Tesla CEO Elon Musk recently expressed controversial views regarding his transgender daughter, Vivian Jenna Wilson, during an interview with psychologist and conservative commentator Jordan Peterson. Musk claimed that after receiving gender-affirming care, his daughter was “killed” and vowed to “destroy the woke mind virus.”
In the interview, Musk described gender-reassignment surgery as “child mutilation and sterilization.” He shared that Wilson, who came out as transgender at the age of 16, received gender-affirming care during the COVID-19 pandemic. Musk conveyed feelings of being misled into signing documents regarding his daughter’s transition, stating he was concerned for her well-being due to fears of suicide.
Musk criticized the medical process, arguing it is conducted on children who are too young to consent and aligned with Peterson’s view that promoting such care is “incredibly evil,” suggesting that those who advocate for it should face imprisonment. He claimed he was not informed that puberty blockers, which do not affect fertility on their own, could be considered sterilization drugs.
Musk lamented that he feels he has lost his son, as Wilson has distanced herself from him, legally changing her name and seeking a new birth certificate to reflect her identity. He has attributed the strained relationship to the influence of her progressive school in Los Angeles, a sentiment echoed in biographical accounts about Musk.
These comments from Musk come shortly after he announced that several of his companies, including X and SpaceX, would relocate to Texas, partly in response to California’s AB1955 legislation. This law prohibits schools from requiring parental notification when a child identifies as transgender and aims to support LGBTQ+ youth.
Musk’s remarks follow a pattern of him adopting more right-wing positions on various issues in recent years, shifting away from his previously center-left politics, and he has recently endorsed Republican candidates aligned with oil industry interests.