A policy leak at Fox News portrays the traditionally center-right network as a purveyor of “woke” corporate stances that raise questions from former employees about whether the network is shifting to the left with new internal processes.
Policies from the Fox News company handbook, first obtained by the Daily Signal, indicate that the network has expanded its support for employees under a “Gender Transition” section that promises a “more inclusive work environment” by allowing them to choose restrooms based on preferred gender and identify their preferred pronouns on company materials. The move comes amid restructuring at the leader in cable news ratings following the surprise ouster of primetime host Tucker Carlson in April.
A spokesperson for Fox did not respond to the outlet’s request for comment.
Sources at the network, speaking anonymously, detail efforts by Fox to expand policies that have earned the network a perfect score from the Human Rights Commission, which typically highlights efforts by companies to accommodate LGBTQ employees. A former employee at the network said Fox frequently touts its inclusivity achievement at gatherings.
“Fox News devotes hours of programming to attacking ‘woke companies,’ but ironically Fox is as woke as the rest of them,” another former Fox News employee told The Daily Signal, emphasizing that Fox viewers would be “astonished to find out what the company is like.”
As a company based in New York City, Fox is required under local laws to allow its employees access to choose restrooms “that most closely align with their gender, regardless of their gender expression, sex assigned at birth, anatomy, medical history, or the sex or gender indicated on their identification.” Under the law, if a biological woman expresses concern about a trans individual using her restroom, the concern is not considered “lawful reason to deny access.”
Another aspect of the company’s policies provides counseling for employees going through gender transition, including how to navigate the subject with workplace colleagues. Company policies allow for individuals to “express their gender,” a step which physicians encourage individuals to do before undergoing gender-reassignment surgery.
The disclosure puts Fox at odds with some of its recent coverage, most notably the dispute over Bud Light’s “woke” partnership with transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney which has seen the blue-collar beer’s profits plummet amid harsh media coverage in conservative circles.
