34. Paved with Good Intentions: How Human Rights Got Hijacked, with Leor Sapir

Society is divided over how to conceptualize “human rights,” particularly when it comes to transgender medicalization and school policies. Political scientist Leor Sapir is uniquely qualified to help us understand how we got here. He explains how the laudable legacy of the civil rights movement shaped Americans’ vulnerability to deceptive narratives about “social justice;” how the Office of Civil Rights’ attempts to address bullying in schools led to the erosion of Title IX protections for girls; and how the American Civil Liberties Union turned against its own mission. 

This comprehensive deep-dive then shifts from politics to philosophy and psychology. Leor and I explore matters such as virtues and values, rights and responsibilities, hubris and corruption, good and evil, the sexual revolution, and moral instincts. We also do a Q&A, presenting Leor with some of our Twitter followers’ questions. 

Leor Sapir is a fellow at the Manhattan Institute. A driven researcher with a Ph.D. in Political Science from Boston College, Dr. Sapir previously completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the Program on Constitutional Government at Harvard University. His academic work, including his dissertation on the Obama Administration’s Title IX regulations, has investigated how America’s political culture and constitutional government shape public policy on matters of civil rights.

Similarly, at the Manhattan Institute, Dr. Sapir applies his knowledge of political theory and American government to policy issues, honing in particularly on issues of gender identity and transgenderism. His inaugural essay in the Winter 2022 issue of City Journal explores a series of recent court rulings surrounding transgenderism, demonstrating how bad ideas translate from fringe academic theory into law and policy. Previous web pieces for City Journal have explored evolving athletic guidelines and media coverage surrounding transgender issues. He discussed these pieces in a recent episode of City Journal’s 10 Blocks podcast.

You can follow Leor on Twitter @leorsapir.

Resources mentioned in the show:

Leor recommended Rights Talk: The Impoverishment of Political Discourse, by Mary Ann Glendon 

I recommended The Case Against the Sexual Revolution: A New Guide to Sex in the 21st Century, by Louise Perry. 

We also mentioned my conversation with Robin Atkins, Two Therapists Debate Abortion (episode 27), as well as the episode I did with Oliver Davies, Healing Through Detransition (episode 22). I alluded to my conversation with Matt Osborne, but this has yet to come out; it will be released as a future episode. 

During the Q&A, I recommended listeners follow these Twitter accounts:

@couragehabit - Alvin Lui, president of Courage is a Habit, will be a guest on a future episode of this podcast.

@buttonslives - Christina Buttons

@SEGM_ebm - Society for Evidence-Based Gender Medicine

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Show notes & transcript provided with the help of SwellAI.

Special thanks to Joey Pecoraro for our theme song, “Half Awake,” used with gratitude and permission.

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