that's not exactly a stunning defense...
• After nearly five hours of contentious presentations by six experts and dozens of testimonials, members of the boards cut the public comment period short after letting several anti-trans advocates speak out. ... Chloe Cole, an 18-year-old from California, was among the detransitioners who told of worsening mental health problems, complications after surgery and lax medical care during or following treatment.[7]

That's just a quick search. It expands once you factor in all the bills multiple reliable sources have said were anti-trans and noted that Cole supported. TheTranarchist ⚧ Ⓐ (talk) 22:46, 18 February 2023 (UTC)

This is a good example of what I was talking about at ANI. You have cherry picked sources with a particular slant. In other cases, you have asociated statements said about others with Cole.

I knew nothing about this person until a few days ago. If she is on record as saying that no one should be allowed to transition, I haven't seen it. If she is suggesting that kids should be forcibly detransitioned, I haven't seen it.

If someone said gay children should not be allowed to marry, but gay adults can, is that homophobic? Round and rounder (talk) 23:06, 18 February 2023 (UTC)

Round and rounder, you seem to be applying a personal standard for what should count as "anti-trans activism". I think we should follow the sources. And so far the reliably sourced "celebrity of the anti-trans movement" sounds like the most precisely accurate description thus far. Newimpartial (talk) 23:10, 18 February 2023 (UTC)

The actual quote from Xtra is "Chloe Cole, an 18-year-old who detransitioned and whom the anti-trans movement has turned into a celebrity for their movement..." if that's the source you mean. In any case, I think I'd best bow out of this discussion. If others don't have a problem with it, I'll go along with the consensus. Round and rounder (talk) 23:24, 18 February 2023 (UTC)Striking comment from LTA sock. Nil Einne (talk) 11:13, 19 February 2023 (UTC)

The first one doesn't support the claim even if we assume they are reliable for such a contentious claim. The second one does but we have to ask how much weight we would give such a clearly biased source. The quote provided in #3 doesn't call Cole anti-trans. The same is true of #4. #5 does but again, weight. #6 doesn't say Cole is an anti-trans activist. Transach synthesized the claim. #7 also doesn't support the claim. Springee (talk) 23:28, 18 February 2023 (UTC)

"The second one does but we have to ask how much weight we would give such a clearly biased source."

Wait, wait, wait, you're calling an LGBT news source a "clearly biased source" on the topic of whether someone is anti-trans or not? Is that seriously the position you want to be taking? Silverseren^C 00:34, 19 February 2023 (UTC)

Spring, I didn't synthesize anything, just pointed out that if you're speaking at a rally where the organizer's best defense to being called "anti-trans" is flat out saying "transgender doesn't exist", that's patently absurd. It's like saying, "we're not homophobes, homosexual doesn't exist" - they're not explicitly saying they're homophobes, but their defense is so ridiculous it takes olympian-level mental gymnastics to conclude anything else. TheTranarchist ⚧ Ⓐ (talk) 01:14, 19 February 2023 (UTC)

Expanding and listing some more reliable sources mentioning her in the context of anti-trans legislation.

• Kansas, Missouri consider banning gender-affirming care amid wave of anti-trans bills ... [Cole has] have traveled nationally advocating for bans on gender affirming care. Cole is from California.[8]
• Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) held an anti-trans rally at the Capitol this week. A whopping 12 or so people attended and no major media outlets covered it. ... The rally was a veritable who’s who of contemporary transphobic trolls, including members of the book-banning “parents’ rights” group Moms for Liberty; members of the anti-LGBTQ conservative think tank Heritage Foundation; de-transitioned young adult right-wing media darling Chloe Cole;[9]
• Anti-trans bigots celebrate proposed Florida rule to bar gender-affirming care under Medicaid ... Under the proposed rule, the Medicaid program would not cover puberty-blocking medication, hormones and hormone “antagonists,” sex-reassignment surgeries and any “other procedures that alter primary or secondary sexual characteristics.” ... Friday’s hearing opened with testimony from Chloe Cole, who said she is a 17-year-old “de-transitioner” from California who underwent treatments, including surgery to remove her breasts, between the ages of 13 and 16. Cole said she supports the proposed rule.[10] Side note, saying poor trans adults, not just kids shouldn't get medical care, is blatantly anti-trans.
• Sens. Mike Thompson, R-Shawnee, and Mark Steffen, R-Hutchinson, are trying to criminalize hormone replacement therapy and gender reassignment surgery for transgender youth. Their bill, SB12, known as the Kansas child mutilation prevention act, would make it illegal for physicians to prescribe hormone replacement therapy or perform gender-reassignment surgeries for anyone under 21 ... He referenced Chloe Cole, a woman who got a mastectomy as a teenager when she believed herself to be a trans man. She has since become an anti-transgender advocate. [11]

Additionally, from this article's body (sources there): Greene did so in support of her attempt to pass the "Protect Children's Innocence Act", which would federally make it a felony to provide any gender-affirming care to a minor, give minors an avenue to sue such providers, prohibit the use of federal funds for such care in health insurance, deport undocumented immigrants who provide such care, and prohibit colleges and universities from offering instruction in gender-affirming care. Cole said that while she doesn't agree with everything any politician says or does, she finds the bill is a cause she can get behind. Cole spoke in support at a press conference Greene hosted for the bill.

So in short, not only has she protested against gender-affirming care for trans minors (which would still be anti-trans regardless), she's protested against it for adults and supported making it a felony to allow trans youth to transition. This whole discussion is silly, as saying trans kids shouldn't be allowed to transition is a WP:FRINGE position that is consistently and rightfully described in reliable sources as "anti-trans". That's not even mentioning how the whole "it's not anti-trans - think of the children!" shtick falls apart when you consider she has supported bills that would make it illegal to provide HRT to even adults (for the record, making it illegal to give a trans person HRT when they're already on it indeed "forced detransition"), make it harder for poor trans adults of any age to access such care, and prevent universities from even discussing such care. TheTranarchist ⚧ Ⓐ (talk) 01:10, 19 February 2023 (UTC)

None of your new sources call her an anti-trans activist. You jump to conclusions then expect others to accept them. Sorry no. This is a BLP violation. Springee (talk) 12:27, 19 February 2023 (UTC)

I've been unable to find supporting reliability evidence for the inclusion of several of the sources cited here, at least on any Wikipedia:Reliable sources/Noticeboard or otherwise. One of them is considered a tabloid, and the quality of journalism should be considered a political hit job. At this point, I'm incredibly jaded and have become so demoralized that I don't even want to take the time to aggregate or search deeper because I feel it's a lost cause. The entirety of Wikipedia has become a place for activism and outright slander, especially BLPs. I'm of the opinion that we should just let this happen, as it stands Wiki has become less and less reliable over time and finally people are starting to pay attention. Kcmastrpc (talk) 13:47, 19 February 2023 (UTC)

I didn't say they did, they mentioned her support for anti-trans legislation. You know what the neutral term for someone who campaigns for anti-trans legislation is? "anti-trans activist/campaigner"...

