Minnesota's largest news outlet, the Minneapolis Star Tribune, has sparked criticism after running a full-page anti-transgender advertisement from a group opposing a review of state policy directed at high school students,
Mediaite reports.
The ad's sponsor is the Minnesota Child Protection League. The ad's main copy reads: "A male wants to shower beside your 14-year-old daughter. Are you OK with that?"
"It was intended to pressure officials on the upcoming Minnesota State High School League vote on whether to permit transgender teens to join sports teams based on gender identity," Mediaite wrote.
The public outcry against the Star Tribune was charted by the Minneapolis City Pages, which
posted angry Tweets from readers objecting to the Star Tribune allowing the ad to be published.
A Star Tribune spokesperson defended publishing the ad when contacted by Minneapolis City Pages for comment.
"If you were doing a story on how media of all kinds (broadcast, print, digital) handle campaign and advocacy advertising, I'd consider how we could contribute to the conversation. But I don't think that's what you're doing," Steve Yaeger, the paper's vice president of marketing and public relations, told the MCP. "In Minnesota, organizations and individuals of all kinds — left, right, other — know that if you want to reach the largest audience and have the biggest impact with your message, the best way to do it is advertising in the Star Tribune."
The Minnesota State High School League is reviewing its policies for transgender high school students engaged in athletics. It will like vote on that policy on Oct. 2, the
Twin Cities Daily Planet reported.
Under the MSHSL policy, transgender students "can play on the team of their choice" (male or female) but have to have a physician’s documentation and in some cases must have begun hormone therapy to “preserve competitive equity,” the
Twin Cities Daily Planet wrote.