Headwinds

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These pollsters talk about the need to polish the language and “educate” the public about trans issues in order to increase buy-in. But this is a fundamental misunderstanding of the problem that faces trans activism. Trans activism thrives in the shadows of civil society: the less the public understands about the issue, the more supportive (or at least less opposed) they are. Excursions into the sunlight don’t tend to go well. This is not because trans activism has a public-relations problem. This is because trans activism has a reality problem.

Trans activism has been sold to the public—to the extent that any case has been made for these radical changes at all—as an urgent human-rights crusade that only bigots would oppose that somehow won’t affect the rights of anyone who doesn’t identify as trans. And since no one else is supposed to be affected, no one is supposed to have an opinion.

But trans activism is actually an “uphill battle” against material reality and civil society. Around the world, lobbyists have been changing laws and hoping nobody would notice (no, really, that’s the strategy).

But now the fallout is starting to come into view: strained relationships and broken families, detransitioners who’ve experienced medical harm, outright cheating in women’s sports, Orwellian language rules enforced by shameless bullies… it’s not a pretty picture. And it’s not what anyone was sold in exchange for their silent compliance.