But for some more sources on why these bills she supports are unequivocally anti-trans, see the:

• ACLU
• various medical organizations such as the AAP, AMA, and many others, describing the bills as unequivocally harmful to trans people

@Springee, are you really going to suggest that fighting to stop even adults transitioning is not "anti-trans activism"? TheTranarchist ⚧ Ⓐ (talk) 17:27, 19 February 2023 (UTC)

Please stop construction straw arguments. That is tendentious talk page behavior. If you are going to apply a contentious label you need to show it is widely used. Showing that occasional or sources with a strong POV use it isn't sufficient. Synthesizing it's use as you are arguing above is also not OK. Springee (talk) 18:05, 19 February 2023 (UTC)

To which sources are you attributing a strong POV? I am seeing an attempt to characterize sources through oblique insinuation, based on nothing but an editor's personal opinion. Newimpartial (talk) 18:07, 19 February 2023 (UTC)

The first two at the top of the section are clearly sources with a strong POV. You can argue they are still reliable but that doesn't negate the POV. Incidentally, when looking at sources that are generally neutral or engaged in simple reporting we don't see her called an anti-trans activist. Going beyond that, a number of Christian related news sites clearly don't call her that. If we are willing to accept the POV of one side I see no reason not to accept the POV of another side. Springee (talk) 21:36, 19 February 2023 (UTC)

With one side being actual LGBT news sources, which would be close to an authority on what would be considered anti-transgender actions and activities. And the other side you're referring to being religious news sites that have an anti-LGBT bias and no real authority on whether an action is anti-trans? Silverseren^C 21:45, 19 February 2023 (UTC)

If we are talking about automotive impact on the environment would you consider Car and Driver or Road and Track unbiased? They may be good sources but they are also close to the subject. The problem with their position of authority is they may decide someone who doesn't agree with their POV is anti-transgender while neutral third parties wouldn't agree. And if we are going to say how should a person be publically labeled then yes, I do think we should consider how multiple POVs describe her before we apply a contentious label. Springee (talk) 21:48, 19 February 2023 (UTC)

Springee, how would you summarize the ways the subject is labelled by sources that are generally neutral or engaged in simple reporting, and which sources would you use to back that up? Newimpartial (talk) 21:46, 19 February 2023 (UTC)

Why don't you make a suggestion first. What sources would you consider to be natural to the topic? That is they don't have a bias for or against and are trying to just report the facts. Springee (talk) 21:50, 19 February 2023 (UTC)

I don't really have an answer to that; I was basically calling your bluff. And while I'm not the biggest fan of Fox News, I do think the label they apply, "Conservative activist and detransitioner", is one worth considering, though it isn't mutually exclusive with other terms. Newimpartial (talk) 22:05, 19 February 2023 (UTC)

Oh, so you are saying you don't know what a neutral source would be. What about these two? [12], [13]? Are they neutral? One is a public broadcasting station. Springee (talk) 22:06, 19 February 2023 (UTC)

Springee, please WP:DROPTHESTICK. Numerous sources describe her as an anti-trans activist. Numerous sources note her campaigning for anti-trans bills as being what she is most notable for. The idea that fully criminalizing transgender healthcare, not even just with a bullshit "save the kids" argument but even for adults, is not anti-trans activism is a fully WP:FRINGE position. TheTranarchist ⚧ Ⓐ (talk) 22:15, 19 February 2023 (UTC)

Actually not that many sources describe her at anti-trans activist and if you are going to put that contentious LABEL in wiki-voice you need better sourcing. Remember BLP applies here. Springee (talk) 22:18, 19 February 2023 (UTC)

No, I'm saying I don't know how you would summarize the characterizations in what you see as neutral sources. The ksl source simply says an 18-year-old activist which, while accurate, isn't especially helpful. The spdb source doesn't give any characterization beyond "former trans kid" and observes that Cole has also spoken in support of similar bills in other states, i.e., laws to prevent transgender kids from getting gender-affirming treatment. So how would you summarize those? Newimpartial (talk) 22:16, 19 February 2023 (UTC)

I'm not sure she is a conservative activist so much as the conservatives seem willing to listen to her. Call that a pairing of common interest. She certainly is a detransitioner. It's probably best to say she speaks about against transitioning for minors and then list her stated concerns. They may or may not be valid but if she is worth writing a page about perhaps her concerns are also worth covering. Springee (talk) 22:13, 19 February 2023 (UTC)

WP:CIR, multiple sources have noted her campaigning against trans healthcare for adults as well as minors, stop trying to shift the frame of what she campaigns against. TheTranarchist ⚧ Ⓐ (talk) 22:16, 19 February 2023 (UTC)

Please FOC, if you want to talk about CIR do it at ANI. Springee (talk) 22:19, 19 February 2023 (UTC)

That is as may be, TheTranarchist, but I think her activism against gender-affirming treatment for minors is what has made the subject notable. That can't reasonably be taken to imply that she supports gender-affirming treatment for adults, btw, it simply emphasizes what she is actually known for.

Newimpartial (talk) 22:23, 19 February 2023 (UTC)

I'd be inclined to include a top-level statement about her being an activist against gender-affirming treatment for minors, which seems accurate, uncontroversial and neutral. Newimpartial (talk) 22:18, 19 February 2023 (UTC)

I would fully support that. Thank you for pulling us back and suggesting a compromise. Springee (talk) 22:20, 19 February 2023 (UTC)

I'd support Chloe Cole is an American anti-transgender activist and detransitioner. She is known for appearing on right-wing media and with conservative politicians in favor of legislation that would ban gender-affirming care for those under 21, criminalize those who provide it, prohibit federal funding or Medicaid for such care at any age, and ban lessons on it in universities.

