Chicago – April 14, 2025
CNN’s Anderson Cooper is being called out by Conservatives on social media for misgendering a lawyer during a town hall with Senator Bernie Sanders.
President Donald Trump has frequently criticized both Cooper and CNN for their coverage of him over the years, describing the network as “fake news.”
Following his second presidential victory in 2024, a number of organizations and prominent figures have rolled back on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives dubbed “woke” by critics. After his inauguration on January 20, Trump issued an executive order saying it is “the policy of the United States to recognize two sexes, male and female.”
During the town hall, Cooper said to Sanders, “I want to introduce Grace Thomas, she’s a local civil rights attorney, she’s a Democrat,” to which Thomas responded, “It’s they/them pronouns actually, thank you.”
Often, they/them pronouns are used by people who identify as non-binary, meaning they do not identify with the traditional male or female gender binary. Though gender identity has become a hot-button issue in American politics in recent years, the idea of non-binary gender, which is often included within the concept of the third gender, dates back to at least the 18th century.
Conservatives were quick to call out Cooper for the mark. In doing so, they appear to have adopted a rhetoric online which appears to adopt a kind of ‘faux-offence,’ and is being used to mock those, likely people on the left, who would be genuinely offended at an incident like this.
