Laura Ingraham is an American conservative television and radio talk show host, best-selling author, and political commentator. Born on June 19, 1963, in Glastonbury, Connecticut, she has had a significant impact on [[conservative media]] over the years.
Ingraham is Catholic and a single mother of three children, whom she adopted from different countries. She has been open about her battle with breast cancer, which she successfully overcame in 2005.
Ingraham earned her bachelor's degree from Dartmouth College in 1985, where she studied government and was involved with the conservative newspaper, The Dartmouth Review. She later earned her Juris Doctor (J.D.) from the University of Virginia School of Law in 1991.
## Career
Ingraham began her professional career as a speechwriter in the late 1980s, working for the Domestic Policy Advisor in the [[Ronald Reagan]] administration. She later transitioned to working in law, serving as a law clerk for Judge Ralph K. Winter Jr. of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit and for [[The Supreme Court]] Justice [[Clarence Thomas]].
Her career in media started in the mid-1990s when she became a contributor and guest host on various [[Fox News]] programs on [[Rupert Murdoch]] and [[Roger Ailes]]'s network. Ingraham's popularity grew, and in 2001, she launched her own nationally syndicated radio show, "The Laura Ingraham Show," which aired until 2018.
Ingraham has authored several books, including "The Hillary Trap: Looking for Power in All the Wrong Places" (2000), "Power to the People" (2007), "The Obama Diaries" (2010), and "Of Thee I Zing" (2011).
In October 2017, she began hosting "The Ingraham Angle" on Fox News Channel, a prime-time cable news show covering [politics](https://doctorparadox.net/category/politics/) and current events from a conservative perspective. The show has been successful and remains a prominent fixture in conservative media.
## Controversies
Throughout her career, Ingraham has been no stranger to controversy. She has faced backlash for her outspoken opinions on various issues such as immigration, gun control, and LGBTQ+ rights. Her confrontational style and candid commentary have made her a polarizing figure in American media.
### Anti-LGBTQ remarks
1. **Opposition to same-sex marriage**: Ingraham has been a vocal opponent of same-sex marriage. While her stance on this issue may have evolved over time, she has consistently argued that marriage should be between a man and a woman. In 2013, she criticized the Supreme Court's decision in United States v. Windsor, which struck down a key provision of the Defense of Marriage Act.
2. **Comments on transgender individuals**: Ingraham has made contentious remarks about transgender people, often mocking them and questioning their right to access public accommodations such as restrooms that correspond to their gender identity. In 2018, she ridiculed transgender actress Laverne Cox for advocating for transgender rights and sarcastically referred to her as "the new Jesus."
3. **Remarks on gay rights activists**: Ingraham has criticized gay rights activists on various occasions, accusing them of intolerance and being overly sensitive. In 2010, she described the LGBTQ+ community's reaction to anti-gay remarks made by a politician as "the[[ totalitarianism]] of the left and their inability to brook any dissent."
4. "**Reparative therapy" endorsement**: In the past, Ingraham has given airtime to proponents of "reparative therapy" or "conversion therapy" – a discredited and harmful practice that aims to change a person's sexual orientation or gender identity. She has interviewed individuals who claim to have been "cured" of their homosexuality, further promoting this debunked and dangerous notion.