My worry is that lead will be immediately contradicted by the body, which notes her campaigning against care for those under 21. For example, while it's technically true "minors can't drink in the US", the more encyclopedic summary is "those under 21 can't drink in the U.S", as the precise age limit matters. I find it better we summarize rather than take the average of her actions. TheTranarchist ⚧ Ⓐ (talk) 22:35, 19 February 2023 (UTC)

I think you are exaggerating the relevance of the under 21 aspect. As far as I can tell, most of these proposals cover people under the age of 18, and I can't find any instances where Cole has objected to a bill for not going far enough by allowing treatment for those 18-20. I'm not suggesting that she supports gender-affirming treatment for adults, but it isn't obvious that she opposes it, whereas all sources agree that she opposes gender-affirming treatment for minors. Newimpartial (talk) 22:49, 19 February 2023 (UTC)

I agree with Newimpartial here (sorry, that probably made you feel uncomfortable /hummor) Springee (talk) 22:51, 19 February 2023 (UTC)

I don't support that as it has the same issues we have been arguing over. Also, the "known for appearing on" is not a good way to phrase things. It loads the language as if she is there because she's a conservative and it implies she is known for being a guest vs known for being an activist against gender affirming care for minors. It ideally would be good to say what her positions are assume she has some. Something like "Chloe Cole is an American teen detransitioner. She is known her activism against gender affirming care for minors." From there we can discuss her background and some of the bills she has been involved with. We should not take any specific bill she has supported as a whitnes and imply she supports all aspects of that bill. That would be OR. If we are going to say/imply what she supports we need to use her direct statements. The problem with bills is sometimes people accept what they can get rather than what they might ideally want. It's quite possible she is totally OK with various types of care for adults but her concern about harm to minors, presumably fearing others would end up in her position) drives her to accept the full bill. Put another way, if she supported a bill that narrowly covered only minors it would be incorrect to imply she insists on limiting care for adults. Springee (talk) 22:50, 19 February 2023 (UTC)

By the way, it is equally plausible that, as a born-again Christian and a conservative, she privately opposes all gender-affirming care but her speechwriters confine her comments to minors because that's what the communications consultants recommend. We presently just have no way to know. Newimpartial (talk) 22:54, 19 February 2023 (UTC)

Just a note that the OP is a LTA sock. I've struck two terminal comments of theirs that didn't receive direct replies but left them in case editors had referred to them in later replies and I missed this. I left earlier comments that had been replied to intact although anyone else is free to strike them if they feel this would be better and they can be safely ignored in any case. Nil Einne (talk) 11:13, 19 February 2023 (UTC)

• Regardless of feelings about LA Blade and it's bias/advocacy/leaning, the source is reliable and verifiable for her own quote

  ...Trans men are not biological males, so definitionally, they are not men...

  . Their statement

  Cole’s choice of words, matching that of many anti-trans activists

  appears to be supported by other independent sources and only mitigated by Blaze later

  political pawns for anti trans forces

• Cullman Times has her saying

  ...classic false dichotomy regarding children with gender dysphoria.

• Reuters states

  Cole has begun speaking out publicly in support of measures to end gender-affirming care for minors, appearing often on conservative media and with politicians who back such bans.

• Nashville Scene states

  Cole now advocates against hormone treatments and surgery for minors.

• Milwaukee Journal Sentinel gives

  Cole travels the country speaking out against gender-affirming care...

  and that

  Cole recently spoke in favor of a bill proposed in Utah that would prohibit minors from undergoing "sex-transitioning procedures.

• LGBTQ nation itself calls her

  right wing media darling

  and isn't a good source for lede sentence and it's link on the quote is circular to LA Blade.
• Propose Chloe Cole is an American, known for opposing gender-affirming care for minors and supporting bans on such care after her own detransition. She has appeared with politicians supporting such bans in state legislatures and spoken on right-wing media. She is seen as an anti-trans activist.

If I missed a second source that is affirmative and clear about declaring her anti-trans, let me know as then the argument is stronger for it being on the first line. Otherwise, it should be in the second as opposition to gender care for minors is the more publicized position. Slywriter (talk) 07:43, 20 February 2023 (UTC)

This is a sound starting point. I agree with Springee and others above that 'anti-trans', apart from being sourced to partisan sources, is very uninformative, especially when linked to LGBT rights opposition, as it is now. We have no idea what her opinion is on LGB rights at all, nor any 'trans' measures apart from those relating to underage medical/surgical transitioning. I also question whether 'seen as an anti-trans activist' adds anything if we don't say who sees her that way (presumably not conservatives). Being quibbly, quite a few sources refer to her appearing on 'conservative', rather than 'right-wing' media, but why anyhow is that pertinent? Is there any reason to think that she hasn't spoken to whichever media were prepared to listen - including 'LA Blade'? Like the linkage to 'anti-trans', the linking to 'right-wing' media, seems to be mainly made by partisan sources. Pincrete (talk) 10:22, 26 February 2023 (UTC)

TheTranarchist, why did you restore "anti-trans activist" here [14]? The above discussion makes it clear that characterization does not have consensus. I think your other recent edits are also problematic but should be discussed in other sections. Springee (talk) 15:13, 27 February 2023 (UTC)

I was about to ask the same question. I also don't understand why we would use a generic description when we can use a specific one. The 'mission' Cole is on is to outlaw surgical and body altering chemical interventions for minors, and sources make that explicit. Whether one agrees or disagrees with her, we have a duty to be accurate about that. Even to the extent that gender-affirming care=surgery and chemicals, why not be specific about what is being proposed/opposed? Pincrete (talk) 15:27, 27 February 2023 (UTC)

