Understanding Gender Radicalism and White Racial Guilt as Ersatz Religious Movements
Sep 2, 2023
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Jonathan Kay and Kushal Mehra discuss the radicalized beliefs and rituals of progressive politics, the cultish movement of gender dysphoria, disbeliever movements and guilt in Canadian public life, the obsession with white aggression, exploring religious privilege, and the importance of moral responsibility and freedom of expression.
The focus on creating new genders is turning into a kind of rainbow religion for youth, which raises concerns about the direction of the gender debate.
The rise of guilt and tribalism in Canadian society has led to a culture focused on self-flagellation and guilt for historical wrongs, with rituals and movements associated with this guilt resembling religious practices.
Deep dives
The Canadian approach to gender debate compared to India's
The podcast episode discusses the differences in the Indian and North American approaches to the gender debate. It highlights the concern that the focus on creating new genders is turning into a kind of rainbow religion for youth. The speaker also mentions that in Canada, there's little pushback against the activist campaign to encourage young people to express difficulties as being born in the wrong body and undergo surgical alterations. In contrast, India has officially recognized three genders since 1947 and has a more inclusive perspective, accepting subcategories under the gender category 'Kinnar'.
The cultural aspects of gender identity in India
The podcast explores the cultural perspective on gender identity in India, specifically focusing on the concept of 'Kinnar'. 'Kinnar' refers to a third gender category in India that has been recognized since independence in 1947. The speaker mentions that 'Kinnar' makes up around 2-3% of the population and that government forms in India provide the option to identify as male, female, or other. The podcast highlights the contrast between the acceptance of multiple gender categories in India and the more rigid gender binary prevalent in North American societies.
The transformation of the transgender movement
The podcast delves into the evolution of the transgender movement, particularly in Canada. It notes that the movement initially aimed to support individuals facing gender dysphoria. However, it has now transformed into a more controversial campaign encouraging young people to blame being born in the wrong body for the challenges they face. The podcast mentions concerns about pushback against discussing the social contagion aspect of these issues, and the dangerous consequences of implementing surgical and pharmacological therapies on young people without their parents' consent.
The rise of guilt and tribalism in Canadian society
The podcast analyzes the rise of guilt and tribalism in Canadian society, particularly among progressive circles. It mentions how Canada has gone from being a country that prided itself on liberal anti-discrimination laws to a culture focused on self-flagellation and guilt for historical wrongs. The speaker highlights rituals and movements associated with this guilt, such as land acknowledgments and pronoun checks, and draws parallels with religious practices. It also examines the impact of American influence and social media on shaping Canadian progressive attitudes and the loss of Canadian distinctiveness.
Indian-Canadian podcast host Kushal Mehra interviews Quillette’s Jonathan Kay about the radicalized beliefs and unsettling rituals that now characterize performative progressive politics in Canada and the rest of the Western world.