September 5, 2025

CHRISTOPHER RUFO: Transgenderism Ends in Nihilism.

For the past decade, the Left’s intellectual apparatus has concocted a narrative about “gender-affirming care,” “trans joy,” and “authentic gender identity,” which has captured institutions and promised to punish dissenters. The trans movement lures troubled young people, such as Westman, with promises of love, affirmation, self-esteem, and authenticity. But it is predicated on a lie: that a man can become a woman and achieve fulfilment through name changes, cross-sex hormones, and genital surgeries.

After the killing in Minneapolis, reporters found fragments of Westman’s diaries and his online videos, in which he said that he was “tired of being trans” and wished that he had not been brainwashed by the movement. Even as he was plunging into madness, he saw reality better than the editors of the Times. “I know I am not a woman, but I definitely don’t feel like a man,” Westman said.

We should grieve those beautiful children who lost their lives at Annunciation Catholic Church. We should also grieve the innocent young people scattered across America who have lost their health, dignity, and sanity to transgenderism, an ideology predicated on dishonesty and nihilism.

Those of us on the right can also put to rest the delusion that transgenderism is rooted in “personal choice.” Transgenderism is not a pluralistic belief system, but a coercive ideology that forces others to deny reality. It has succeeded only through an enormous propaganda campaign, which promises rewards for those who affirm transgender identities and punishments for those who don’t.

The ideology has resulted in the mutilation of countless Americans and in some cases inspired acts of deadly violence. That outcome was predictable: pumping kids full of hormones, while telling them they can change from boy to girl, is likely to end in tragedy, for self or others.

As Rufo writes, the New York Times, “affirmed the shooter’s gender identity, referring to him as ‘she’ and ‘her,’ feigned ignorance of the connection between transgenderism and his violence, and insisted that his motive was ‘a mystery.’” And yet:

 

Posted at 3:45 pm by Ed Driscoll