Tesla CEO Elon Musk recently made headlines for his controversial remarks regarding gender-affirming care during a broadcast interview with psychologist and conservative commentator Jordan Peterson. Musk claimed that his estranged transgender daughter, Vivian Jenna Wilson, was “killed” following her receipt of such care, which led him to declare a mission to “destroy the woke mind virus.”
During the interview, Musk criticized gender-reassignment surgery, calling it “child mutilation and sterilization.” He recounted that his daughter came out as transgender at the age of 16 and underwent gender-affirming procedures during the pandemic. Musk mentioned that he felt misled into signing documents related to Wilson’s care, expressing confusion stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic and concerns for his child’s mental health.
Musk expressed strong opposition to gender-affirming care for minors, referring to it as “incredibly evil” and advocating for imprisonment of those who promote such procedures. He claimed he was unaware that puberty blockers were “actually just sterilization drugs,” although medical consensus indicates that puberty blockers on their own do not affect fertility.
Reflecting on his relationship with his daughter, Musk admitted that he feels he lost his son, stating that the term “deadnaming” reflects the feeling of loss associated with her transition. His public declarations follow a recent decision to move his companies, including Tesla, X, and SpaceX, to Texas, partly in response to California’s legislation regarding transgender identification and parental notification in schools.
In previous years, Musk’s daughter applied for a legal name change, stating in court documents that she wishes to no longer be associated with her biological father. Musk has attributed their strained relationship to her progressive education in Los Angeles, claiming it has influenced her views against him.
Historically known for more centrist viewpoints, Musk has shifted towards embracing right-wing ideologies, addressing topics like diversity initiatives and immigration in contrasting ways to his earlier political stances. Earlier this month, he publicly endorsed former President Donald Trump and Ohio Senator J.D. Vance, both of whom support traditional energy practices over clean energy initiatives.