Wow, what an amazing post. Thank you for writing it. I wish I could send this to my 20 yo daughter. She is on T, and just texted me, and when she referred to her treatments she put the term "medicalizing" in quotes, as if it's NOT REALLY medicalizing. WHy? Because in her poisoned mind, there is some difference between medical interventions and the "life affirming" care she is getting.
It is a cult. It has nearly every hallmark; it's just been adapted for modern society and our cultural practices. It's a shame that Steven Hassan is still in denial that this is, in fact, a cult.
Exceptionally written!! Thank you for the effort that went into this and sharing the truth from first hand experience while tying it all together with what I’ve believed was a cult from the being. Excellent job. Keep educating others! What a great purpose set in front of you for such a time as this!
This is an excellent essay, especially considering the youth of the author. Trans is not like a Jonestown cult where there are armed guards and wilderness preventing escape. The psychologically imposed isolation and paranoia are more impregnable than the thickest cement wall with Constantine wire on top.
Bravo, this totally explains how this cult operates. It not only applies to the trans but to the LGBTQ+ as well. Thank you for posting this, you are a gifted writer.
Since your interested and I spent 3 years trying to figure this out, here goes…
Mine and my husband’s childhood trauma. Son’s autism, gifted, then covid lockdowns, remote learning, struggles with adhd, me then trying to help (now I know was pretty damaging, due to having narcissistic family members who messed me up) now the once good attachment my child had with me was broken, and left him vulnerable now depressed awkward son meets trans hot girl who says she’s a he, large friend group, 2 lesbians who were dating guys, and my autistic son who I don’t think could tell the difference between a bromance or being gay, became gay, then trans and professed feelings as a “lesbian” to the lesbians. Was rejected, friend group blew up. But already had online cult. Where my awkward child was accepted and had this new identity to be close to girls and guys. Meets another girl who says she’s a he but wears makeup and skirts, dates girl but calls she a him and she calls he a she. And guess what she’s got all kids of problems to, and they brake up. I tried to boost self esteem but probably elaborated in areas I should not have and that helped feed the narcissist tendencies of a teen. He was used by so many these last couple of years being so vulnerable. And now here we are, he won’t deal with past or current issues because he has a solution (trans) and this solution causes issues-here we go round and round. Me trying to get the attachment I once had with my child back. I’ve had to learn the whys about myself in order to stop the behaviors, I’ve had to only affirm the truths about my child to him, we’ve repaired quite a bit in the last couple months. But going up against the cult and all adults affirming him just to be kind, feel it’s like me against the world. Not to mention the cult at his fingertips every day. At his age I can’t remove technology and college is coming soon. I can’t lock him away until it goes away. But also will never be able to look him in the eyes and say yes honey I am connecting to you women to women. I can’t lie to my kid. And I can’t speak out to all the nonsense I see online, because I could lose my kid if I do. It’s killing me. I’m holding on to bits and pieces every day. I know you’re in there kiddo please come back I really miss you.
There are two esoteric forms of religious woo woo, like the binary and ternary forms of music. They are Gnosticism and Hermeticism. Gnosticism splits the world into good and evil. It regards the world as bad and the world of spirit as good. Hermeticism tends to be more positive about the world. Rather than splitting the self in two, gender-soul from flesh-being, the Hermeticist elementalizes the person and fashions a new self-created being. Examples of both forms of esoteric religious thinking in transgender ideology are numerous. They are also both considered heretical in Christianity, FWIW. The decline of establishment religion, and the rise of "a la carte" religion, have made these esoteric beliefs more common and acceptable. They are seen as "progressive" and countercultural.
Thank you for this. I am living through every step of the 7 elements in my family. I am a woman married to a woman, and we have two children. The htree of them are all onboard the trans train, and I see the many harms being perpetrated on so many people because of trans ideology. (I tried to explain my resistance to trans ideology to my partner, explaining that I have nothing against trans people in general. She promptly researched the term and discovered that it's hate speech and trans phobic to say "trans ideology". She cited Glaad.org for this because it is so basic a 5 yo could understand it.) Our son, now 10, has claimed a NB identity since he was 7 years old. Our daughter, 13, is a lesbian and seems comfortable with being a girl/woman but is fiercely protective of her brother.