Source Review

1. LA Blade (SIRS): ant-trans activist and her regret has been seized upon by anti-trans forces all around the world, eager to retell and retweet her harrowing story.[15]
2. San Francisco Chronicle (SIRS): something of a celebrity in the anti-trans movement and Cole has become a poster child for right-wing resistance to transgender care, making appearances on conservative media and offering testimony on transgender legislation in several states and The Washington, D.C.-based Human Rights Campaign, which advocates for the rights of LGBTQ+ people, is tracking a record 150 anti-trans bills across the country this year.
3. LGBTQ Nation: anti-trans activist [16]
4. Kansas Reflector: an anti-transgender advocate.[17]
5. WUSF public media: lists as one of several anti-trans advocates[18]
6. Kansas City Star: states Kansas, Missouri consider banning gender-affirming care amid wave of anti-trans bills, notes Cole spoke in favor of the bill [[19]]
7. LGBTQ Nation: Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) held an anti-trans rally at the Capitol this week ... The rally was a veritable who’s who of contemporary transphobic trolls, including ... de-transitioned young adult right-wing media darling Chloe Cole[20]
8. Orlando Weekly: Anti-trans bigots celebrate proposed Florida rule to bar gender-affirming care under Medicaid ... Cole said she supports the proposed rule.[21]
9. Wyoming Public Media: Lawmakers nix anti-trans "Chloe's Law" amid warnings of an insurance crisis ... Chloe Cole, a California teenager who has been traveling the country to support bills like the one in Wyoming. Cole has compared gender-affirming surgery to the medical experiments Nazis performed on their Jewish prisoners during the Holocaust.[22]
10. Tennessee Lookout: U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn headlines anti-transgender rally in Nashville ... Also speaking were 18-year-old Chloe Cole[23]
11. Nashville Scene: Anti-Trans Rally Led by Matt Walsh Brings Right-Wing Media Stars to Nashville ... Other speakers at Walsh’s event included ... self-proclaimed “former trans kid” Chloe Cole
12. Daily KOS: Trump’s proposals to ban gender-affirming care for trans youths nationwide are part of a far-right genocidal erasure campaign against trans Americans instigated by the likes of Libs of TikTok, Matt Walsh, Gays Against Groomers, DeSantis spokespropagandist Christina Pushaw, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, anti-trans zealot Chris Elston (Billboard Chris), political detransitioner Chloe Cole, and their ilk[24] (per RSP)
13. Reuters (SIRS): Cole has begun speaking out publicly in support of measures to end gender-affirming care for minors, appearing often on conservative media and with politicians who back such bans.[25] (did not mention "anti-trans")
14. LGBTQ Nation: The rally, held at the city’s War Memorial Plaza on October 21, was organized by conservative podcaster and transphobe Matt Walsh. Walsh spoke at the event alongside Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), state lawmakers like state Sen. Jack Johnson (R) and state Rep. William Lamberth (R), former Rep. Tulsi Gabbard from Hawaii, a lawyer from the anti-LGBTQ hate group Alliance Defending Freedom, and other anti-trans activists. ... The rally also featured the following speakers: president of Convention of States Action Mark Meckler, founder of Trans Rational Educational Voices Scott Newgent, founding editor of Reality’s Last Stand Colin Wright, and 18-year-old de-transitioned, right-wing media darling Chloe Cole.[26]
15. Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Nationally, over 200 anti-trans bills have been introduced this year, according to the American Civil Liberties Union.[27]

TheTranarchist ⚧ Ⓐ (talk) 16:07, 27 February 2023 (UTC)TheTranarchist

In short, we have RS (including WP:SIRS sources) directly labeling her an anti-trans activist/advocate. We have sources saying she spoke at anti-trans rallies, sources saying she is a celebrity to the anti-trans movement, and more sources noting her campaigning for anti-trans legislation (which the ACLU and HRC also label as anti-trans legislation). Per others earlier, I support both being specific about what legislation she supports and using the description anti-trans activist. TheTranarchist ⚧ Ⓐ (talk) 16:07, 27 February 2023 (UTC)TheTranarchist

Which of those sources directly call Cole an "anti-trans activist". Please include the full quote, not just a part. The problem right now is you are including sources that don't, per your quotes, support the claim. Take the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. How does this quote, "Nationally, over 200 anti-trans bills have been introduced this year...", the quote you provided as evidence, support that sources call Cole an "anti-trans activist"? The same is true of source 14, 13, 12, 11, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, and 2. The others need more complete quotes to evaluate. We have no idea if this is a random list representing a range of views or just a keyword search. Many of the sources are minor or less than idea. Others simply don't support using the label. Springee (talk) 17:28, 27 February 2023 (UTC)

I've removed the term as this is a BLP and consensus is not established. WP:ONUS is on editor looking to include, not exclude. Slywriter (talk) 18:30, 27 February 2023 (UTC)

@Slywriter thank you, my apologies for not hashing it out here first. Could you comment on the newly compiled source list and weight of the descriptor? I know you were partial to including it at least on the second line, with it's placement on the first being contingent on the weight of reliable sources, particularity those directly calling her an anti-trans activist, of which there seem to be 3/4 (definitely 1, 3, 4, and perhaps 14, though @Springee disagrees) TheTranarchist ⚧ Ⓐ (talk) 19:11, 27 February 2023 (UTC)

• 1, 3, and 4, directly call her an anti-trans activist/advocate. 14 lists her as one. 1 and 2 also provide her WP:SIRS coverage, and should be weighted duly, as opposed to sources that give her a 1 line mention.
• 3, 4, 5 do not need more complete quotes to evaluate, but the articles are linked if you believe they do and want to offer some
• 6 describes a bill Cole supported as part of a wave of anti-trans bills
• 7, 10, and 11 say Cole was the speaker at an anti-trans rally (ie, her activism includes speaking at anti-trans rallies)
• 8 describes a bill Cole supported as supported by anti-trans bigots
• 9 describes "Chloe's Law" as anti-trans, of which Cole stated support this bill in any way I can
• 12 describes her activism as part of a far-right genocidal erasure campaign against trans Americans
• 13 is just to really drive the point home that RS overwhelming agree that she appears on right-wing media. But since it's relevant, it notes Alejandra Caraballo, a transgender woman, LGBTQ-rights advocate and clinical instructor at Harvard Law School’s Cyberlaw Clinic states those types of detransition stories are “outlier examples being used by many on the anti-trans side to undermine access to gender-affirming care. They aren’t representative of detransitioners on the whole.”
• 14 lists Cole among other anti-trans activists. present at an anti-trans rally
• 15, The MJS, states Panel of right-wing activists claim schools are 'sexually grooming' children by teaching gender identity, and The event comes at a time when Muskego-Norway, Germantown, Arrowhead and Waukesha school boards have enacted policies that prohibit staff from referring to students by their preferred name and/or pronouns without express parental permission. Nationally, over 200 anti-trans bills have been introduced this year, according to the American Civil Liberties Union. .. Accredited medical organizations such as the Columbia University Irving Medical Center, American Psychiatric Association and Yale School of Medicine support gender-affirming care for youth, meant to treat a diagnosable condition called gender dysphoria, which causes psychological distress from feeling one's biological sex does not match their gender identity. ... among the panelists was activist Chloe Cole, an 18-year-old from California who "destransitioned" at 16 years old. Cole travels the country speaking out against gender-affirming care - ie, describes her as a right-wing activist known for opposing gender-affirming care, which it notes medical consensus finds necessary to avoid causing trans kids psychological distress.

