In the case of Rapinoe & Bird, you might be underestimating the influence of the LGBTQ culture. Certain lesbians I know, former friends, see what they perceive to be the anti-trans movement as an existential threat to them as part of that rainbow umbrella. They believe trans is the new gay. They’re defending their brothers and sisters and non-binary peeps. They feel like as an oppressed minority they have to stick together. If Bird & Rapinoe were to support women, they’d face enormous backlash from their tribe - as Martina did. (And I have). The “how can you possibly agree w Trump?” Question adds to the incentive for progressive lesbians to stay in their LGBTQ bubble.
And in some cases, they do believe that trans-ID men acquire some sort of magical goodness that inoculates them from their own maleness, or literally makes them women. For instance, when I expressed concerns about dangerous male behavior in female restrooms, one friend assured me, “oh they (trans-ID men) would never do that!”
Within a month, she ended all contact. My questions were too challenging to her fragile belief system.
Mariah, I don't disagree with you at all. My point is it isn't about money. They believe it. Whether its being aligned with the LGBT crowd or whether it's chasing clout with younger people... the belief is real. I agree with this post, as far as "belief":https://x.com/chadfelixg/status/2041865607935606961?s=20
Please know there is a faction of us who really differentiate LGB from T. LGB Courage Coalition is on substack and worth supporting. If we weren’t down with T then we were called bigots and not real L’s G’s or B’s, but now it’s coming more normal thankfully…
I agree with you entirely. I guess the over-arching point is they aren't getting paid to say these things. To believe them. They believe them! They are driven to be part of a tribe which says "This is the right thing. You are on the right side of history. You are a warrior for civil rights." The same is true for the parents I describe.
Gotta disagree. I don’t think the majority of our peeps are true believers - I think they’re afraid to speak the truth. Perhaps this fear comes from our history of persecution?
Once tribe mentality rejects this nonsense, I expect the majority will reverse course like lemmings. A little too late to be sure IMO, but perhaps better late than never.
Great description. Thanks! I have been trying to verbalize it but I fall woefully short. Can you see a world where LGBTQ can accept the idea that Trans women cannot play in women’s sports?
Interesting question. As individuals, yes. And even some leaders are starting to cave on the sports issue. But as an ideology, I don’t think it can persist in the face of “these people are actually male and that’s why we are excluding them from Women’s Sports.” It’s a pretty short leap from there to, “these people are male therefore we should realize that they are male everywhere they go.” Which brings us back to cross-dressing or transvestites or just people who like to wear whatever they want to wear but don’t need a particular identity or special rights because of it. Sports could be the naked emperor, so to speak. Once that kid says hey he’s got no clothes on, everyone begins to see the truth. At least that’s how I hope it goes, but we’re pretty far from that now.
I agree with you. We are very far. And while sports is the tip of the iceberg, once they give on that the whole thing does collapse. It is an admission that men are different than women, that men cannot become women. So then what? It all falls apart.
Yes, it may be subconscious, but they know on some level what would happen if they said anything remotely critical. The fawning responses are lovebombed and any slight criticism is met with death threats and careers ending. I think some people don't even really think about it and just go along with it. The fawning, the accolades they're met with probably just prove to them that they're right.
Yes, in understanding why progressives and LGBTQ community members and Democrats cling so tenaciously to trans ideology, we shouldn't underestimate the human need to belong. It's hardwired into us -- cast out of our tribe or community and needing to try to make it on our own, in the past, we would literally die. And public censure hurts. We need to belong, and we need to be liked/loved/approved of.
It's why this has worked so well. I think men in particular overlook this when they point out that most TRA supporters are women. Men can afford, in more than one sense, to be iconoclasts, independent.
Money got nuthin to do w this. It's the intense pressure of ideological tribalism combined with the dynamics that lead people to do the opposite of whatever the other tribe does (no matter how stupid), plus how Social Justice ideology has convincingly packaged itself as the natural successor to the Civil Rights Movement, which all the Good People use to provide their morality, etiquette and social cues.
