The Human Biodiversity Institute (HBI) was a project by conservative writer and anti-transgender activist Steve Sailer. In the early 2000s, HBI was a key incubator for anti-trans extremism.
Background
On March 3, 1999, Steve Sailer created a “Roster of Human Biodiversity Discussion Group Members.” The list was expanded over time, and Sailer later dubbed the group the “Human Biodiversity Institute.” The invite-only group focused on academics in the eugenics fields of “race science” and “sex science,” as well as sympathetic journalists.
In 1999, Sailer presented a seminar on the prospects for genetically modified humans at a Hudson Institute retreat attended by former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher.
Anti-transgender activism
When J. Michael Bailey published the anti-transgender book The Man Who Would Be Queen in 2003, Sailer’s Human Biodiversity Institute member list was an important piece of evidence connecting Bailey and like-minded sexologists to the modern eugenics movement.
In July 2003, Philadelphia-based civil servant Kathleen “Kathy” Padilla, who was part of our team looking into how Bailey’s book got published, discovered an AOL page where Sailer listed all members, including their join dates. Many anti-trans academics were inaugural members of the group.
Among the Human Biodiversity Institute members giving early promotion to Bailey’s book were:
- J. Michael Bailey
- Ray Blanchard
- Chris Brand
- Chandler Burr
- David Buss
- John Derbyshire
- Lee Ellis
- Simon LeVay
- Steven Pinker
- Steve Sailer
- Dan Seligman
- Ron Unz
Members
Full membership list as of 1999:
- Louis R. Andrews
- Rosalind Arden
- George Armelagos
- Michael Bailey
- Doug Bandow
- Jennifer Beamish
- Gary Becker
- Ray Blanchard
- Howard L. Bloom
- George Borjas
- Chris Brand
- Peter Brimelow
- Amby Burfoot
- Chandler Burr
- David M. Buss
- William Calvin
- Gregory M. Cochran
- Daniel C. Dennett
- John Derbyshire
- Lee Ellis
- Jon Entine
- James Fallows
- Tom Farrey
- Peter Frost
- Francis Fukuyama
- David Gelernter
- James Guest
- William D. Hamilton
- Henry Harpending
- Lawrence Harrison
- Natasha Hassan
- Patti Hausman
- James J. Heckman
- Anthony Hilton
- Ken Hirsch
- Ralph L. Holloway
- Arthur Hu
- Carol Iannone
- Ken Jacobs
- Marek Kohn
- Paul Krugman
- Hugo Kugiya
- Steven E. Landsburg
- Kathryn Jean Lopez
- Kevin MacDonald
- Kate MacKay
- John H. Manners
- Jonathan Marks
- William C. Martin
- John McCarthy
- Frank Miele
- Ed Miller
- John J. Miller
- Charles Murray
- Tim Noakes
- Helmuth Nyborg
- Walter Olson
- John O’Sullivan
- Steven Pinker
- Ian Pitchford
- Daniel D. Polsby
- Virginia Postrel
- John Relethford
- Richard W. Rodgerson
- David Rowe
- J.P. Rushton
- Steve Sailer
- Frank Salter
- Vincent Sarich
- Dan Seligman
- Jeremy G. Taylor
- Steven D. Tripp
- Ron K. Unz
- Pierre Van den Berghe
- Ben J. Wattenberg
- Glayde Whitney
References
Donovan, Joan; Dreyfuss, Emily; Friedberg, Brian (2022). Meme Wars: The Untold Story of the Online Battles Upending Democracy in America. Bloomsbury Publishing. pp. 69–70. ISBN 978-1635578638.
Panofsky, Aaron; Dasgupta, Kushan; Iturriaga, Nicole (June 2021). How White nationalists mobilize genetics: From genetic ancestry and human biodiversity to counterscience and metapolitics. American Journal of Physical Anthropology. 175 (2): 387–398. https://doi.org/10.1002/ajpa.24150.
Richards, Imogen; Jones, Callum (2021). Quillette, classical liberalism, and the international New Right. Contemporary Far-Right Thinkers and the Future of Liberal Democracy. London: Routledge. pp. 126–127. ISBN 978-1003105176.
Hermansson, Patrik; Lawrence, David; Mulhall, Joe; Murdoch, Simon (2020). For Whom the Bell Curves: The alt-right and pseudoscientific racism. In The International Alt-Right: Fascism for the 21st Century? Routledge, ISBN 978-0429032486.
Ashley, Florence (10 August 2020). A critical commentary on ‘rapid-onset gender dysphoria.’ The Sociological Review. 68 (4): 779–799. https://doi.org/10.1177/0038026120934693
Fielitz, Maik; Thurston, Nick (2019). Post-Digital Cultures of the Far Right: Online Actions and Offline Consequences in Europe and the US. Verlag. p. 29. ISBN 978-3837646702.
Marantz, Andrew (2019). Antisocial: Online Extremists, Techno-Utopians, and the Hijacking of the American Conversation. Penguin Publishing Group, p. 121. ISBN 978-0525522287.
Saini, Angela (2019). Human Biodiversity: How race was rebranded for the twenty-first century. in Superior: The Return of Race Science. Beacon Press. pp. 87–92. ISBN 978-0807076910.