In general, in a discussion of whether "anti-trans activist" is an appropriate label, sources saying the person in question speaks at anti-trans rallies and supports anti-trans bills supports that claim. We are not solely looking for sources which call her an "anti-trans activist" (of which there are several, including WP:SIRS coverage), we are looking for sources that provide weight to that descriptor. TheTranarchist ⚧ Ⓐ (talk) 19:05, 27 February 2023 (UTC)

I will assume that you are correct about 1,3 and 4 calling her an anti-trans activist. 5 is marginal since it refers to a group but when it names her it doesn't say "anti-trans activist". If you are going to apply a contentious label it needs to be clearly applied. This fits into the category of compatible with but not direct. 6 as you say describes a bill. Unless Cole=the bill, this doesn't support the label. 7, 10 and 11 fail for the same reason as 6. Participating in a rally that is called anti-trans doesn't mean the label was applied to her. You are using SYNTH to presume that anyone speaking at a rally that was called "anti-trans" by sources that may or may not be objective or specific in the use of the term should themselves be viewed as anti-trans. That is not acceptable sourcing for a contentious label. 8 is a non-starter. Cole could be supported by Nazis, Stalin and Mao all at the same time. That doesn't mean we apply fascist to her. 9 Chloe's law is not a person. Cole is a person. Chloe's law != Cole. I hope that difference is obvious. 12. Daily KOS is not an acceptable source. Beyond being an obviously crap source (we haven't asked about the quality of the other sources), calling the general activism she is associated with anti-trans doesn't mean you can apply the label to her. 13 is again a stretch to justify text you want to include rather than an obvious summary of the source. 14 the quote you provided doesn't show what you claim. Note: "The rally also featured the following speakers:...". That is where it mentions Cole. Note that I would be very reluctant to accept LGBTQ Nation's labeling of a person they see as the opposition. While we might accept their statements of fact, subjective labels are another matter. Lat leaves us with 15 which again doesn't say Cole is anti-trans. You have to stretch to apply a generalized label to each panel member and even there it doesn't support anti-trans. As a follow up to all this, how did you find these sources? Did you do a keyword search including the disputed label? I ask because above I listed an assortment of sources that I found with a simple news search only for Cole's name. The sources are presented in the order I found them off the first two pages of articles (excluding clearly unacceptable sources). Note that most don't call her anti-trans. If we are going to apply a contentious label it needs to be clearly and commonly used even when we aren't searching for it. That doesn't appear to be the case here. Springee (talk) 19:27, 27 February 2023 (UTC)

For 1, 3, and 4, no need to assume, that's what the link is for...

For 5, this is a silly argument. Sources are not in the habit of stating say "XYZ advocates including XYZ advocate 1, XYZ advocate 2, XYZ advocate 3", explicitly repeating "XYZ advocate" for each person in the list which they already said is composed of "XYZ advocates".

6 describes a bill, which Cole has supported, as "anti-trans". This is like saying, "just because a person supported a bill opposing gay marriage, that doesn't mean they oppose gay marriage, since the person is not a bill... "

7, 10, and 11 are acceptable for the same reason as 6. For example, arguing whether "this person opposes XYZ" belongs in the lead, a source that says this person supported bills opposing XYZ or spoke at rallies opposing XYZ is not discountable because it didn't say "generally, this person opposes XYZ". Read WP:NOTSYNTH, and WP:SYNTH for that matter

8 describes supporters of a bill as anti-trans bigots, and notes Cole supported that bill. I don't see how that's a non-starter

9 see 6

12 I'll strike the Daily KOS from the list per RSP

13, like I stated, was more to show that even WP:SIRS supportive of her note she appears on right-wing media. But I'll strike that as we're focused on her anti-trans activism

14 states Walsh spoke at the event alongside Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), state lawmakers like state Sen. Jack Johnson (R) and state Rep. William Lamberth (R), former Rep. Tulsi Gabbard from Hawaii, a lawyer from the anti-LGBTQ hate group Alliance Defending Freedom, and other anti-trans activists The source then describes the activities of Walsh, Johnson, and Gabbard. It characterizes those not specifically named on that list as "anti-trans activists", and after discussing those on the list, refers to the other speakers present (AKA other anti-trans activists), including Cole. Wrt I would be very reluctant to accept LGBTQ Nation's labeling of a person they see as the opposition - as others have explained earlier, your personal opinion that LGBT sources are too biased to be trusted for commentary on LGBT issues has no place here

15 calls her a right-wing activist, refers to "anti-trans bills" that are being passed, notes how they are considered to be harmful to trans people by WP:MEDRS, and notes that Cole supports them.

In regards to how I got the sources, I keyword searched "anti-trans" AND "Chloe Cole", since this is a discussion of whether "anti-trans activist" applies. Frankly, if I extended the search to "transphobic" OR "harmful to trans people" and etc, the evidence would be even more overwhelming.

AFAICT, you only listed 2 sources, neither of which say she's not an anti-trans advocate. The first doesn't provide Cole WP:SIGCOV, it just notes she supported the bill, of which notably also says The South Dakota State Medical Association said the bill will cause physicians to compromise their medical judgement for what treatment is in the best interest of patients. "Access to care for transgender people is an important means of improving health outcomes. Receiving care is linked to reductions in the rate of suicide attempts, decreased rates of depression and anxiety, and decreased substance use in transgender people," said Lucio Margallo, president of SDSMA. "These positive health effects extend to children and adolescents as well.". The second does not provide WP:SIGCOV, it calls her an activist without specifying for what. Additionally, it quotes medical experts saying that the hardline ban on gender-affirming care for minors which she supports would be detrimental to the health of transgender minors. IE, neither of the sources you gave as examples give WP:SIGCOV or contradict the label "anti-trans activist", and both reference medical professionals/WP:MEDRS stating that the bans on care she's supporting are not evidence-based and would be detrimental to the health of trans youth. TheTranarchist ⚧ Ⓐ (talk) 20:17, 27 February 2023 (UTC)

"I keyword searched "anti-trans" AND "Chloe Cole"" That explains a lot. You set out to prove what you wanted to prove yet even then you aren't proving it. Remember to add that label per LABEL the standard isn't "well sources don't prove it wrong". It's that sources commonly describe her as such. Springee (talk) 20:24, 27 February 2023 (UTC)

What is this argument even supposed to be? You set out to prove what you wanted to prove - that's the whole bloody point and somewhat WP:BLUESKY. Are you really taking issue with me creating a list of sources that describe her as "anti-trans" or state she attended "anti-trans" rallies or supported "anti-trans legislation" to show it's widespread use, by searching "anti-trans", because I didn't list every single source that's ever mentioned her for you?

WP:LABEL state unless widely used by reliable sources to describe the subject, which I just listed examples of. Anti-trans activist is also not inherently Value-laden and in fact quite neutral, as people can support or disapprove of "anti-trans activism" without disagreeing that's what it is. WP:BLPSTYLE, which it links to, states Summarize how actions and achievements are characterized by reliable sources (emphasis mine, since you seem to think RS describing her actions as "anti-trans" don't count...)

