We may be turning a corner — now would be a very bad time to lose momentum.
In the sex-based-rights movement, the phrase “peak trans” is used to describe an event that prompts a person to reject transgender ideology. For some, their “peak trans” moment was seeing Lia (formerly Will) Thomas competing in the NCAA women’s swimming championship.
If the vision of a 6′3″ male in a bathing suit towering over females wasn’t enough, the testimony from his female competitors surely was. Riley Gaines, who tied for fifth with Thomas in the NCAA 200-meter, shared the story of how her trophy was given to Thomas, while an official explained that hers would be coming later in the mail. Other female athletes spoke out, initially under anonymity, about how uncomfortable they felt being forced to share a changing room with a male and how their coaches and schools commanded them to stay silent.
This is not only absurd, but obviously and egregiously unfair. Recent polling from Gallup indicates that “a larger majority of Americans now (69%) than in 2021 (62%) say transgender athletes should only be allowed to compete on sports teams that conform with their birth gender.”
Of course, it shouldn’t have to take highly publicized episodes such as these for people to reject transgender ideology, which is both false and harmful. The trouble is, as George Orwell explained, political language, the kind used to justify the unjustifiable, consists “largely of euphemism, question-begging and sheer cloudy vagueness.” And these rhetorical tricks can be very effective. For instance, removing healthy body parts is called “gender-affirming care,” a term more palatable than sterilization or mutilation. The new definition of “woman,” we’re told, is a person who identifies as a woman. Then there are the intentionally confusing ways in which the controversial concepts of “gender” or “gender identity” are used interchangeably with anatomical sex.
At National Review, we fight this sophistry with plainspoken English. But to do so, we need your help. We’re running a webathon, and we hope to raise $100,000 to help support the writers, editors, and others who are waging this fight every day.
Our editorials stand in determined opposition to the trans-activist policy agenda. We have denounced the California legislature’s efforts to redefine non-affirmation to mean child abuse. We have continued to highlight and support developments in the medical profession in the United Kingdom and Western Europe, where countries are currently moving away from puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones, and transgender surgeries for minors.
We have dedicated company time, money, and resources to upholding sex-based rights while grounding our work in reality. Caroline Downey’s stellar series on detransitioners reveals the horrors endured by transitioning adolescents as well as the recklessness of medical professionals who treat the procedure as an easy “fix” to complex emotional and psychological problems. And Abigail Anthony’s fearless reporting on LGBT activism wittily unpacks its many contradictions.
Transgender issues are also a regular topic of conversation on our flagship podcast, The Editors, where we keep our listeners up to date with the latest developments and conservative analysis.
When I first began reporting on this issue five years ago, many of those I talked to were afraid to speak out. But from the Bud Light boycott to the growing spirit of defiance in rejecting gender jargon, it seems that we may be turning a corner. Now would be a very bad time to lose momentum.
Please help us to continue this fight and to ensure that the peak of this madness can soon be behind us.
