Recent events indicate that the struggle against the dehumanization represented by trans ideology is far from over. True, the U.K. has closed down the Tavistock child gender identity clinic, the U.S. is moving against allowing men to compete in women’s sports, and scientists are starting to free their research in this area from the grip of ideologues and activists. More celebrities are voicing their concerns: Malcolm Gladwell has expressed regret over his silence on a 2022 panel about the issue, claiming this was more the result of cowardice than conviction. No surprise there. How many celebrity advocates for trans rights have read any of the relevant philosophical or medical literature?
Despite the turning of the tide on the scientific (and to some extent the political) front, the situation with transgenderism is still ambiguous and remains a danger both to its victims—preventing them from obtaining proper care, rather than “affirmation,” for their condition—and to basic freedoms such as that of speech, something that once distinguished Western democracies from regimes such as the Soviet Union and the People’s Republic of China. The evidence is all around us.
There was the widespread and pitiful use of “preferred pronouns” for the Annunciation Catholic School shooter in Minneapolis (one must respect a man’s identity politics even after he has slaughtered children at worship), the intimidation of a Canadian gender researcher (follow the science, but only to the extent it follows the pronoun preferences of the moment), and last week’s arrest of comedian and writer Graham Linehan as he disembarked in London from a transatlantic flight; Linehan was accused of “inciting violence” after posting anti-trans tweets on X. And yesterday, there was the tragic slaying of Charlie Kirk at Utah Valley State University, reportedly while speakingabout trans mass killers, though details on the killer and his motivation have yet to emerge. In any event, Kirk faced threats and vitriol from trans activists throughout his career, and gave a number of de-transitioners a platform to speak. Now, his voice has been silenced.
All these indicate that trans misogyny, attacks on women’s safety, and opposition to freedom of speech continue, with the stakes becoming higher all the time. The trans issue is not simply about protecting children from hormonal and genital mutilation. We make a fatal error if we stop once that is achieved. The trans question is about the nature of public life and humanity as a whole. It is no surprise that it has gained traction in Western society at the moment when the very question of what it means to be human is now a source of social confusion rather than cohesion. And it is clear that this dehumanization will be pressed forward by all means necessary, including the use of violence.
More: https://firstthings.com/silencing-dissent-affirming-delusion/
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