And that was a wonderful way to skirt past the fact the two sources you offered as counter-evidence didn't provide WP:SIGCOV and in fact both mentioned medical experts saying the bills she supported were harmful to trans youth... TheTranarchist ⚧ Ⓐ (talk) 20:55, 27 February 2023 (UTC)

When applying a contentious label you need to show that it's commonly applied (perhaps you should take this question to BLPN). That is, if I pick some random source that are likely to apply that label to the subject. For instance, if the NYT called her a "trend setting teen" (example only) would you suggest we use such a label because a RS applied it? Of course not. You could rightly point out that the label was used only once even if the one source was strong. In a case like this we can find some sources that use the label. How do you decide when something moves from "we can find it with a keyword search" to "widely applied"? This is particularly true if a source gets a fair number of name hits. It may be commonly applied by sources that include the keyword "anti-trans activist". However, we would need to show that it's commonly applied among a broad range of sources, not just ones that have the keyword. That is why you need to search without the keyword and see how often the label comes up organically. You did a selective search, that doesn't prove "widely"... especially when less than half of your sources actually apply the label. Again, if you think this is wrong, raise the question at BLPN. Springee (talk) 21:34, 27 February 2023 (UTC)

Let's see what happens when one doesn't put their hand on the scale and just searches "Chloe Cole", oh look the first nine sources (12 but let's ignore daily caller, daily signal and Daily Mail) do not describe her as anti trans or even come close to using those words.

NBC Bay Area, Fox News, the horror but also a valid source,NYPost, yet seems pretty straightforward reporting, Catholic News Agency,Chronicle, Fox News via Yahoo, and [KATV]. So let's hear more about how that label is clear and easily applied despite 12 sources to 1 using it in a simple review of a Google search. Slywriter (talk) 21:55, 27 February 2023 (UTC)

• WP:FOXNEWS: There is consensus that Fox News is generally reliable for news coverage on topics other than politics and science.
• WP:NYPOST: There is consensus that the New York Post is generally unreliable for factual reporting especially with regard to politics
• The CNA is discussed in a section below, where past RSN discussions have found it unsuitable for anything controversial.
• NBC bay area doesn't provide Cole's activism WP:SIGCOV, but it states The American Medical Association also has a clear stance on gender affirming care for children, urging governors to oppose any legislation interfering with a family’s decision and said it could have “tragic health consequences.”
• KATV states A well-known "detransitioner" is suing doctors for allegedly "blindly ramrodding" her through the gender transition process, giving her puberty blockers, hormones and a mastectomy without first obtaining proper informed consent. Chloe Cole, a California teen who once identified as transgender and ultimately underwent several gender change therapies, has become a household name among those discussing the harms of transgender ideology and activism.

I think this further strengthens the case for "anti-trans activist" if anything. Of the first 12 sources you found, only 3 were reliable. The Chronicle provides WP:SIRS coverage of her work and says she is a celebrity in the anti-trans movement and Cole has become a poster child for right-wing resistance to transgender care, making appearances on conservative media and offering testimony on transgender legislation in several states. NBC Bay Area doesn't provide WP:SIGCOV of Cole's activism herself (though it does of her case) but it does describe a WP:MEDRS stating that the kind of legislation she backs is considered harmful to trans youth. KATV doesn't provide WP:SIGCOV coverage of Cole's activism (though it does of her case), and even then states she's become a household name among those discussing the harms of transgender ideology and activism - plainly stating that she is a household name for those who consider "transgender ideology" (a rebranding of gender ideology) and transgender "activism" harmful.

Additionally, we should make a SIGCOV table to assess the sources and determine their weight, since hopefully we can all agree an article on her and her history of activism should be weighted more than a one-line mention of her.

P.S. Slywriter, could you fix the links you provided? A few are broken. TheTranarchist ⚧ Ⓐ (talk) 22:46, 27 February 2023 (UTC)

Coming here from WP:BLPN, I'm not seeing much reason why "Anti-trans activist" should be used. It could be done - it's not an entirely unreasonable description - but it just seems like an unnecessarily contentious and uninformative way to describe her (and probably not completely WP:NPOV as from my own brief search most sources didn't explicitly describe her like that). Although Wikipedia:Manual of Style/Words to watch does not explicitly say you couldn't describe someone that way, the general guidance it gives - Be cautious with expressions that may introduce bias, lack precision, or include offensive terms. Use clear, direct language. Let facts alone do the talking lends some support for an alternative description which could probably still convey roughly the same thing, but in a less contentious and more informative way

I think it could be included in the lede attributed in some manner eg. "Media outlets such as X and Y have described her as an anti-trans activist or advocate". I don't see an issue with that Tristario (talk) 23:13, 27 February 2023 (UTC)

Whether Blade would withstand WP:BLPN scrutiny is debatable especially when higher quality sources like Retuers have avoided the term. SF Chronicle supports nothing. LGBTNation is same issue as blade. Kansas Reflector appears to be a glorified blog as journalist have complete editorial control per their own ethics statement, so unusable in a BLP. WUSF certainly says several anti trans but it fails to actually identify her as one. KC Star, WP:SYNTH. Orlando Weekly guilt by association, WP:SYNTH. Wyoming Public Media supports Day ng anti gender affirming care but not anti trans. Tennessee Lookout, if they dont't explicitly call her anti-trans, then how can we? Same for Nashville Scene... These are all WP:SYNTH and WP:OR where they match an expected worldview, come close enough to saying it, so a false belief arises that we can skip the ambiguity and just say it. Daily KOS explicitly avoids saying it and Reuters says "anti gender affirming care" so again no right for us to make the leap This is a a BLP. Need high quality sourcing to define someone's views without equivocation or attribution and frankly the Blade and LGBTNation are not those sources. And yes, sources need to say it. Synonyms and interpretations run the risk of WP:SYNTH and WP:OR, as objectively she is "anti gender affirming care to minors". Any statement beyond that is wordsmithing to fit the subject into a more restrictive and inflammatory definition and wrong. 19:43, 27 February 2023 (UTC) … … Timestamped, but left unsigned by Slywriter … This note added by Pincrete.

Thoughts about the slate article quote being wp:undue

In reception, there is this bit of prose:

In January 2023, an article in Slate stated that the stories about detransitioners "that go viral turn out to have cleaned up the untidy bits, where the detransitioned person explains they believe they experienced gender dysphoria the same way other trans people do, and decided to detransition due to their newfound moral or ideological beliefs", listing Cole as an example.[25]

I have removed it, believing it is undue. This article isn't about the subject of this BLP or anything they have or haven't done, and doesn't actually tell us anything about the subject of the article. It feels like excessive cruft/coat rack. User @Licks-rocks:, believing that it does in fact add value, has added it back. I still believe this particular prose is unwieldy and noninformative, and I'm not sure what we are supposed to learn about the subject of this article by reading that quote. I'd like to leave it here for discussion. Very Average Editor (talk) 00:46, 20 February 2023 (UTC)

@Silver seren: Here we go, this is the talk page entry about the prose I mentioned. If you would like to direct any questions to me about changes to that text, please do it here instead of in comments to other editors to help keep things easier to read. Very Average Editor (talk) 07:31, 20 February 2023 (UTC)

