A week after innovator, multi-billionaire, and serial entrepreneur Elon Musk announced he was relocating the Headquarters of SpaceX and X to Texas from California as a result of liberal state laws, Musk sat down for an interview with conservative psychologist Dr. Jordan Peterson to talk about aspects of his personal life.
Musk said in the interview that he feels that he was tricked and coerced into supporting gender-affirming care and surgeries for his minor son, who expressed a female gender identity.
Estranged Child and “Woke Mind Virus”
In the candid discussion, Musk told Peterson that his estranged child was “killed” as Musk had known the child by what he called a “woke mind virus.”
Signing Documents During COVID-19
Musk said that the “woke mind virus” had killed his son and that during the COVID-19 Pandemic, Musk had been “essentially tricked into signing documents for one of my older boys”, who is now legally 20-year-old Vivian Jenna Wilson.
Coercion and Deception
The coercion and deception, according to Musk, was that he had been told during the pandemic that if he disapproved of the interventions, his child would suffer to the point of committing suicide.
Reflections on Gender-Reassignment Surgery
Musk said, “This was really before I had any understanding of what was going on, and we had COVID going on, so there was a lot of confusion, and I was told [child’s name] might commit suicide.”
Views on Child Mutilation and Sterilization
After years of reflection, the technology mogul now believes that gender-reassignment surgery is akin to “child mutilation and sterilization” as the medications and surgeries effect permanent change on a minor who is legally unable to give medical consent with the knowledge and insight of an adult making permanent decisions about one’s body and fertility.
Criminal Charges for Gender-Affirming Care
Musk claimed that gender-affirming care is offered to children “who are far below the age of consent.” It said that he believes adults engaging in this practice that will permanently affect the entire organ systems of the child’s body should face criminal charges and go to prison.
Peterson’s Agreement
Peterson likewise espouses this belief in the evils of irreversible gender-affirming care for minors and that the punishment for healthcare providers who walk children down this road should be severe.
Deadnaming and Loss
Musk reiterated, “I was tricked into doing this. I lost my son, essentially. They call it ‘deadnaming’ for a reason. The reason they call it ‘deadnaming’ is because your son is dead.”
Mission Against “Woke Culture”
In the wake of the experience, which was Musk’s first initiation into what he describes as “woke culture,” he assumed a new mission.
Vow to Destroy the “Woke Mind Virus”
Musk said he “vowed to destroy the woke mind virus after that. And we’re making some progress.”
First Mention of “Woke Mind Virus”
Musk first mentioned his belief in the “woke mind virus” in a 2021 interview with The Babylon Bee, a conservative media publication.
Threat to Modern Civilization
Musk called the non-medical malady a “threat to modern civilization” and likened it to “a world without humor.”
Reaction to California Law
Musk reacted strongly to the news in July that California had passed a new law prohibiting individual school districts from having policies requiring school administration and teachers to notify parents if children wish to change their pronoun or gender preference.
Decision to Move Headquarters
Based on his experience with a child who expressed a gender other than the sex assigned at birth, Musk announced on Twitter that that law, among the other liberal laws passed by the California legislature, had become a decisive factor in his decision to move his companies’ headquarters from California to Texas. Musk’s Tesla, SpaceX, and X are headquartered in Texas.