The family went to a local production of a play recently. They went with the local Rainbow club and saw a play that is full of trans characters and trans actors. It was a love bomb situation for sure. When they came home my daughter sobbed to my partner that she didn't want to be around me bc I'm not affirming. I do have strong opinions about trans ideology but I have not shared them with our children, only my partner. In fact, she has stated that if I do want to share my opinions with them that there needs to be a trusted adult in the room and a therapist on standby for the kids to process with after I reveal my hateful and bigoted perspectives.
So they get to be special because of their identities, AND they have the added bonus of being oppressed victims due to my transphobia.
This ideology, because it is 100% an ideology no matter what Glaad or anyone else says, is designed to tear families apart. I'm working hard to not let that happen in my family.
I'm so sorry you are going through this, Ex-woke Mom. And... you are right...it is a "trans train", and you are suffering emotional costs WHILE STILL trying to not lose your family. How difficult.
This "trans" surge didn't come out of nowhere and doesn't exist in a vacuum. Like the author of this article says, "Medical transition specifically is the goal of the medical industry for being involved in trans ideology".
So much biofeedback is lost when children medically "transition". There's an old folklore saying about women being able to "see through their nipples" that I am reminded of when these girls have their healthy breasts removed in an effort to "become" male or no longer female.
Each child that the medical industry connives into going on the trans medical merry go-round represents upwards of $1 million. So they are the financial beneficiaries of all this madness.
Author here. My experience had a lot of elements that were personal so I don't have a "tutorial" im sorry. But I was on a website for trans teens and after falling out with someone I was close with on the site I realized I didn't have any friends on there and left. I joined other sites as kind of "stealth" just saying I was a "boy" and not saying I was trans, but I wanted to talk about trans stuff again so I rejoined the site. People were making posts about absolutely ridiculous stuff and when I disagreed everyone was upset and nobody wanted to talk to me on the site at all for sharing one objecting opinion. So I came to the conclusion that they were jerks and left for good. I still believed myself to be trans however. At the time I had very few irl friends and I don't know if this was state or county wide but it became a law that teachers couldn't call you any new name without parents approval, and my mom was not "affirming". So I was at a point where nobody in my life was reinforcing it. I started viewing a lot of republican and gender critical content which I didn't always agree with but it was refreshing to hear something that wasn't the same narrative repeated. It actually took a while to question that I was trans I identified as a "trans" republican like Blaire White. But one day I was watching a video and the man in the video said "girl" referring to something else, but it made me uncomfortable like dysphoria uncomfortable and I really started questioning why, and if I'm really uncomfortable with my body or was taught to be uncomfortable with the word girl or she or anything female. And after a while of really questioning I was like okay even if I'm not comfortable in my body this idea that I'm a boy in a girls body is delusional. My best advice if you have a trans identifying teen is to keep questioning them it doesn't have to be accusatory but encourage them to really think, teach them about manipulation even by educating them about cults, let them know that delusional ideas can seem very real through manipulation, and where possible do try to limit contact with people encouraging this if you know of any, but it may or may not be the people you expect
So, here is a question: When you were firmly in the trans cult, could anyone say anything to talk you out?
I have been interested for some time in the "interior monologue" that we all have - that little voice of thoughts in your head. When you were in the cult, what did your voice say? Did your thoughts agree? Or were there doubts?
At the time I heard some arguments against trans ideology that in retrospect make a lot of sense but I wouldn't acknowledge them because I was taught to believe that questioning was hatred and that the only reason someone would question my trans identity was because they hated me and wanted me to suffer. I was able to refute a lot of it using what I believed the be reasonable arguments at the time but I ignored that a lot of my positions relied on rejecting truth that didn't fit the narrative. When I was really into it I had no doubts or questioning about me being trans or about trans ideology. I didn't start to even think about it until I was away from the trans social circle I was in, and even then it was gradually letting go of one belief after another, my trans identity was actually one of the last to go
Thank you. It's great to hear from someone who was in the thrall of this craziness. I wish there was a way to reach these kids, but as the many many pieces here on PITT show, the only way people get out of trans madness is by their own re-evaluation.
