How the anti-gender movement is bringing us closer to authoritarianism

[Jessica_Rose]

How the anti-gender movement is bringing us closer to authoritarianism

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/how-the-anti-gender-movement-is-bringing-us-closer-to-authoritarianism/ar-BB1jZOxE?ocid=hpmsn&cvid=5ff541305f8d43dd9bba88496d52f246&ei=98

Opinion by Judith Butler (16 March 2024)

We are asked to check a box on a form, and most of us do so without giving it too much thought. But some of us don't like checking the box and think there should be either many more boxes or perhaps none at all.

The fear of "gender" allows existing powers — states, churches, political movements — to frighten people to come back into their ranks, to accept censorship and to externalize their fear and hatred onto vulnerable communities.

We see the rolling back of progressive legislation and the targeting of sexual and gender minorities as dangers to society, as exemplifying the most destructive force in the world, in order to strip them of their fundamental rights, protections and freedoms.

Consider the allegation that "gender" — whatever it is — puts children at risk through programs such as reading books with queer characters cast as examples of indoctrination or seduction.

A woman in Switzerland once came up to me after a talk I gave and said, "I pray for you." She explained that the Scripture says that God created man and woman and that I, through my books, had denied the Scripture. I then asked if she had read my work, and she replied, "No! I would never read such a book!" I realized that reading a book on gender would be, for her, trafficking with the devil.

[LoriDee]

I have never met a violent transgender person. In fact, despite all that we go through to just be ourselves, we seem to be the happiest people on Earth.