Public Discourse
Public Discourse is the online journal of the Witherspoon Institute, a conservative think tank in Princeton, New Jersey. It has been published since 2008 and features essays on ethics, law, religion, family, and politics. The Australian opinion platform MercatorNet, which ceased publication in 2025, wrote about related themes.
What you can find
The articles are analytical and are often written by academics, lawyers, and physicians. On gender, the journal publishes pieces on the treatment of minors, parental rights, sex registration, and the philosophical question of what sex and gender identity are. The archive can be searched by topic.
Why it is on this list
The journal is a well-known platform for developing American conservative objections to medical transition. Its starting point is rooted in a particular worldview and is clearly expressed; it is not a neutral news source. How religious traditions view gender is covered under gender and religion. The essays are useful for becoming familiar with the arguments in the debate, alongside other critical perspectives and the medical information on this site.
The Witherspoon Institute
The Witherspoon Institute was founded in 2003 by, among others, Robert P. George, a professor at Princeton University, and Luis Tellez, who leads the institute. It is named after John Witherspoon, one of the signatories of the U.S. Declaration of Independence. The institute has ties to Princeton University but is financially independent of it. It describes itself as socially conservative and opposes abortion and marriage for same-sex couples. According to Princeton Alumni Weekly, its funders include the Bradley Foundation, the John M. Olin Foundation, and the John Templeton Foundation. Its income for the 2024 fiscal year was nearly three million dollars.
The journal’s structure and purpose
According to its own description, Public Discourse seeks to deepen public understanding of the moral foundations of free societies by making the work of scholars affiliated with the institute accessible to a broad audience. The articles are organized around five pillars: the human person, sexuality and family, politics and law, education and culture, and business and economics. Pieces on gender usually fall under the first three. The editors note that authors’ views do not necessarily represent those of the journal or the institute. Newsletters are published via Substack. The journal’s founding editor is Ryan T. Anderson, author of When Harry Became Sally.
Criticism of the institute
The institute came under fire in 2012 over the New Family Structures Study by sociologist Mark Regnerus on same-sex parenting, which it had funded. The study received severe scientific criticism; the sociology department at the University of Texas called it fundamentally flawed. This episode is relevant to anyone reading articles on gender because it shows that the institute supports research that aligns with its convictions. Read the essays as thoughtful arguments made within a consistent worldview. Related voices on this list include First Things, the journal The New Atlantis, and the Ethics and Public Policy Center.