Dear Author, thank you for your wonderful article. You have done so much to bring clarity to this insane and dangerous cult. I am so appreciative of your coming forward to help, and your courage and commitment is amazing to see. You are what I hope and pray for my beloved grandchildren to someday become. God bless you.
I see it as a cult too, but I see the entry point first is achieved through very specific steps of identity disruption- which are achieved through -
1. Establishing authority as a teacher- often first class of the year;
2. presenting trustworthy harmless content on 'identity' to gain trust;
3. then introducing just a little bit of doubt about one's competency in one's self and one's life, e.g. through getting children to complete the sentence " a value that I try hard to keep is..." ( It's not "A value that I keep is" but is, "A value that I *try hard* to keep is...")
4. Introduce discontent through getting children to complete sentences "I wish..." and "if only..."
5. Introduce 'labels' which represent "different aspects of identity"- BUT- the only aspects listed are 'upper rung aspects' - gender, sexuality, race, and there is no mention of basic humanity, character or faith.
This approach convinces the children subliminally that gender, sexuality and race are THE foundations of anyone's identity.
6. Then, hammer, hammer, hammer home these concepts with multiple activities which repeat and inflate the hyperfocus onto gender and destroy the foundations of a normal healthy identity.
That then is the start of identity disruption and the entrance into the cult has been paved.
Thank you too for bringing hope by being an example of an 18 year old who has gone through this and come out with the understanding and insight that you show. I hope you have found a group who accept you without having to change.
Wow, what an amazing post. Thank you for writing it. I wish I could send this to my 20 yo daughter. She is on T, and just texted me, and when she referred to her treatments she put the term "medicalizing" in quotes, as if it's NOT REALLY medicalizing. WHy? Because in her poisoned mind, there is some difference between medical interventions and the "life affirming" care she is getting.
It is a cult. It has nearly every hallmark; it's just been adapted for modern society and our cultural practices. It's a shame that Steven Hassan is still in denial that this is, in fact, a cult.
Thank you for sharing your story. This would be great education for middle school and high school.
Exceptionally written!! Thank you for the effort that went into this and sharing the truth from first hand experience while tying it all together with what I’ve believed was a cult from the being. Excellent job. Keep educating others! What a great purpose set in front of you for such a time as this!
This is an excellent essay, especially considering the youth of the author. Trans is not like a Jonestown cult where there are armed guards and wilderness preventing escape. The psychologically imposed isolation and paranoia are more impregnable than the thickest cement wall with Constantine wire on top.
Very well written, well done.
Bravo, this totally explains how this cult operates. It not only applies to the trans but to the LGBTQ+ as well. Thank you for posting this, you are a gifted writer.
A thoughtful and powerful commentary. Thank you.
May I share this article on X?
Yes.
You are brave and bold. So grateful you chose to share. ❤️
Since your interested and I spent 3 years trying to figure this out, here goes…
Mine and my husband’s childhood trauma. Son’s autism, gifted, then covid lockdowns, remote learning, struggles with adhd, me then trying to help (now I know was pretty damaging, due to having narcissistic family members who messed me up) now the once good attachment my child had with me was broken, and left him vulnerable now depressed awkward son meets trans hot girl who says she’s a he, large friend group, 2 lesbians who were dating guys, and my autistic son who I don’t think could tell the difference between a bromance or being gay, became gay, then trans and professed feelings as a “lesbian” to the lesbians. Was rejected, friend group blew up. But already had online cult. Where my awkward child was accepted and had this new identity to be close to girls and guys. Meets another girl who says she’s a he but wears makeup and skirts, dates girl but calls she a him and she calls he a she. And guess what she’s got all kids of problems to, and they brake up. I tried to boost self esteem but probably elaborated in areas I should not have and that helped feed the narcissist tendencies of a teen. He was used by so many these last couple of years being so vulnerable. And now here we are, he won’t deal with past or current issues because he has a solution (trans) and this solution causes issues-here we go round and round. Me trying to get the attachment I once had with my child back. I’ve had to learn the whys about myself in order to stop the behaviors, I’ve had to only affirm the truths about my child to him, we’ve repaired quite a bit in the last couple months. But going up against the cult and all adults affirming him just to be kind, feel it’s like me against the world. Not to mention the cult at his fingertips every day. At his age I can’t remove technology and college is coming soon. I can’t lock him away until it goes away. But also will never be able to look him in the eyes and say yes honey I am connecting to you women to women. I can’t lie to my kid. And I can’t speak out to all the nonsense I see online, because I could lose my kid if I do. It’s killing me. I’m holding on to bits and pieces every day. I know you’re in there kiddo please come back I really miss you.
