Tesla CEO Elon Musk recently made controversial statements regarding his transgender daughter, whom he believes has been harmed by gender-affirming care. In an interview with psychologist and commentator Jordan Peterson, Musk described gender-reassignment surgery as “child mutilation and sterilization,” claiming that his daughter, Vivian Jenna Wilson, received such care during the pandemic and publicly came out as transgender at age 16.
Musk expressed feelings of being misled into signing documents related to his child’s gender transition, stating that he was concerned for her well-being amidst the confusion surrounding COVID-19 and claims of suicidal thoughts. He criticized the practice of providing gender-affirming care to minors and aligned with Peterson’s view that promoting it is “incredibly evil,” arguing that those who do so should face incarceration. Musk, who has twelve children, also claimed he was never properly informed that puberty blockers could be viewed as sterilization drugs, although these blockers alone do not affect fertility.
In his remarks, Musk expressed a sense of loss over his daughter’s transition, indicating that the terminology of “deadnaming” reflects his feelings of grief over the situation. These statements come on the heels of Musk’s decision to relocate Tesla, X, and SpaceX to Texas, partly in response to California’s AB1955, which restricts parental notification for transgender-identifying minors and requires state support for LGBTQ+ youth.
Musk’s daughter legally distanced herself from him in 2022, applying for a name change and new birth certificate to eliminate any legal ties to her father. Musk has previously attributed their fractured relationship to the progressive education she received in Los Angeles, as noted in Walter Isaacson’s biography. This estrangement has been suggested as a driving force behind Musk’s recent anti-woke rhetoric.
Over the past few years, Musk has shifted from his once center-left political stance to increasingly align with right-wing narratives regarding various social issues, including diversity policies and immigration. Recently, he endorsed the Republican presidential ticket featuring former President Donald Trump and Ohio Senator J.D. Vance, both of whom oppose clean energy initiatives.