Ryan T. Anderson


Ryan T. Anderson is an American political philosopher who is best known for his opposition to LGBT rights. He is currently the William E. Simon Senior Research Fellow at The Heritage Foundation. He is also the founder and editor-in-chief of Public Discourse, the Witherspoon Institute's online journal.

Early life and education

Anderson was born in Baltimore. He grew up with three older brothers and one younger brother. Anderson graduated from the Friends School of Baltimore before completing his Bachelor of Arts in music from Princeton University. He then attended the University of Notre Dame where he received a doctorate in political philosophy.

Career

Anderson co-wrote the 2012 book with Sherif Girgis and mentor Robert P. George. In it, they claim that the purpose of marriage is procreation and thus same-sex marriages should not be possible. Justice Samuel Alito referenced the book in his dissenting opinion in United States v. Windsor. In 2017, Anderson co-authored Debating Religious Liberty and Discrimination with Girgis and John Corvino. The book received positive reviews for its constructive, back-and-forth discussion on religious freedom and anti-discrimination law.
In 2018, Anderson released his anti-transgender book When Harry Became Sally: Responding to the Transgender Moment. The book, which was heavily influenced by the works of Paul R. McHugh, came under scrutiny after it topped the Amazon bestsellers list in the Gay & Lesbian Civil Rights History category.