Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has ignited a fresh controversy by claiming that he was misled into consenting to puberty blockers for his transgender child. In a recent interview with Jordan Peterson, Musk described the experience as a “trick” and blamed the “woke mind virus” for his son’s transition.
Musk’s child, Xavier, who now identifies as Vivian Jenna Wilson, underwent a name and gender change in 2022. Musk asserts that he was pressured into approving puberty blockers for Xavier under false pretenses, claiming that he was told the child was at risk of suicide.
“I lost my son, essentially. They call it deadnaming for a reason,” Musk said. “The reason it’s called deadnaming is because your son is dead. My son Xavier is dead, killed by the woke mind virus.”
After an extended pause, Musk added, “I vowed to destroy the woke mind virus after that.”
Sparks the big debate
Musk’s comments have sparked intense debate over parental rights, transgender healthcare, and the influence of cultural and political ideologies on personal decisions. Critics argue that Musk’s statements are harmful and stigmatizing to transgender individuals, while supporters contend that he is raising legitimate concerns about the medical treatment of minors.
The controversy comes amid broader cultural tensions over issues of gender identity and parental rights. Musk’s decision to relocate SpaceX headquarters to Texas, citing a new California law limiting parental notification of a child’s gender identity change, further underscores these divisions.
Musk’s pledge to take on the “woke” left likely inspired his latest decision to move the California headquarters for SpaceX to Texas, after Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a bill into law that will bar school districts from notifying parents if their child uses different pronouns or identifies as a gender that’s different from what’s on school records.
“This is the final straw,” Musk wrote on X, his social media platform, in explaining his decision. “Because of this law and the many others that preceded it, attacking both families and companies, SpaceX will now move its HQ from Hawthorne, California, to Starbase, Texas,” he said.
