The Group Gender Ideology Seems To Attract Again And Again

This article is part of Upstream, The Daily Wire’s new home for culture and lifestyle. Real human insight and human stories — from our featured writers to you.

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The field of psychology has its own special version of obtuse, especially when it comes to the trans debate. I am a therapist, but I’m an outlier nowadays, and that is simply because I have common sense. I continue to be dumbfounded by what passes as professional expertise, such as the mythological, non-scientific idea that people are “born in the wrong body.”

It is Pride month, which means we are being surrounded by the LGBTQ alphabet soup. Most of us are sick and tired of the rainbows and perverted celebrations. However, behind these narcissistic displays, we must remember that there are still vulnerable populations being recruited into a cult.

One of the largest vulnerable groups the rainbow cult exploits is autistic people.  

While many young people overplay an autism label for clout or special treatment, it is undeniable that there are higher rates of autism compared to 20 years ago. The explanations for this phenomenon shall be saved for another day; the point is there are more vulnerable autistic young people, who are easy to recruit into gender ideology and are harder to pull out of it.

In fact, the strong connection between autism and transgenderism is so apparent that the pro-trans crowd even acknowledges it. NPR  states uncritically, “Transgender and nonbinary people are up to six times more likely to have autism.” A 2021 study by the National Institutes of Health titled, “The lived experience of gender dysphoria in autistic adults: An interpretive phenomenological analysis,” begins by stating that “autistic people are more likely to be transgender.”

Colleen Cira, one of many likeminded psychologists with large followings on social media, cites these statistics: “Autistic adults are 8.1 x more likely to identify as asexual and 7.6 x more likely to identify as non-heterosexual. Trans and gender diverse adults are three to six times more likely be autistic than cisgender adults.” But her response to these statistics is not curiosity or concern; it is affirmation. She continues, “This neuro-queer community deserves to be seen and celebrated, so this Pride Month I am celebrating every queer and autistic person out there.”

Dr. Cira is not an outlier. You can find countless posts and websites of mental health professionals and institutions with a similar sentiment. Even autism organizations such as Autism Speaks promote so-called gender-affirming care as the only valid treatment for the population in which it claims to specialize. Never once do these professionals question why so many autistic people claim a trans identity. To them, the dogmatic belief that any declaration of a trans or queer identity is real and true, no matter the context, is all they need. Their blind spot is so big they make Ray Charles look like a hawk.

It’s not a coincidence that trans communities love-bomb and provide a welcoming atmosphere for new recruits, something that easily attracts a lost soul who can’t figure out how to make friends. LGBTQ groups attract other “quirky” people who don’t otherwise fit in and provide a new sense of belonging. In addition, the trans community plays into the minority stress belief system, so the autistic individual can blame his or her problems on external oppression, rather than personal social deficits. 

The identity also becomes a type of shield for the socially awkward person. When the autistic person behaves inappropriately, he gets a pass because he is trans. And in many circumstances, he is given extra positive attention for being trans.

Finally, the trans culture provides a language and a script for people who can’t figure out the complexities of human-to-human interactions. Detransitioner Maia Poet wrote in her Substack, “My trans identity was the mask I wore, as an elaborate way to conceal the confusion and overwhelm I felt as I navigated the world encumbered by my autistic social deficits.”

For anyone who knows an autistic person, the real explanations for this connection are glaringly obvious, and it is not because autistic people were suddenly disproportionately mismatched with their bodies.

1. Autistic people struggle socially. They have difficulty interpreting social cues, understanding unspoken expectations, recognizing context-specific norms around clothing and behavior, and navigating social roles. Plus, they have trouble flirting, dating, and getting attention from the opposite sex. When you are truly different and get left behind, it would be natural to claim a “queer” identity instead of facing the pain of feeling ostracized. 
2. Autistic people have sensory issues, which makes body changes and puberty even more difficult than normal. Also, they may prefer baggy clothing, which in and of itself is enough to identify as “nonbinary” or “trans masculine.” Binding (or flattening breasts) may feel good, or it can seem like a way to control changes happening to their bodies. 
3. Autistic individuals often spend more time online than their peers, and many are drawn to activities such as gaming and online communities on platforms such as Discord, Reddit, Tumblr, and others. Digital spaces can feel easier to navigate because social expectations are more explicit and interactions can happen from the comfort and predictability of home. Features such as likes, reposts, and other forms of feedback also provide clearer social cues about what is rewarded or positively received online, for better or worse. Because of this, online communities can become especially influential during identity formation, and many young people are recruited to social movements and learn ways of understanding themselves through these digital environments.
4. Flags, symbols, and categories attract the autistic mind. They enjoy categories and ways to acknowledge details. The many trans/pride flags are a great outlet for those who experience the world this way. There is even an autistic trans flag, which appears like a targeted marketing campaign.

The most concerning aspect of the trans-autism connection is that many autistic individuals tend to be more inwardly focused and exhibit rigid patterns of thinking. Although much of gender ideology is not grounded in logic, it can still foster an inflexible mindset that becomes difficult to challenge. As a result, it can be especially hard to help an autistic person reconsider beliefs she has strongly adopted. Parents of autistic children face unique challenges in helping their children recognize when they may have been misled or influenced by systems and industries that financially benefit from reinforcing the belief that discomfort with oneself means being born in the wrong body.

Despite these obvious factors, NPR repeats in its article that “researchers are working to understand the connection” as if it is a complete mystery.

My profession used to understand that vulnerable people often seek certainty, categories, belonging, and explanations for pain. We once recognized that distress can be real while the explanation for that distress may still deserve exploration. Somehow, in this one area, psychology and medicine forget their own principles, pretend to ignore the obvious, and continue to remain obtuse.

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Pamela Garfield-Jaeger, LCSW, is a licensed therapist. She is the author of “A Practical Response to Gender Distress: Tips and Tools for Family” and “Froggy Girl.” You can find her on Instagram at @the.truthfultherapist, X as @pgarfieldjaeger, and Substack as Pamthetruthfultherapist.