A Forbidden Conversation about Gender Identity with Colin Wright
In this podcast-style interview, I chat with Colin Wright about one of the topics that probably scares me most to talk about publicly. And that’s exactly why I’m talking about it.
How did we get to a place where it can be so terrifying to speak on certain topics, and especially so when my own point of view isn’t even particularly controversial? What does that mean for society to find ourselves in this place? How does it harm us and the people that this shutting down of discourse purports to be protecting? How do we dig ourselves out of it?
As you may have guessed, in this video, we discuss the various issues around gender identity. The most dangerous topic on the Internet.
My guest happens to be an evolutionary biologist, so he is uniquely qualified to comment. Dr. Wright is also the Founding Editor of Reality's Last Stand, and an academic advisor for the Society for Evidence-Based Gender Medicine.
He also likes Whiskey, as you’ll see in the background.
I don’t want to get cancelled, again, but I do think we should be able to have conversations about challenging topics. In fact, I think it’s crucial. So, let’s the walk the talk, shall we?
Me and Colin agree on some things, probably disagree on a few too, but are more than willing to have a thoughtful and civil conversation. And speaking of, if you have a completely different point of view and would like to share it, please feel free to get in touch.
You can find him on Twitter, Instagram, and Substack.
You can also read some of his writing in the WSJ:
When asked what are your pronouns, don't answer
Why do you think that gender ideology is a topic that’s become particularly so difficult to speak on openly, particular in the West? Do you see that changing? What are your thoughts on this interview? Any guests you’d like to see on future episodes? You know the drill, share in the comments.
Thank you for keeping me company. Although I try to make many posts public and available for free access, to ensure sustainability and future growth—if you can—please consider becoming a paid subscriber. In addition to supporting my work, it will also give you access to an archive of member-only posts. Please also share, like, and comment. Got ideas for future posts? Email me.
Haven't yet listened to much more that the first half-dozen minutes, but looks like an important topic and avenue to pursue - now subscribed to both your Substack and your YouTube channel 👍🙂.
But right out of the chute, think your comment and Colin's response hits the nail on the head, rather resoundingly:
“Katherine: what i find particularly disturbing and what's going on right now is that you can't have that conversations ... so where do you think that comes from, that sort of shutting down of discourse.
Colin: I think a lot of it comes from the way that trans activism and gender ideology has sort of taken over or captured a lot of gay rights ....”
Moot of course the roots of that, but, as Colin's recent Twitter suspension emphasizes, a big part of that seems to be too many thinking that being offended qualifies as trump - i you'll excuse the word 😉.
Apropos of which, reminds me of quips by both Stephen Fry and Jonathan Rauch:
“It's now very common to hear people say, 'I'm rather offended by that.' As if that gives them certain rights. It's actually nothing more... than a whine. 'I find that offensive.' It has no meaning; it has no purpose; it has no reason to be respected as a phrase. 'I am offended by that.' Well, so fucking what."
https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/706825-it-s-now-very-common-to-hear-people-say-i-m-rather
“Those who claim to be hurt by words must be led to expect nothing as compensation. Otherwise, once they learn they can get something by claiming to be hurt, they will go into the business of being offended.”
https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/5539805-those-who-claim-to-be-hurt-by-words-must-be
And of course accusations of "transphobia (!!11!!)" now qualify as the go-to "race card" for anathematizing and short-circuiting any and all discussions on the topic. As Christopher Hitchens - Himself - is reputed to have said: 😉
" 'transphobia' is a word created by fascists, and used by cowards, to manipulate morons.”
Though, maybe more to the point, it seems that a major reason why transgenderism is such a clusterfuck is because pretty much every man, woman, and otherkin - and their dogs, cats, and gerbils - has a profoundly contradictory set of definitions for sex, gender, and gender identity. While there are a great many reasons to throw stones at the latter, not least for being little more than the "merging of science, magic, and religion", it seems that many, including Colin, don't realize that there's some merit in the concept of gender itself, at least as a rough synonym for personalities and personality types - of which there are billions and billions:
https://journal.culanth.org/index.php/ca/article/view/3728/430
You might have some interest in a somewhat imperfect Quillette article on "The Incoherence of Gender Ideology" by Substacker and philosopher Michael Robillard which provides a fairly decent, if incomplete summary of that "trichotomy":
https://archive.ph/4e2n0
However, I'm not yet sure that Colin himself isn't more part of the problem than of the solution because of his promotion, and that by his partners in crime Emma Hilton and Heather Heying, of a rather unscientific set of definitions for the sexes. Somewhat apropos of which is my "deplatforming" by Heather Heying when I challenged the "orthodoxy" and "articles of faith" that they're peddling:
https://naturalselections.substack.com/p/onfraud/comment/8659099
Talk about inabilities and unwillingness to have "difficult conversations", to actually deal with "unexamined assumptions". Great deal of reason to think that the rot goes rather deep - from top to bottom, from left to right and all points of the compass in between, present company excepted of course ... 😉. But also some reason to be apprehensive that the whole edifice may collapse like the proverbial house of cards because of a general intellectual dishonesty, because of pervasive and pernicious "magical thinking". ICYMI, you might "enjoy" an oldish essay - "How America Lost Its Mind" - at The Atlantic by Kurt Anderson, author of "Fantasyland: How America Went Haywire":
https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2017/09/how-america-lost-its-mind/534231/
Transgenderism is only a symptom, not the "disease" itself.
so...you guys kind of look similar.