The people of the SJ tribe have been conditioned like Alex in "Clockwork Orange" to feel intense pain, shame and anxiety if they ever contradict a member of a sacred victim group, it feels gauche and evil to them.
Or, more simply, the SJ ideology in the social media age works off cult dynamics and people sometimes would rather lose their lives than their cult, as the cult provides meaning, purpose and community. Their beliefs are in charge, not vice versa, and have become too sacred to challenge.
You might be able to tell that I live among the Blue people as a stealth dissident. (It’s how I know em so well.)
They are my people and I love them, but the last decade has been like living in a bad remake of “Invasion of the Body Snatchers”. All brains have gradually become the same brain, angry and certain yet brittle and anxious. I doubt any of this will change as long as Orange Julius roams the land—people might not need a God, but they do need a devil. And Donnie is the Satan that holds their tribe together.
I’m sure all the points made by Jenn and some of the comments here are all legitimate and if not the reason(s) that Rapinoe and Bird have this position, they would be why some others take this stance. I have friends with whom we have some lively sports discussions every morning over coffee. Both men and women are in this group. I mentioned that I was happy the IOC made this decision and one woman started screaming at me about how Trump has infected everything, the orange turd has poisoned women’s sports, how he wants to maintain the patriarchy in sports, etc. It was all about Trump. I let her rant, let others who I knew agreed with our view do the talking…and silently counted how many times that woman mentioned Trump or one of the insulting names his detractors say…in about 5 minutes I counted 53 times. So…it’s pretty easy to see why she feels biological men belong in women’s sports…because the President opposes it. It’s amazing how this cult of hating Trump will make people completely change their views just because he might agree. *sigh*
Rapinoe is a traitor to her sex. It is not "invasive" testing to have someone touch the inside of your cheek with a Q-tip. And it only needs to be done once as we can't change sex.
Jen, I asked many times in Covid days what differed *us* from many others. A big part of it was the ability to recognize good faith disagreement in others versus money or clout chasing.
Outside of sports and medical interventions on minors, and a sort of faddish popularity, I really have a hard time disambiguating trans issues from the gay/lesbian issues we used to march in favor of in our salad days. Maybe our parents were right about gays. Don't think so though. For consenting adults, live and let live.
As I think you're saying, there are many who are just wrong, not monsters. We need to convince them. But to those who don't believe it, are morally bankrupt, those scumbags are a scourge.
Yups. Virtue signalling. All the while pretending these men do not sexually assault their wives, that these men do not demand wife say she's now a lesbian, and don't get me started about the schmucks in women's prisons. Thanks for all you do, Jennifer. We are wading through the dreck.
Great piece Jennifer, thank you. I believe that you are absolutely correct that the driving motivation for the great majority of adherents of the transqueer cult is simply a religious belief in the theology of the cult, and that those of us who want to keep the cult from ruling over us need to understand that in order to be able to fight it as effectively as possible.
That said, I think you did not go quite far enough in attributing the general silence of female athletes (on the IOC policy that protects them) to fear of losing endorsement deals. Once again, I would argue that money is not the main isssue, it's being accepted by their sports governing bodies and their teammates, most of whom are fully captured by the cult. They could easily lose their places on their Olympic teams for speaking out against the cult.
The Chicago Bulls just fired a player (the #5 overall draft pick in 2022) for criticizing "pride" month. That's the totalitarian mind-control climate that athletes are dealing with.
"Now they could lose existing endorsements if they took the opposite stance. So in a sense, and I’m correcting myself here to some extent, it is about money."
"Why these two specifically believe these things isn’t mine to speculate."
I'll speculate: I'm guessing they never ran into a trans athlete on the opposing side during a competition. I don't follow sports so I don't know. Can anyone document a contrary incident?
I'm pretty sure that there are no men claiming to be women playing professional soccer or basketball (and the national teams are professional, they get paid).