There are two esoteric forms of religious woo woo, like the binary and ternary forms of music. They are Gnosticism and Hermeticism. Gnosticism splits the world into good and evil. It regards the world as bad and the world of spirit as good. Hermeticism tends to be more positive about the world. Rather than splitting the self in two, gender-soul from flesh-being, the Hermeticist elementalizes the person and fashions a new self-created being. Examples of both forms of esoteric religious thinking in transgender ideology are numerous. They are also both considered heretical in Christianity, FWIW. The decline of establishment religion, and the rise of "a la carte" religion, have made these esoteric beliefs more common and acceptable. They are seen as "progressive" and countercultural.
Thank you for this. I am living through every step of the 7 elements in my family. I am a woman married to a woman, and we have two children. The htree of them are all onboard the trans train, and I see the many harms being perpetrated on so many people because of trans ideology. (I tried to explain my resistance to trans ideology to my partner, explaining that I have nothing against trans people in general. She promptly researched the term and discovered that it's hate speech and trans phobic to say "trans ideology". She cited Glaad.org for this because it is so basic a 5 yo could understand it.) Our son, now 10, has claimed a NB identity since he was 7 years old. Our daughter, 13, is a lesbian and seems comfortable with being a girl/woman but is fiercely protective of her brother.
The family went to a local production of a play recently. They went with the local Rainbow club and saw a play that is full of trans characters and trans actors. It was a love bomb situation for sure. When they came home my daughter sobbed to my partner that she didn't want to be around me bc I'm not affirming. I do have strong opinions about trans ideology but I have not shared them with our children, only my partner. In fact, she has stated that if I do want to share my opinions with them that there needs to be a trusted adult in the room and a therapist on standby for the kids to process with after I reveal my hateful and bigoted perspectives.
So they get to be special because of their identities, AND they have the added bonus of being oppressed victims due to my transphobia.
This ideology, because it is 100% an ideology no matter what Glaad or anyone else says, is designed to tear families apart. I'm working hard to not let that happen in my family.
I'm so sorry you are going through this, Ex-woke Mom. And... you are right...it is a "trans train", and you are suffering emotional costs WHILE STILL trying to not lose your family. How difficult.
This "trans" surge didn't come out of nowhere and doesn't exist in a vacuum. Like the author of this article says, "Medical transition specifically is the goal of the medical industry for being involved in trans ideology".
So much biofeedback is lost when children medically "transition". There's an old folklore saying about women being able to "see through their nipples" that I am reminded of when these girls have their healthy breasts removed in an effort to "become" male or no longer female.
Each child that the medical industry connives into going on the trans medical merry go-round represents upwards of $1 million. So they are the financial beneficiaries of all this madness.
You are NOT alone.
-Joanna from NYC's Medical Freedom Alliance (MFA)
Email: joannavitalhealth@protonmail.com
How did you get out of the cult? Please describe in detail the process to get you out?