Your reverting me caused me to double check the source and that article looks a bit too much like an opinion piece for my tastes, so disregard. The article does make a large enough mention of cole to be eligible for inclusion besides that point though. I think a specific call out by name is probably enough to warrant inclusion in most cases. --Licks-rocks (talk) 22:09, 20 February 2023 (UTC)

After reading more, I think we should discard the Blade source used here entirely. The author has advocated for violence against the subject of this article. [28]. I don't think it would be appropriate to have entire sections of their bio based on an article by someone who "condones any and all violence" against the subject of the BLP... Very Average Editor (talk) 08:22, 21 February 2023 (UTC)

I do hope you intend this as a joke. --Licks-rocks (talk) 13:44, 21 February 2023 (UTC)

While this journalists activism is certainly of concern, that is something the editors at her publisher will have to address. The problem I have with the inclusion of this article as a source for BLP is without more context is appears to be a violation of NPOV. In addition, it has no nuance or exploration into _why_ they've made that claim about Chloe, the author sort of just tosses Chloe into a pool of activist names whose actions or beliefs she doesn't agree with (simply because they go "viral"). It's hardly objective, and with BLPs one must take into consideration the tone and characterizations leveraged towards a living person. Wikipedia isn't a battleground. Wikipedia:What Wikipedia is not. I'd support inclusion of this prose if there were other secondary sources that covered Chloe's position more in depth. User:Licks-rocks do you know of any other articles or reliable sources that cover how Chloe has or has not experience dysphoria in more detail? Kcmastrpc (talk) 14:11, 21 February 2023 (UTC)

This is frequently a problem when we try to use what could be viewed as off hand mentions in articles from RS. In scholarly writing we wouldn't accept a significant claim from a source that doesn't offer evidence. Saying X is Y without offering the why basically makes it an off hand comment. As an example, in the Ford Pinto article a number of sources said Ford did a cost benefit analysis that weighed the cost of fixing a problem vs paying out lawsuits. This was often repeated in sources as it had become an urban truth. However, the few sources that actually looked into the case showed it wasn't true. If a RS says Hudson Hawk was a movie failure is that a reliable reference? If they don't provide evidence (reviews, profits etc) then no, is not. Returning to this case, a RS may reference something as an example but if they don't provide evidence how much weight should we give it? This appears to be a case where an off hand claim is made about the subject but no evidence is given. If the claim is contentious or value laden then we need not just the claim but the evidence. Springee (talk) 14:30, 21 February 2023 (UTC)

I don’t agree with you, Springee, about editors evaluating the evidence an RS offers in support of its characterisations - that way madness lies. However, I also don't prefer anti-transgender activist based on meagre sourcing, particularly when we can be more precise. Newimpartial (talk) 14:39, 21 February 2023 (UTC)

Just for clarity, I was only talking about the source supporting this bit of content [29]. I took that to be the discussion in question here. I wasn't thinking of the other issue regarding the use of "anti-transgender activist". I think your compromise proposal was a good path forward in that area. Springee (talk) 14:52, 21 February 2023 (UTC)

This subthread has also addressed the Blade interview and other facets of the topic. I try to keep an open mind about what it's supposed to be about. :p Newimpartial (talk) 15:11, 21 February 2023 (UTC)

I think some of the most antagonistic arguments are the ones when we can't keep track of what we are each actually arguing about! :o Springee (talk) 16:23, 21 February 2023 (UTC)

Kcmastrpc, I'm not sure what you're asking about this article's subject and dysphoria.

As far as labels go, I find Fox News's Conservative activist and detransitioner [30] to be an unusually apposite phrase, but Fox News is sadly not a reliable source in this context. Newimpartial (talk) 14:35, 21 February 2023 (UTC)

I'm requesting if there is another source which explores the subject in better detail directly with regards to Chloe. As I mentioned, she seems to have been "lumped" into a crowd here without any nuance or framing as to how Chloe belongs in that particular group. Kcmastrpc (talk) 14:45, 21 February 2023 (UTC)

Unfortunately, the sources that give Chloe the most bandwidth are simply not very good sources, e.g., The New York Post and The Daily Signal. Newimpartial (talk) 14:53, 21 February 2023 (UTC)

I'm afraid I have no idea what the Slate writer is saying about Cole's "newfound moral or ideological beliefs" or what "untidy bits" have supposedly been "cleaned up", nor by whom. I wonder if they do. Given that the writer seems happy to imply some sinister "moral or ideological" undercurrent, but cannot name it, why are we echoing the insinuation at all?Pincrete (talk) 15:10, 26 February 2023 (UTC)

I removed this Slate piece as, it did not appear to say anything about Cole herself, apart from a vague insinuation that most detransitioners had some "newfound moral or ideological beliefs" which motivated them, so she must do as well. Also there appear to be general agreement above that it was WP:UNDUE. It was restored with the edit reason 'Just because you don't like what they said doesn't mean that a RS didn't say it about Cole. Well RS say all sorts of things about all sorts of people, we aren't obliged to include the more scurrilous or vague ones. It has nothing to do with me not liking what Slade said.Pincrete (talk) 16:19, 27 February 2023 (UTC)

It literally said Cole was an example of the quoted description. The quoted text and even source never convey a vague insinuation that most detransitioners had some "newfound moral or ideological beliefs" which motivated them, it is very particular that this comment refers to those who actively campaign against transgender healthcare and go viral for it. The whole article is explicit that the kind of narrative promoted by Cole is wholly atypical of the majority of cases of detransition.

The full quote from Slate is So how should we think about detransition? Mainstream audiences seem drawn to a very atypical type of detransition story (the right-wing media seems to find a new one about every six months, while the mainstream rediscovers detransition every couple of years), one where a cisgender person falsely believes themselves to be trans, takes steps that permanently alters their appearance, then finds they’re unhappy living as another sex, feeling intense regret that they’ve made a “terrible mistake.”
The thing is, in my years of work covering trans issues, I have never come across a story that continued to fit the pattern of a cis person who made a mistake after I’ve read all the smaller, less viral interviews the detransitioned person ever gave. There are detransitioned people whose stories have been presented that way by reporters, but the stories that go viral turn out to have cleaned up the untidy bits, where the detransitioned person explains they believe they experienced gender dysphoria the same way other trans people do, and decided to detransition due to their newfound moral or ideological beliefs. This group includes Chris Beck, Chloe Cole, and all or almost all the detransitioned people whose stories have become popular in the mainstream. TheTranarchist ⚧ Ⓐ (talk) 16:37, 27 February 2023 (UTC)