Only in goals due to speed. They actually aren't good soccer players. But almost NO ONE talks about it. It is unbelievable how taboo it is to say despite how obviously male these players are. I have had season tickets since 2013 and may give them up I am so mad about this.
But they must have participated in high school and college sports before they were professional. If there had been trans athletes competing against them there, maybe they would never have become professionals.
Such children are deliberately scouted by unscrupulous "sports scouts"/doctors specifically to build into athletes with an advantage. This is how Caster Semenya got ahead. Its an underground long standing scam that needs exposing.
A lot of times women enjoy the idea that men can become women and vice versa because they believe blurring the lines on what a man is and what a woman is, is the path to equality. They think oppression of women will end if men have a realization, "oh we shouldn't oppress women, some men are women too!"
Of course they are wrong, because women are oppressed on the basis of our biology, which is immutable. But this is what they think. That's why they think anyone against the concept of 'trans' is upholding the patriarchy.
Hi Jen, Good stuff.
In the case of Rapinoe & Bird, you might be underestimating the influence of the LGBTQ culture. Certain lesbians I know, former friends, see what they perceive to be the anti-trans movement as an existential threat to them as part of that rainbow umbrella. They believe trans is the new gay. They’re defending their brothers and sisters and non-binary peeps. They feel like as an oppressed minority they have to stick together. If Bird & Rapinoe were to support women, they’d face enormous backlash from their tribe - as Martina did. (And I have). The “how can you possibly agree w Trump?” Question adds to the incentive for progressive lesbians to stay in their LGBTQ bubble.
And in some cases, they do believe that trans-ID men acquire some sort of magical goodness that inoculates them from their own maleness, or literally makes them women. For instance, when I expressed concerns about dangerous male behavior in female restrooms, one friend assured me, “oh they (trans-ID men) would never do that!”
Within a month, she ended all contact. My questions were too challenging to her fragile belief system.
At least, that’s how it looks from here.
Mariah, I don't disagree with you at all. My point is it isn't about money. They believe it. Whether its being aligned with the LGBT crowd or whether it's chasing clout with younger people... the belief is real. I agree with this post, as far as "belief":https://x.com/chadfelixg/status/2041865607935606961?s=20
Please know there is a faction of us who really differentiate LGB from T. LGB Courage Coalition is on substack and worth supporting. If we weren’t down with T then we were called bigots and not real L’s G’s or B’s, but now it’s coming more normal thankfully…
Love LGB Courage.
I have a lesbian friend who absolutely hates the theft of the LGB rainbow!
Yes, just adding the LGBTQ culture perspective to your analysis. They’re true believers. Multi-factorial. Good linked article too.
I agree with you entirely. I guess the over-arching point is they aren't getting paid to say these things. To believe them. They believe them! They are driven to be part of a tribe which says "This is the right thing. You are on the right side of history. You are a warrior for civil rights." The same is true for the parents I describe.
Gotta disagree. I don’t think the majority of our peeps are true believers - I think they’re afraid to speak the truth. Perhaps this fear comes from our history of persecution?
Once tribe mentality rejects this nonsense, I expect the majority will reverse course like lemmings. A little too late to be sure IMO, but perhaps better late than never.
Great description. Thanks! I have been trying to verbalize it but I fall woefully short. Can you see a world where LGBTQ can accept the idea that Trans women cannot play in women’s sports?
Interesting question. As individuals, yes. And even some leaders are starting to cave on the sports issue. But as an ideology, I don’t think it can persist in the face of “these people are actually male and that’s why we are excluding them from Women’s Sports.” It’s a pretty short leap from there to, “these people are male therefore we should realize that they are male everywhere they go.” Which brings us back to cross-dressing or transvestites or just people who like to wear whatever they want to wear but don’t need a particular identity or special rights because of it. Sports could be the naked emperor, so to speak. Once that kid says hey he’s got no clothes on, everyone begins to see the truth. At least that’s how I hope it goes, but we’re pretty far from that now.
