Days before Donald Trump was sworn in as president last month, the Washington Post ostensibly abandoned its catchy #Resistance-era slogan—”Democracy Dies in Darkness”—in favor of something less combative: “Riveting Storytelling for All of America.” Alas, the paper’s recently unveiled “Next 50” list of individuals “shaping our society in 2025” suggests the Post‘s journalists are still struggling to dislodge themselves from the woke liberal bubble that has long impeded their ability to make content suitable for normal Americans.
The list is real, but it could easily be mistaken for a caricature of the niche worldview of Acela-corridor journalists and other DEI-obsessed liberal activists. There are a few token Republicans, such as White House chief of staff Susie Wiles, the first woman in history to hold that position. But they weren’t featured in the promotional video the Post produced. It would appear that the paper, which serves a digital audience composed primarily of 55-64-year-olds, is not quite ready to abandon its woke tendencies in order to thrive in the post-#Resistance age. Here are some of the most noteworthy examples of the “fascinating” individuals who made the cut:
Chase Strangio: High-voiced trans activist and deputy director for transgender justice at the ACLU. Made history as the first “openly transgender” lawyer to argue a case before the Supreme Court.
Jane Schoenbrun: Trans filmmaker and author of a forthcoming science fiction novel about a “trans girl working as a content moderator for a streaming platform who discovers a cult of people who think that screens can function as portals to other planes of existence.” Just finished a screenplay for a comedic “slasher movie that investigates the horror trope of the trans serial killer.”
Sarah McBride: Former press secretary for LGBT advocacy group. First “openly transgender” member of Congress. Author of a 2018 memoir with a forward by Joe Biden.
Danielle Boyer: Member of the Ojibwe tribe who pioneered the acronym STEAM, which is STEM plus “A” for “art.” Inventor of the SkoBot, a “language revitalization robot” that sits on a user’s shoulder and “speaks several Indigenous languages to them.”
Jeff Jenkins: Travel influencer, children’s book author, and founder of “Chubby Diaries,” a website whose goal is to “empower and inspire” plus-sized travelers to “explore the world with confidence.” Currently developing a zip-line system for individuals experiencing obesity.
Caleb Hearon: A former Black Lives Matter activist who worked for Sen. Claire McCaskill (D., Mo.), this “actor and (cheekily self-described) ‘beloved gay comedian,'” is proof that comedy can promote “inclusivity,” “have a moral compass,” and still be “funny.”
Alvaro Silberstein: Runs a travel company for people with disabilities.
Vanessa Nakate: Ugandan climate activist best known for being cropped out of a photo with white climate activists at the World Economic Forum in Davos because of “racism.” Currently studying public policy at Oxford University with a focus on “climate justice and equity.” Co-director of the Tard Foundation, a “Christian environmental group that encourages faith institutions to divest from fossil fuels.”
Rebecca Gomperts: Abortion activist.
Evan Ross Katz: Social media user who “disseminates pop culture memes with the speed of a corporate wire service.” Author of a book about Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
Chloe Adams: Eco-friendly artist and fossil fuel heiress who uses her popular TikTok account (22,000 followers) to “deconstruct white supremacy on canvas, one stroke at a time.”
Zephyr, The Vociferous: Philosopher “of the future.”
Tanya Lee: Activist who has devoted her life to making professional sports leagues “more inclusive of fat bodies.”
Whitfield Webster: First black engineer to develop and deploy “anti-racist language modeling” in robots for children.
Kiko Lefebvre: Columbia University grad student who travels the world with a handmade ukulele on a viral quest to persuade the Furry community to “divest from Zionism.”
Note: The last few examples may or may not be fake.
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