Tesla CEO Elon Musk stated during an interview with psychologist and conservative commentator Jordan Peterson that he feels his transgender daughter has been “killed” following her receipt of gender-affirming care. This assertion led him to pledge to combat what he referred to as the “woke mind virus.”
Musk characterized gender-reassignment surgery as “child mutilation and sterilization.” He mentioned that his daughter, Vivian Jenna Wilson, who came out as transgender at 16, underwent gender-affirming treatments during the pandemic.
“I was essentially tricked into signing documents for one of my older boys,” Musk remarked, referring to his daughter, who has chosen to disown her father’s last name. He expressed that at the time, he had limited understanding of the situation, exacerbated by the confusion of the COVID era, and was informed that the child might be at risk of suicide.
He criticized the medical procedures directed at minors, stating that they are applied to children “who are far below the age of consent” and aligned with Peterson’s view that it is “incredibly evil,” calling for imprisonment for those advocating such practices. Musk, who has 12 children, argued he was not adequately informed that puberty blockers function as sterilization drugs, despite the fact that puberty blockers alone do not impair fertility.
“I was tricked into doing this,” Musk asserted. “I lost my son, essentially. They call it ‘deadnaming’ for a reason. The reason they call it ‘deadnaming’ is because your son is dead.”
Musk’s remarks follow his announcement that his companies X and SpaceX will relocate to Texas, joining Tesla, partly due to California’s AB1955, known as the SAFETY Act. This legislation prohibits schools from requiring parental notification when a child identifies as transgender and mandates state support resources for LGBTQ+ children. Musk has previously faced accusations of transphobia and promoting anti-trans narratives.
In 2022, Musk’s daughter filed for a name change and a new birth certificate, stating in court documents that she no longer wishes to be “related to my biological father in any way, shape or form.” Musk attributed the estrangement to Wilson’s progressive education in Los Angeles, as noted in Walter Isaacson’s biography, which suggests that his fractured relationship with Wilson influences his “anti-woke” rhetoric.
In recent years, Musk, who once held centrist political views, has increasingly adopted right-wing perspectives on a variety of issues, ranging from diversity initiatives to election integrity and immigration. Earlier this month, he publicly endorsed the Republican presidential ticket of former President Donald Trump and Ohio Senator J.D. Vance, both of whom advocate for the oil industry and oppose clean energy policies.