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Fact check: Purported Fox News story critiquing use of 'they/them' is not real

The claim: Image shows Fox News story saying they/them pronouns are part of a 'far-left extremist plot'

Fabricated screenshots of news stories have become an increasingly common flavor of misinformation online, and a purported Fox News article is the latest example.

June 21 Instagram post shows a supposed Fox News article with this headline: "'They/them' summer: a new far-left extremist plot to undermine American Democracy."

A subhead below the headline said experts warn that people using they pronouns are "a far greater threat than Islamic terrorists."

The post received more than 800 likes in five days. The same screenshot of the purported Fox News story spread on Twitter as well.

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But Fox News did not publish this story. The screenshot is fabricated.

USA TODAY reached out to several social media users who shared the post for comment.

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The story does not exist

Matthew McConaughey appears on FOX News Channel's Special Report on Tuesday, June 7, 2022.
Matthew McConaughey appears on FOX News Channel's Special Report on Tuesday, June 7, 2022.

The image is not of a real headline, a Fox News spokesperson confirmed to USA TODAY.

The story was not published on FOXNews.com and does not appear on Fox's Twitter. Danielle Wallace is listed as the author of the story, but there is no story with this headline on Wallace’s author page.

Our rating: Altered

Based on our research, we rate ALTERED the claim that an image shows Fox News story saying they/them pronouns were part of a 'far-left extremist plot.'  A Fox News spokesperson confirmed the story is not real.

Our fact-check sources:

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Fact check: Purported Fox News story on pronouns is not real