Michael McGrady Jr

Legal Investigative Journalist and Essayist - Public Policy, Digital Rights, LGBTQ+ Rights, First Amendment, Tech, B2B

United States

Michael McGrady Jr is a critically acclaimed journalist covering the law, legislation, and the internet. He currently covers the adult entertainment industry for outlets published by AVN Media Network as their legal and political contributing editor.

McGrady is an investigative journalist, essayist, and columnist covering the First Amendment, the rights of LGBTQ+ people like himself, public health ethics, harm reduction, and sex work from a service, activist journalism perspective.

Currently, he is investigating far-right extremist movements and their obsession with masculinity and sexuality.

He is also writing two books, a personal memoir and a history of the anti-pornography movement's connections to the far-right, that are yet to be announced.

Portfolio
Salt Lake City Weekly
12/03/2025
Facing the 'Fratriarchy'

Members of the far-right Manosphere push a dangerous politics of male grievance.

The Baffler
04/03/2026
Papers, Please

Age verification laws have proven costly to freedom of expression for adult consumers and chill sexual speech.

Salt Lake City Weekly
11/20/2024
Moral Panic

Dirty laundry piles up at Utah's anti-porn and anti-trafficking charities.

The Pitch (Kansas City)
07/23/2024
Blind Loyalty

Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey has used tax dollars on a baseless lawsuit to win praise for former President Donald Trump and his far-right MAGA allies.

Salt Lake City Weekly
06/07/2023
The Holy Firewall

Utah's elected leaders push new anti-pornography laws that may threaten civil liberties.