Yes, you're quite right, it speaks of most 'campaigners', rather than most 'detransitioners'. It still says nothing at all about what actually are Cole's "newfound moral or ideological beliefs" or what "untidy bits" have supposedly been "cleaned up", nor by whom. Throwing generalised mud is no different whoever the target, or target group are. It's basically a "trust me she's fishy". Pincrete (talk) 17:10, 27 February 2023 (UTC)

This claim has a number of issues and since this is a BLP we should err on the side of exclusion. First, Slate isn't the best of sources for a claim that basically suggests Cole's motives or claims are less that truthful. However, Slate's reputation alone isn't sufficient to decide this question. The bigger issue is this is almost a throw away accusation in an article that doesn't focus on Cole. This is like an article that is largely about corporate greed and not caring about customers mentioning "Ford deciding it was cheaper to pay out lawsuits vs fix the Pinto". It makes for a nice pointed example but no evidence is provided to support either the claim against Ford or Cole. In the case of Ford the scholarly evidence is that the popular claim is false. So when a writer at Slate makes a claim that implies Cole is not being honest we need more than just "Slate said so" before we include it in a BLP article. There needs to be evidence, examples etc. So long as we don't have that it needs to go. Springee (talk) 17:18, 27 February 2023 (UTC)

Reactions

Firstly, if one reads the "Reactions" section one would get the impression that all rections to her testimony have been negative? I'm no great fan of many of the conservative outlets that have covered this young woman's commentary, but they presumably reacted as much as more critical ones and they are at least as WP:RS as to their own 'reactions' as the sources currently used. This is mainly a WP:WEIGHT matter, rather than a WP:V issue. You cannot name a section 'Reactions' and then only include the critical/sceptical parts of the critical/sceptical reactions.

More specifically, apart from doubts about the 'Slate' claim explored above, why do we have: "The Los Angeles Blade noticed that trans adults on Twitter were critical of Cole's claims. One such criticism was the fact that surgery can take years of planning and preparation and is not done on a whim" Apart from the obvious matter of wondering when anon tweets became 'notable' and 'reliable', the source hardly says this: "Since her emergence on the public scene in April, trans adults have been digging into Cole’s claims. Some note the fact that surgery takes years of planning and preparation and is not done on a whim or under pressure" - The LA Blade then links to a single tweet making the "years of prep" claim. Why is this anyway important? Some tweeters doubt her veracity? So we have to record and amplify tweeter's scepticism, but ignore much else in that source and others. Pincrete (talk) 14:58, 26 February 2023 (UTC) … I don't know how WP:RS this outlet is, but this source specifically quotes an endocrinologist 'debunking' many of the 'doubts' expressed in the Blade article and affirming Cole’s testimony. Pincrete (talk) 15:30, 26 February 2023 (UTC)

CBN is likely not going to be accepted as a WP:RS, however, one might argue that Blade isn't a suitable source for contentious claims on a BLP either. I agree with your opinion regarding the "Reactions" section as well. How can we clean this up and bring in differing viewpoints, do we just have to wait until a source that is considered reliable gives differing perspectives? Kcmastrpc (talk) 16:30, 26 February 2023 (UTC)

The sources there include 1) reactions to her specifically 2) RS commenting on her reception in outlets supportive of her. I think you're right we should probably add more, but summarizing a past similar dicussion I had: we can't cite Breitbart for their own opinion on a subject, we have to have a reliable source discussing Breitbart's opinion.

In regards to twitter, that wasn't my wording and you're right it could be cleaned up.

In regards to CBN, past RSN discussions have seemed to find it shouldn't be used for anything controversial. If there are no better sources for "Forbes pulled the article because of factual inaccuracies" than CBN, which sources that to the Daily Wire (of which RSP says There is a strong consensus that The Daily Wire is generally unreliable for factual reporting) we shouldn't include it. Michael Laidlaw, the endocrinologist in question, is a member of the American College of Pediatricians, a profoundly anti-LGBT group known for it's misinformation. TheTranarchist ⚧ Ⓐ (talk) 16:34, 26 February 2023 (UTC)

I wasn't proposing that the CBN source be used to counter 'LA Blade' - doing so would only create a "she says - he says" ping-pong about matters of questionable importance. The CBN piece merely adds to the impression that our claim that "trans adults on Twitter were critical of Cole's claims" is hearsay at best. That claim says nothing other than that some people don't believe her, though about what is not really made clear. Is there anything that anyone ever says publicly that isn't questioned by at least one person on social media?

I wouldn't want to use the CBN piece for that purpose, because it isn't worth doing, but since when did an endocrinologist cease to know about medicine because he belongs to the 'wrong' pediatric association? AFAI can see, he was confirming nothing other than that the account of Cole's medical history which is in the public domain is (broadly) accurate. That also isn't a confirmation that we would want to use here, since any claim that Cole was not being truthful should be much better and more clearly sourced than the vague insinuations offered at present. Pincrete (talk) 06:24, 27 February 2023 (UTC)

I've removed the questionable sentence. A related issue is what is this section for, and is there are better title? "Reception" sections are usually in film, book, event etc articles rather than BLP articles. Pincrete (talk) 14:34, 27 February 2023 (UTC)

What Cole opposes

In quite a number of cases, the soutce is explicit that Cole has opposed surgery and hormones/puberty blockers specifically for minors - however our article implies that she opposes gender-affirming care in general (or gender-affirming care for minors) without being specific. The distinction is material IMO, although the more partisan sources are sometimes less precise about this. I have amended those instances where I am able to access the source, which is often the local news source. I cannot access all sources because of my location, or other reasons. Just bringing this to other's attention. Pincrete (talk) 14:28, 27 February 2023 (UTC)

If you're referring to this change, I've reverted it. The correct and current umbrella term for the surgical and HRT options that Cole opposes is gender-affirming care. It's no longer referred to as "sex reassignment therapy", "sex reassignment surgery", and definitely not referred to as "chemical therapies". Sideswipe9th (talk) 20:31, 27 February 2023 (UTC)

No I wasn't referring to that change, but it is pertinent. The term I was using was Medical transition, my motive being that whilst the generic term for all recognised treatments relating to 'trans' people is 'gender-affirming care', this includes evaluation, counselling and such like. The opposition expressed by Cole is solely to surgical treatment, puberty blockers and hormone treatments for minors. Also I believe that some of this terminology and the distinctions are less familiar in Europe, where I live. I appreciate that there are sensitivities here, but I'm looking for a way to be precise without being too cumbersome or crass. Pincrete (talk) 21:05, 27 February 2023 (UTC)

It appears that Cole is concerned about treatments that are irreversible. Springee (talk) 21:36, 27 February 2023 (UTC)