expressing concern over what they alleged were inaccuracies and falsehoods fundamental to Hannah-Jones' reporting. The magazine's editor-in-chief, Jake Silverstein, responded to the historians' letter in an editorial, in which he called into question the historical accuracy of some of the letter's claims. In an article in The Atlantic, historian Sean Wilentz responded to Silverstein, writing, "No effort to educate the public in order to advance social justice can afford to dispense with a respect for basic facts" and disputed the accuracy of Silverstein's defense of the project. In September 2020, the Times updated the opening text of the project website to remove the phrase "understanding 1619 as our true founding" without accompanying editorial notes. Times columnist Bret Stephens wrote that the differences showed that the newspaper was backing away from some of the initiative's more controversial claims. The Times defended its practices, with Hannah-Jones emphasizing how most of the project's content has remained unchanged. Transgender rights and healthcare Since the early 2010s, The New York Times reporting on transgender issues has been criticized for coverage that dehumanizes and stereotypes transgender individuals. A 2012 article covering the death of a trans woman in a fire in Brooklyn was criticized by trans rights activist Janet Mock: "I would expect the New York Times to treat any subject, regardless of their path in life, with dignity." She described the article's depiction as a "demeaning, sexist portrait they painted of girls like us." In 2016, the Times Editorial Board wrote an opinion voicing disapproval of the North Carolina anti-transgender bathroom bill. However, according to Media Matters, Times coverage of the bill nevertheless "failed to debunk the “bathroom predator” myth ... choosing instead to create a false equivalency by uncritically presenting comments from both opponents and supporters of the law." In 2022, The New York Times reporting on transgender issues has been described by critics as "misinformation," "ignoring evidence," and "fearmongering." Critics include the leading professional association on trans health care, the World Professional Association of Transgender Health. In February 2023, almost 1,000 current and former Times writers and contributors wrote an open letter addressed to Philip B. Corbett, associate managing editor of standards, in which they accused the paper of publishing articles biased against transgender, non⁠-⁠binary, and gender-nonconforming people. Some of those articles have been referenced in amicus briefs to defend an Alabama law that criminalizes providing treatment for transgender children, the Alabama's Vulnerable