Who is Jerry Coyne?

A biologist and defender of science and academic freedom

Jerry Coyne

Jerry Coyne is an evolutionary biologist and professor emeritus at the University of Chicago, widely known for his research on speciation— the evolutionary process by which populations evolve to become distinct species—, his bestselling book Why Evolution Is True, and his same-named blog. In addition to his scientific research, Coyne is a prominent atheist and advocate for science, academic freedom, and secularism. Though politically left, he is a fierce critic of the rise of ideological dogmatism, illiberalism, and identity politics within modern progressivism.

Science Before Ideology

Coyne has long argued for the primacy of evidence-based reasoning and the importance of protecting science from political and ideological interference. He has criticized both religious fundamentalism and political progressivism when either seeks to distort science. His writings have taken aim at creationism, intelligent design, and pseudoscientific trends, while also warning against ideological capture within respected science outlets like Nature and Scientific American and secular organizations such as the American Civil Liberties Union and Freedom From Religion Foundation.

Coyne believes that when science is bent to fit political or cultural agendas, it compromises scientific integrity and undermines public trust in scientific organizations and science itself.

Champion of Academic Freedom

Throughout his career, Coyne has been a consistent defender of academic freedom and intellectual openness. He argues that universities must remain places where ideas can be debated without fear of censorship, and where ideological conformity should be resisted. He warns that activism-driven academic environments risk eroding intellectual diversity and encouraging self-censorship—undermining the very mission of higher education.

While Coyne is politically left and a former anti-war activist, he is sharply critical of the contemporary left’s embrace of identity politics, ideological rigidity, and cancel culture. He argues that when the left becomes intolerant of viewpoint diversity, it mirrors the authoritarian tendencies it claims to oppose. For Coyne, politically left values must include a commitment to open debate, free expression, and the pursuit of truth—even when that truth is uncomfortable or inconvenient.

Confronting Antisemitism on the Left

As an Ashkenazi Jew, Coyne has also spoken out strongly against antisemitism, particularly when it appears under the guise of anti-Zionism in progressive movements. He warns that allowing anti-Israel rhetoric to slide into antisemitism not only harms Jews but also undermines the ethical credibility of the left.

Sex and Biology

One of Coyne’s most debated positions is his defense of biological sex as binary. While acknowledging the existence of intersex individuals, he maintains that humans are overwhelmingly biologically either male or female, based on reproductive anatomy. He says that sex is defined by gamete size, with males producing small gametes (sperms) and females producing large gametes (eggs or ova). He contends that redefining sex through the socially constructed lens of gender identity risks muddying scientific understanding, especially in medicine and biology.

Coyne differentiates between respecting gender identity in the social realm and allowing it to override biological facts. For him, scientific clarity must not be compromised by ideological and political trends.

A Clash with the Freedom From Religion Foundation

Coyne’s position on biological sex recently led to a high-profile fallout with the Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF)—an organization he long supported as a vocal atheist and award-winning advocate for secularism and freethought. Coyne had served for years on the FFRF's honorary board and had received the foundation’s "Emperor Has No Clothes" Award in 2011 for his contributions to science and freethought.

In late 2024, the FFRF published an article titled "What is a Woman?," which argued against defining sex strictly in biological terms. Coyne responded with a rebuttal, "Biology is Not Bigotry," defending the scientific validity of biological sex. Coyne’s article was briefly posted to the FFRF website but was swiftly removed, with the organization stating it had been published in error and did not align with their values.

Coyne publicly objected to what he saw as a retreat from scientific principles in favor of ideological appeasement and resigned from the honorary board. In solidarity, Richard Dawkins and Steven Pinker—both world-renowned scientists and longtime atheists—also resigned, citing concerns that the FFRF was adopting a new form of religious-like dogma and censorship. Dawkins warned of the organization’s capitulation to ideological pressure, while Pinker criticized its suppression of legitimate scientific debate.

In the aftermath, the FFRF dissolved its honorary board entirely. The Co-President admitted missteps in policy and communication but defended the organization’s broader mission. The controversy laid bare a growing rift within secular and scientific communities over the balance between progressive ideology and scientific objectivity.

The three articles below cover the FFRF controversy:

"Richard Dawkins, Jerry Coyne and the ‘new religion’ of gender ideology" by Professor Valery Hudson

"Losing My Nonreligion" by Jerry Coyne

"Richard Dawkins quits atheism foundation for backing transgender ‘religion’" (The Telegraph)