Twitter, Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk marked the start of LGBTQ Pride month by dropping all pretense about his views on transgender people in the world he is no supporter of them.
In a series of tweets Thursday and Friday, Musk actively promoted a transphobic documentary produced by an extremist pundit, agreed that medical providers who provide care to transgender children should be sent to prison without parole, and declared his support for a movement to excise trans people from the LGBTQ umbrella.
Increasingly flirting with far-right punditry , Musk has spoken critically of trans issues in the recent past.
But his comments this week gave a particularly unrestrained window into his personal politics, which The New York Times labeled complicated not six months ago.
Despite bragging this time last year that his electric car company had scored 100/100 for 7th year in a row for LGBTQ equality in a survey on workplace inclusivity, Musk said he does not champion the whole acronym.
Totally agree, the billionaire responded beneath a tweet from an account called The LGB Group stating, We dont even want Pride Month anymore, we just want to be separated from the TQ+ cult. (LGBTQ stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer.)
Every parent should watch this, Musk wrote earlier alongside the film What Is A Woman? produced by far-right conservative Matt Walsh.
The film begins with the suggestion that women are mysterious creatures who proved incomprehensible even to the likes of astrophysicist Stephen Hawking and devolves from there. While it questions whether transgender people exist at all, it is especially critical of the idea that children can be transgender.
Now our culture is telling us that the differences between girls and boys dont matter, Walsh says in the introduction, which is interspersed with footage of himself standing on a riverbank in sunglasses, casting a fishing line as he muses about fatherhood.
Several trans activists accused Walsh of inviting them to be interviewed in the film under false pretenses last year when What Is A Woman? was first released.
Twitter initially moved to label the film hateful conduct. When one Twitter user accused Musk of stifling free speech, he responded directly, saying he had fixed the issue with the movie. The film was made available in full on the platform, and Walsh called Musks support a huge win.
Twitters head of trust and safety, Ella Irwin, resigned in the wake of the What Is A Woman? controversy, followed by A.J. Brown, head of brand safety and quality, according to The Wall Street Journal .
Musk also offered some clarification on his personal views, seemingly indicating that he has less of a problem with transgender adults. Beneath the film, he wrote: Consenting adults should do whatever makes them happy, provided it does not harm others, but a child is not capable of consent, which is why we have laws protecting minors.
Gender-affirming health care, however, takes place in a professional environment, and many major medical groups support providing such care to child patients, including the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry . Transitioning generally includes a social element that begins before any potential medical element.
On Thursday, Musk asserted that he would be actively lobbying to criminalize making severe, irreversible changes to children below the age of consent.
But gender-affirming surgeries are very rarely performed on patients under the age of 18. Trans kids are often prescribed puberty blockers so they have more time to understand their identities; the drugs have been shown to improve mental health in such patients a group that has been shown to have an increased risk of suicidal ideation.
Among his 10 children, Musk counts one transgender daughter, who said last year that she no longer wishes to be associated with her father. Asked for his response to her decision, Musk said that he had good relationships with his other children.
He added: Cant win them all.
Our 2024 Coverage Needs You
It's Another Trump-Biden Showdown And We Need Your Help
The Future Of Democracy Is At Stake
Our 2024 Coverage Needs You
Your Loyalty Means The World To Us
As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our news free for all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
The 2024 election is heating up, and women's rights, health care, voting rights, and the very future of democracy are all at stake. Donald Trump will face Joe Biden in the most consequential vote of our time. And HuffPost will be there, covering every twist and turn. America's future hangs in the balance. Would you consider contributing to support our journalism and keep it free for all during this critical season?
HuffPost believes news should be accessible to everyone, regardless of their ability to pay for it. We rely on readers like you to help fund our work. Any contribution you can make even as little as $2 goes directly toward supporting the impactful journalism that we will continue to produce this year. Thank you for being part of our story.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
It's official: Donald Trump will face Joe Biden this fall in the presidential election. As we face the most consequential presidential election of our time, HuffPost is committed to bringing you up-to-date, accurate news about the 2024 race. While other outlets have retreated behind paywalls, you can trust our news will stay free.
But we can't do it without your help. Reader funding is one of the key ways we support our newsroom. Would you consider making a donation to help fund our news during this critical time? Your contributions are vital to supporting a free press.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our journalism free and accessible to all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our news free for all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. Would you consider becoming a regular HuffPost contributor?
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. If circumstances have changed since you last contributed, we hope you'll consider contributing to HuffPost once more.
Support HuffPost Already contributed? Log in to hide these messages.