I agree with you. We are very far. And while sports is the tip of the iceberg, once they give on that the whole thing does collapse. It is an admission that men are different than women, that men cannot become women. So then what? It all falls apart.
Fingers crossed! And all hands and feet on deck. :-)
Well-said, Mariah, and I would just say that too many people value being nice over being truthful (when they can actually see the truth, that is!)
Yes, especially women.
Yeah, socialization comes into play, of course. And wanting not to stick their necks out for fear they will be chopped off.
Yes, it may be subconscious, but they know on some level what would happen if they said anything remotely critical. The fawning responses are lovebombed and any slight criticism is met with death threats and careers ending. I think some people don't even really think about it and just go along with it. The fawning, the accolades they're met with probably just prove to them that they're right.
Yes, in understanding why progressives and LGBTQ community members and Democrats cling so tenaciously to trans ideology, we shouldn't underestimate the human need to belong. It's hardwired into us -- cast out of our tribe or community and needing to try to make it on our own, in the past, we would literally die. And public censure hurts. We need to belong, and we need to be liked/loved/approved of.
It's why this has worked so well. I think men in particular overlook this when they point out that most TRA supporters are women. Men can afford, in more than one sense, to be iconoclasts, independent.
“Men can afford” it.
BINGO.
Yes. My lesbian sister is the same. They see themselves as a community of oppressed people.
Yes, they buy trans is the new gay imho.
Money got nuthin to do w this. It's the intense pressure of ideological tribalism combined with the dynamics that lead people to do the opposite of whatever the other tribe does (no matter how stupid), plus how Social Justice ideology has convincingly packaged itself as the natural successor to the Civil Rights Movement, which all the Good People use to provide their morality, etiquette and social cues.
The people of the SJ tribe have been conditioned like Alex in "Clockwork Orange" to feel intense pain, shame and anxiety if they ever contradict a member of a sacred victim group, it feels gauche and evil to them.
Or, more simply, the SJ ideology in the social media age works off cult dynamics and people sometimes would rather lose their lives than their cult, as the cult provides meaning, purpose and community. Their beliefs are in charge, not vice versa, and have become too sacred to challenge.
Yes.
You might be able to tell that I live among the Blue people as a stealth dissident. (It’s how I know em so well.)
They are my people and I love them, but the last decade has been like living in a bad remake of “Invasion of the Body Snatchers”. All brains have gradually become the same brain, angry and certain yet brittle and anxious. I doubt any of this will change as long as Orange Julius roams the land—people might not need a God, but they do need a devil. And Donnie is the Satan that holds their tribe together.
Cheers
I’m sure all the points made by Jenn and some of the comments here are all legitimate and if not the reason(s) that Rapinoe and Bird have this position, they would be why some others take this stance. I have friends with whom we have some lively sports discussions every morning over coffee. Both men and women are in this group. I mentioned that I was happy the IOC made this decision and one woman started screaming at me about how Trump has infected everything, the orange turd has poisoned women’s sports, how he wants to maintain the patriarchy in sports, etc. It was all about Trump. I let her rant, let others who I knew agreed with our view do the talking…and silently counted how many times that woman mentioned Trump or one of the insulting names his detractors say…in about 5 minutes I counted 53 times. So…it’s pretty easy to see why she feels biological men belong in women’s sports…because the President opposes it. It’s amazing how this cult of hating Trump will make people completely change their views just because he might agree. *sigh*
If Trump said water 💧 is wet 🌊 those people would insist it was as dry as the desert 🏜 🙄
Great stuff. Also GenX. Also don’t care to chase kid approval.
The millennials are the worst. They won't talk to grandma, but expect to be named in the will.
😁yes
Rapinoe is a traitor to her sex. It is not "invasive" testing to have someone touch the inside of your cheek with a Q-tip. And it only needs to be done once as we can't change sex.
