Ep. 2550 Fact-Free Gender Theory and Other Educational Folly
Sep 28, 2024
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Candice Jackson, former Deputy Assistant Secretary in the Trump administration’s Office for Civil Rights, critiques the rise of gender theory in education. She tackles the challenges of campus sexual assault policies and racial disparities in disciplinary actions. Jackson questions the scientific basis behind gender identity laws and their impact on women’s sports and healthcare. She emphasizes the importance of nuanced discussions around medical transitions and urges listeners to challenge prevailing narratives in the gender debate.
Candice Jackson critiques the current handling of gender identity in education, arguing it undermines objective truths about biology and fosters ideological compliance.
Jackson highlights the challenges of balancing victim rights and due process in campus sexual assault cases, advocating for clearer definitions and fair adjudication.
Deep dives
Background and Appointment in Education
Candace Jackson shares her unique journey into the position of Deputy Assistant Secretary in the Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights during the Trump administration. Her introduction to Secretary Betsy DeVos came through Peter Thiel, which underscored the interconnected nature of political appointments. Once appointed, Jackson quickly recognized the criticism she faced, particularly due to her skepticism towards affirmative action policies. The contentious landscape she entered highlighted how those with conservative views are often labeled as anti-civil rights, setting the stage for her challenging tenure.
Addressing Sexual Assault Policies
During her tenure, Jackson confronted the complexities surrounding the handling of sexual harassment and assault allegations within educational institutions. She noted the shift that occurred under the Obama administration, where schools were pushed to adopt policies that aimed to take allegations very seriously but risked infringing upon the rights of the accused due to a lack of fair process. Jackson advocated for a balanced approach that would provide clear definitions and procedures, ensuring that both victims and accused parties received due process. Her efforts focused on providing clarity and establishing regulations based on fair adjudication rather than politically motivated overcorrection.
The Conflict of Gender Identity and Education
Jackson discusses the intersecting issues of gender identity policies and educational practices, emphasizing the challenges posed by teaching gender identity as an unquestionable fact. She criticizes the broader implications of such teachings, noting how they reshape perceptions of reality and challenge traditional understandings of sex and gender. This emphasis on gender identity, according to Jackson, creates logical inconsistencies and confusion within educational frameworks, detracting from objective truths about human biology. She argues that this shift undermines educational integrity and fosters a culture of compliance with ideologies that many find illogical.
Political and Medical Implications of Gender Ideology
The conversation also delves into the political and medical dimensions of gender ideology, with Jackson asserting that major medical associations have increasingly adopted activist stances instead of focusing on evidence-based practices. She contends that the push for gender-affirming care resembles more of an ideological campaign than a medically sound approach. Jackson expresses skepticism about claims that gender-affirming treatments are vital for preventing suicidality, insisting that no solid evidence supports such assertions. She emphasizes the potential danger of conflating ideological beliefs with medical practices, warning of the broader societal implications that such a trend may have.
Candice Jackson served in the Trump administration as the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Strategic Operations and Outreach in the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) of the U.S. Department of Education, and the Office's Acting Assistant Secretary from April 2017 to July 2018. She discusses the politics of campus sexual assault, the issue of racially disparate disciplinary action, and the invasion of the classroom by "gender theory."