In just 10 years, we have witnessed one of the fastest social changes in history. Now it’s falling apart.
The transgender movement exploded from obscurity and fundamentally reshaped American society. The number of children identifying as transgender has surged from almost unregistered to 3%, leaving millions of children questioning their gender identity.
This was not just an American phenomenon. In Sweden, there has been a 1,500% surge in teenage girls seeking gender therapy, and in the UK, referrals to gender clinics have jumped 4,400% in 10 years. Seemingly unstoppable, activists have won victory after victory, shaking up everything from school policies to medical guidelines.
But the warning signs were there from the beginning. The script’s initial twists, such as suddenly having an exponential number of teenage girls rather than boys identifying as transgender, left little doubt. Under the banner of acceptance, critical thinking withers.
As the force of the movement increased, the range of motion also increased.
It started out targeting children. Explicit material sneaked into school libraries. The “family-friendly” drag show featured adult performers gyrating alongside wide-eyed children. The district began covertly “socially transitioning” students from schools behind parents’ backs.
Even more surprising is the explosion of medical transitions for minors. From 2017 to 2021, about 18,000 children – including some as young as 10 – started taking puberty blockers or sex hormones, often with irreversible effects. More than 5,000 people have had surgeries such as double mastectomies.
Schools were not simply “supportive” but integrated activism deep into the curriculum, often leaving parents in the dark about their children’s gender issues.
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Conflicts with women’s rights have proven equally problematic. Lia Thomas was an early flashpoint as an ordinary male swimmer who dominated the women’s competition after the switch. Female athletes suddenly lost races, scholarships, and opportunities to biological males.
Women’s spaces like locker rooms and crisis shelters no longer provide protection. The message was clear. Hard-won gender-based rights are now secondary to gender identity.
There was too much, too fast, and there was a backlash. Countries that were early adopters of pediatric transitions, such as the UK and Sweden, slammed on the brakes when the risks became clear. The transition movement has surged as mostly young women express deep regret about turning to hormone treatments and surgeries. More than a third of women who began transition discontinued treatment.
Public opinion has changed dramatically. By 2024, 55% of Americans, including one in four Americans, believed the movement had gone too far. Nearly 70% said trans athletes should compete based on their birth gender. As the boycott spread, corporations and Hollywood began to creep back.
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2024 election
For the first time, the issue has had an impact on the election, with Trump and the Republican Party going all-in on a culture war flashpoint. Democrats have found themselves in the wrong position, even liberal politicians who are openly questioning the party’s increasingly extreme positions. Movements that once seemed untouchable suddenly seemed vulnerable.
During his debate with Kamala Harris, Trump expressed his support for surgeries on transgender prisoners. His campaign has been hitting the airwaves with attack ads, including one that has become the most effective political venue in 2024. This ad resonated with voters more persuasively than any other ad in years.
Overall, Republicans have invested more than $200 million in transgender-focused messaging, a record for socially conservative advertising in a presidential election. And it worked. Trump eliminated enough moderates to win.
After the election, Democratic politicians also protested. Representative Seth Moulton captured the moment: “I have two young daughters. I don’t want them to get run over by male athletes on the field. “But as a Democrat, I would be afraid to say that.”
The backlash also affected American companies. Companies that previously embraced gender ideology scaled back their messaging following consumer boycotts. Hollywood has become quieter on the issue.
Just Wednesday, Disney announced that it would be removing a transgender storyline from the upcoming Pixar series Win or Lose. “When it comes to animated content for younger audiences, we know that many parents prefer to discuss certain topics with their children on their own terms and schedule,” a Disney spokesperson said.
A year ago, Disney’s statement would have been shocking, but now the trend is swinging strongly in the opposite direction.
The dizzying rise is over and the movement is now on the defensive.
We take a closer look at these changes in our latest video. Check out this book to get the full picture of how this social revolution rose and fell in record time. It’s a case study in how ideological movements can get too close to the sun.
Ken LaCorte writes about censorship, media malfeasance, uncomfortable questions, and honest insights for people who wonder how the world really works. Follow Ken on Substack