Why does she think that we should support sports cheaters? https://lucyleader.substack.com/p/men-who-cheat-their-way-to-victory
As lesbians they are doubleplustraitors.
Jen, I asked many times in Covid days what differed *us* from many others. A big part of it was the ability to recognize good faith disagreement in others versus money or clout chasing.
Outside of sports and medical interventions on minors, and a sort of faddish popularity, I really have a hard time disambiguating trans issues from the gay/lesbian issues we used to march in favor of in our salad days. Maybe our parents were right about gays. Don't think so though. For consenting adults, live and let live.
As I think you're saying, there are many who are just wrong, not monsters. We need to convince them. But to those who don't believe it, are morally bankrupt, those scumbags are a scourge.
Yups. Virtue signalling. All the while pretending these men do not sexually assault their wives, that these men do not demand wife say she's now a lesbian, and don't get me started about the schmucks in women's prisons. Thanks for all you do, Jennifer. We are wading through the dreck.
actually, they are just really stupid
Great piece Jennifer, thank you. I believe that you are absolutely correct that the driving motivation for the great majority of adherents of the transqueer cult is simply a religious belief in the theology of the cult, and that those of us who want to keep the cult from ruling over us need to understand that in order to be able to fight it as effectively as possible.
That said, I think you did not go quite far enough in attributing the general silence of female athletes (on the IOC policy that protects them) to fear of losing endorsement deals. Once again, I would argue that money is not the main isssue, it's being accepted by their sports governing bodies and their teammates, most of whom are fully captured by the cult. They could easily lose their places on their Olympic teams for speaking out against the cult.
The Chicago Bulls just fired a player (the #5 overall draft pick in 2022) for criticizing "pride" month. That's the totalitarian mind-control climate that athletes are dealing with.
https://nationaltoday.com/us/il/chicago/news/2026/04/08/nba-player-fired-for-criticizing-pride-month-1/
I don't give a sqat about what Megan and Sue think , say or do.
They are a disgrace to jock dykes.
Because they are ideological fanatics committed to overthrowing “the patriarchy” so trans and porn and everything awful servestheir purpose
"Now they could lose existing endorsements if they took the opposite stance. So in a sense, and I’m correcting myself here to some extent, it is about money."
That and blackmail
"Why these two specifically believe these things isn’t mine to speculate."
I'll speculate: I'm guessing they never ran into a trans athlete on the opposing side during a competition. I don't follow sports so I don't know. Can anyone document a contrary incident?
I'm pretty sure that there are no men claiming to be women playing professional soccer or basketball (and the national teams are professional, they get paid).
There are males with DSDs in the NWSL. Barbara Banda is one. There are more.
Yes, and these males are always at the top of the best in league stats lists in the NWSL.
Only in goals due to speed. They actually aren't good soccer players. But almost NO ONE talks about it. It is unbelievable how taboo it is to say despite how obviously male these players are. I have had season tickets since 2013 and may give them up I am so mad about this.
Thanks for the correction, I was unaware.
And they are both RETIRED, no one is gonna take THEIR spots!
There was a trans player in the WNBA, Layshia Clarendon, who played 12 years, retiring in 2024.
But they must have participated in high school and college sports before they were professional. If there had been trans athletes competing against them there, maybe they would never have become professionals.
They are all from Africa where the DSD is untreated.
Such children are deliberately scouted by unscrupulous "sports scouts"/doctors specifically to build into athletes with an advantage. This is how Caster Semenya got ahead. Its an underground long standing scam that needs exposing.
Great post!
I also read Bridget's piece.
A lot of times women enjoy the idea that men can become women and vice versa because they believe blurring the lines on what a man is and what a woman is, is the path to equality. They think oppression of women will end if men have a realization, "oh we shouldn't oppress women, some men are women too!"
Of course they are wrong, because women are oppressed on the basis of our biology, which is immutable. But this is what they think. That's why they think anyone against the concept of 'trans' is upholding the patriarchy.
My required pronoun is Living Tsar God.