I Hate Gender Ideology but I Don’t Hate Trans People
I don’t believe we can win this fight by demonizing an entire group of people. Nor do I want to win it that way.
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I have been speaking out against gender ideology for about five years. During that time, I’ve tweeted extensively (or posted on X, as it’s now called), appeared on numerous podcasts, written countless articles, attended several protests, and even consulted on legislation. I am nothing if not committed. Yet, my commitment—and, more importantly, my intentions—are often called into question because my animosity for the ideology doesn’t automatically extend to individual people—particularly men—who identify as trans. Yes, I believe there are “good ones.”
Trans activists, of course, refuse to accept that I don’t harbor hate against trans people. Because I don’t believe that humans can literally change sex or that “gender” (whatever that means) should take precedence over sex, I am accused of denying their existence—which an accusation equated with hatred. This is, of course, absurd. I am no more denying the existence of people who believe they are trans than I would be denying the existence of a child who insists they are Spider-Man, even when I know they are not. It’s not hateful to acknowledge reality. When Jordan Peterson once denied the existence of lesbians, I laughed and used it as inspiration for an essay arguing that my existence isn’t negated just because Peterson’s interpretation of my sexuality doesn’t align with mine.
Over the past year, however, my refusal to paint all trans-identified people with the same broad brush has sparked backlash from many on my own side, especially over the issue of pronouns. It’s not that I don’t expect or welcome disagreement on this matter—I do, and I understand the other side’s arguments. What shocks me is how quickly this topic has become one of the biggest and, in my experience, most toxic issues among those who critique gender ideology.
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