Author here. My experience had a lot of elements that were personal so I don't have a "tutorial" im sorry. But I was on a website for trans teens and after falling out with someone I was close with on the site I realized I didn't have any friends on there and left. I joined other sites as kind of "stealth" just saying I was a "boy" and not saying I was trans, but I wanted to talk about trans stuff again so I rejoined the site. People were making posts about absolutely ridiculous stuff and when I disagreed everyone was upset and nobody wanted to talk to me on the site at all for sharing one objecting opinion. So I came to the conclusion that they were jerks and left for good. I still believed myself to be trans however. At the time I had very few irl friends and I don't know if this was state or county wide but it became a law that teachers couldn't call you any new name without parents approval, and my mom was not "affirming". So I was at a point where nobody in my life was reinforcing it. I started viewing a lot of republican and gender critical content which I didn't always agree with but it was refreshing to hear something that wasn't the same narrative repeated. It actually took a while to question that I was trans I identified as a "trans" republican like Blaire White. But one day I was watching a video and the man in the video said "girl" referring to something else, but it made me uncomfortable like dysphoria uncomfortable and I really started questioning why, and if I'm really uncomfortable with my body or was taught to be uncomfortable with the word girl or she or anything female. And after a while of really questioning I was like okay even if I'm not comfortable in my body this idea that I'm a boy in a girls body is delusional. My best advice if you have a trans identifying teen is to keep questioning them it doesn't have to be accusatory but encourage them to really think, teach them about manipulation even by educating them about cults, let them know that delusional ideas can seem very real through manipulation, and where possible do try to limit contact with people encouraging this if you know of any, but it may or may not be the people you expect
So, here is a question: When you were firmly in the trans cult, could anyone say anything to talk you out?
I have been interested for some time in the "interior monologue" that we all have - that little voice of thoughts in your head. When you were in the cult, what did your voice say? Did your thoughts agree? Or were there doubts?
At the time I heard some arguments against trans ideology that in retrospect make a lot of sense but I wouldn't acknowledge them because I was taught to believe that questioning was hatred and that the only reason someone would question my trans identity was because they hated me and wanted me to suffer. I was able to refute a lot of it using what I believed the be reasonable arguments at the time but I ignored that a lot of my positions relied on rejecting truth that didn't fit the narrative. When I was really into it I had no doubts or questioning about me being trans or about trans ideology. I didn't start to even think about it until I was away from the trans social circle I was in, and even then it was gradually letting go of one belief after another, my trans identity was actually one of the last to go
Thank you. It's great to hear from someone who was in the thrall of this craziness. I wish there was a way to reach these kids, but as the many many pieces here on PITT show, the only way people get out of trans madness is by their own re-evaluation.
Smart and brave. Remember you are wonderfully and beautifully made, God doesn't make mistakes.
Dear Author, thank you for your wonderful article. You have done so much to bring clarity to this insane and dangerous cult. I am so appreciative of your coming forward to help, and your courage and commitment is amazing to see. You are what I hope and pray for my beloved grandchildren to someday become. God bless you.
Love, Indio
I see it as a cult too, but I see the entry point first is achieved through very specific steps of identity disruption- which are achieved through -
1. Establishing authority as a teacher- often first class of the year;
2. presenting trustworthy harmless content on 'identity' to gain trust;
3. then introducing just a little bit of doubt about one's competency in one's self and one's life, e.g. through getting children to complete the sentence " a value that I try hard to keep is..." ( It's not "A value that I keep is" but is, "A value that I *try hard* to keep is...")
4. Introduce discontent through getting children to complete sentences "I wish..." and "if only..."
5. Introduce 'labels' which represent "different aspects of identity"- BUT- the only aspects listed are 'upper rung aspects' - gender, sexuality, race, and there is no mention of basic humanity, character or faith.
This approach convinces the children subliminally that gender, sexuality and race are THE foundations of anyone's identity.
6. Then, hammer, hammer, hammer home these concepts with multiple activities which repeat and inflate the hyperfocus onto gender and destroy the foundations of a normal healthy identity.
That then is the start of identity disruption and the entrance into the cult has been paved.
Yes, Elisabeth, and I would also add teaching kids that the "they" pronoun could be a SINGLE PERSON. So, therefore, 1 + 0=2.
Orwellian cognitive dissonance that gets to their ability to do simple math!
Yes, the "singular they" is an abomination of the English language perversion. I have written a post about this:
https://georgeqtyrebyter.substack.com/p/the-singular-they-is-not
Excellent work and worthy to be shared widely 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼
Thank you too for bringing hope by being an example of an 18 year old who has gone through this and come out with the understanding and insight that you show. I hope you have found a group who accept you without having to change.