Staff (June 4, 2018). In letter to Amazon, Alliance Defending Freedom cited white nationalist writer who once promoted ‘gay germ’ theory. Southern Poverty Law Center. https://www.splcenter.org/hatewatch/2018/06/04/letter-amazon-alliance-defending-freedom-cited-white-nationalist-writer-who-once-promoted
Staff (May 15, 2018). 10 things you need to know about Tony Perkins and the Family Research Council. Southern Poverty Law Center. https://www.splcenter.org/hatewatch/2018/05/15/10-things-you-need-know-about-tony-perkins-and-family-research-council
Evans, Gavin (March 2, 2018). The unwelcome revival of ‘race science’. The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/news/2018/mar/02/the-unwelcome-revival-of-race-science
MacDougal, Park; Willick, Jason (April 30, 2017). The Man Who Invented Identity Politics for the New Right. New York https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2017/04/steve-sailer-invented-identity-politics-for-the-alt-right.html
Hemmer, Nicole (March 28, 2017). ‘Scientific racism’ is on the rise on the right. But it’s been lurking there for years. Vox https://www.vox.com/the-big-idea/2017/3/28/15078400/scientific-racism-murray-alt-right-black-muslim-culture-trump
Hawley, George (2017). Making Sense of the Alt-Right. Columbia University Press. p. 27. ISBN 978-0231185134.
Southern Poverty Law Center (2017). Alt-right. https://www.splcenter.org/fighting-hate/extremist-files/ideology/alt-right
Southern Poverty Law Center (2017). White Nationalist. https://www.splcenter.org/fighting-hate/extremist-files/ideology/white-nationalist
Feldman, Ari (August 5, 2016). Human Biodiversity: The Pseudoscientific Racism of the Alt-Right. Forward https://forward.com/opinion/346533/human-biodiversity-the-pseudoscientific-racism-of-the-alt-right/
Staff (April 7, 2016). Anti-LGBT Hate Group Releases Anti-Trans Position Statement. Southern Poverty Law Center https://www.splcenter.org/hatewatch/2016/04/07/anti-lgbt-hate-group-releases-anti-trans-position-statement
Anti-Defamation League (February 10, 2016). Alt Right: A Primer on the New White Supremacy. https://www.adl.org/resources/backgrounders/alt-right-a-primer-on-the-new-white-supremacy
Hultgren, John (2015). Naturalizing Nativism. in Border Walls Gone Green: Nature and Anti-immigrant Politics in America. University of Minnesota Press, ISBN 978-1452945699.
Phillips, Jon (May 28, 2014). Troublesome Sources: Nicholas Wade’s Embrace of Scientific Racism. Southern Poverty Law Center https://www.splcenter.org/hatewatch/2014/05/28/troublesome-sources-nicholas-wade%E2%80%99s-embrace-scientific-racism
Holthouse, David (August 25, 2008). Extremist Steve Sailer is Source for CNN’s ‘Black in America’ Series. Southern Poverty Law Center https://www.splcenter.org/hatewatch/2008/07/25/extremist-steve-sailer-source-cnns-black-america-series
Dreger, Alice (June 2008). The controversy surrounding The Man Who Would Be Queen: A case history of the politics of science, identity, and sex in the Internet age. Archives of Sexual Behavior. 37 (3): 366–421. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10508-007-9301-1.
Sailer, Steve (2005). “I’m […] the founder of the Human Biodiversity Institute, which runs the invitation-only Human Biodiversity discussion group for top scientists and public intellectuals.” isteve.com
Beirich H, Moser B (December 31, 2003). Queer Science: A group of scientists and journalists tries to turn back the clock on sex, gender and race using eugenics and controversial genetic theories. SPLC Intelligence Report https://www.splcenter.org/fighting-hate/intelligence-report/2003/northwestern-university-psychology-professor-j-michael-bailey-looks-queer-science
Conway, Lynn (October 22, 2003). PART-II: Investigative files on key HBDG (aka HBI, HBES) members associated with Bailey as role models, mentors, colleagues, supporters and spokesmen. https://ai.eecs.umich.edu/people/conway/TS//BaileyAssociates/HumanBiodiversityGroup-II.html
Conway, Lynn (October 22, 2003). Interim Investigative Report on Bailey’s affiliations and ideological associations. https://ai.eecs.umich.edu/people/conway/TS/BaileyAssociates/HumanBiodiversityGroup.htm
Ordover, Nancy (2003). American Eugenics: Race, Queer Anatomy, and the Science of Nationalism. University of Minnesota Press. p. 59. ISBN 978-0816635580.
Sailer, Steve (March 2003). iSteve.com Exclusives Archive: March 2003. iSteve.com. http://isteve.com/Web%20Exclusives%20Archive-Mar2003.htm
Hayes, Richard (Spring 2001). The Quiet Campaign for Genetically Engineered Humans. Earth Island Journal. 16 (1). https://fbaum.unc.edu/lobby/_107th/121_Human_Cloning/Organizational_Statements/CGS/CGS_Quiet_Campaign_01.htm
Resources
Wikipedia (en.wikipedia.org)
Human Biodiversity Institute (humanbiodiversity.org) [archive]
Steve Sailer (members.aol.com/steveslr) [archive]
Steve Sailer (isteve.com) [archive]