The Seductive Appeal of the Cult of Gender

The rise of a modern gnostic religion

One thing that ruffles the feathers of gender activists is to call transgenderism or gender identity ideology a cult. In this post, I will comprehensively defend the thesis that modern transgenderism does indeed fit enough characteristics to be accurately characterized as a cult.

First, it’s important to note that contemporary scholars define a "cult" as a social group—often religious or spiritual in nature—characterized by devotion to a specific figure, ideology, or object and typically marked by distinctive beliefs or practices that set it apart from mainstream society. However, the term is less commonly used in academic circles today due to its pejorative baggage. Instead, scholars often prefer neutral terms like "new religious movement" (NRM) to describe such groups without implying judgment.

So, while the term “cult” might upset trans people because nobody wants to think of themselves as belonging to a cult, what I will be arguing is that gender identity ideology constitutes a new religious movement.

• Recent Origin

  • NRMs typically emerge within the last few centuries, often in response to social, cultural, or spiritual upheaval (e.g., industrialization, globalization, or disillusionment with mainstream religion).

  • The modern cult of trans is of recent origin, being precipitated mainly by the development of technological inventions such as synthetic cross-sex hormones and modern surgical techniques.

  • Trans people will sometimes say things like “trans people have always existed,” but what they mean is that people with gender incongruence have always existed. What’s recent is how people with gender incongruence understand themselves through the framework of “gender identity,” defined as a subjective transcendental sense of one’s true gender, along with all the modern “neogenders” and the insistence that “trans women are women” where a woman is defined as “anyone who identifies as a woman.”

• Charismatic Leadership

  • A central figure—founder, prophet, or guru—often claims divine inspiration, special knowledge, or a unique mission.

  • While the religion of gender does not necessarily have a single charismatic leadership, the movement does idolize specific figures as having an almost holy, sacrosanct status in the religion’s origin stories, such as Marsha P. Johnson or Sylvia Rivera.

  • And while not a person per se, organizations such as WPATH are upheld as sacrosanct

  • Trans activists and influencers such as Contrapoints have a sacrosanct status in the community

• Distinctive Beliefs or Practices

  • NRMs often reject or reinterpret mainstream religious doctrines, offering novel cosmologies, eschatologies (end-times beliefs), or spiritual techniques.

  • The cult of gender definition has its own unique “spiritual techniques” such as:

    • Pronoun circles

    • Sacred mantras

      • “Trans women are women”

      • “Protect trans kids”

      • “Trans rights are human rights”

    • Holy Days

      • Trans Day of Visibility

      • Trans Day of Remembrance

      • National Coming Out Day (borrowed from the broader LGBT movement)

      • Transgender Awareness Week

    • Celebrating “HRT anniversaries”

  • The cult of gender also has its own special doctrines

    • A woman is anyone who identifies as a woman

    • There are more than two sexes/genders

    • Trans women competing in sports is always fair no matter what

• Small Scale or Marginal Status

  • Many NRMs begin with a limited membership and exist on the fringes of society, though some grow significantly over time (e.g., Mormonism transitioned from an NRM to a mainstream religion).

  • The cult of gender has always used its marginal status as a point of pride, emphasizing that they are the most marginalized and oppressed of all identity groups

• Strong Group Identity

  • Members develop a pronounced sense of belonging, often reinforced by shared language, symbols, or dress (e.g., saffron robes in Hare Krishna).

    • An "us vs. them" mentality may emerge, with the group viewing itself as spiritually elite or chosen.

  • The cult of gender has its own shared language and symbols

    • “Egg culture” in online spaces like reddit

      • Related: an emphasis on “anime” or “uwu” culture

    • 4chan culture

    • “AFAB,” “AMAB,” “AGAB”

    • Transgender flag and all its nonbinary iterations

    • Pronoun culture

    • The “trans symbol”

    • Butterfly imagery

    • “Doll culture”

    • “Cisgender” vs “transgender”

    • “TERFs”

    • “Deadname”

    • “Passing”

    • “Clocking”

    • “Truscum”

    • “Chaser”

  • Cults often foster a powerful sense of in-group identity, where members are united by shared beliefs and expected to adhere to a specific doctrine. Modern transgenderism, particularly within activist communities and online spaces, exhibits a rigid ideological framework. For example, concepts like gender identity as an unchallengeable personal truth, the rejection of biological sex as a primary determinant, and the use of specific language (e.g., pronouns, "cisgender," "transphobia") form a kind of orthodoxy. Deviation from this orthodoxy—such as questioning the validity of self-identified gender or emphasizing biology—often results in accusations of heresy-like labels (e.g., "TERF" or "bigot"), mirroring how cults enforce ideological purity.

• Apocalyptic or Transformative Vision

  • Many NRMs emphasize imminent change—either the end of the world, a new era, or personal transformation (e.g., Heaven’s Gate’s belief in extraterrestrial ascension).

    • This urgency can drive recruitment and commitment.

  • The cult of gender is constantly preaching that they are in the end-stages of an imminent genocide

  • The Transformative Vision of the cult of gender connects itself to broader political liberation theology that aims to dismantle “cis normativity” in society to usher in a new political order. This connection to a broader political movement provides a sense that by becoming trans you are joining something bigger than yourself, which gives a sense of purpose to your life

• Eclecticism or Syncretism

  • NRMs often borrow from multiple traditions, blending elements of Christianity, Eastern religions, occultism, or secular ideologies (e.g., New Age movements combining astrology, meditation, and psychology).

  • The cult of gender heavily borrows from other social movements such as the civil rights movement and the gay rights movement

• Focus on Personal Experience

  • Emphasis on direct spiritual encounters (e.g., visions, revelations) rather than reliance on scripture or tradition alone.

  • The cult of gender teaches people to “introspect on their gender” to “discover their true selves”

    • Once you discover your “authentic self” you will have an epiphany that makes sense of your entire live and solves all your problems and give you a “transition pathway” to follow that will lead to your eventual happiness

    • This correlates with the idea in trans circles that “only you can know you are trans” or “nobody except you can tell you what your gender is” or “you are the best judge of your own gender,” emphasizing that the truth of gender is ultimately found through a process of subjective introspection into one’s interior consciousness

  • This emphasis on “internal knowing” and self-consciousness is the most gnostic aspect of the cult.

    • Once you discover your “true authentic self,” the pathway to enlightenment is defined in terms of a gradual process of manifesting that internal authentic self into reality until you are fully transformed and your body “matches” your true authentic self. This is a kind of gnostic salvation message where the body is a prison (“born in the wrong body”) and everlasting happiness happens when you fix the body to bring it in alignment with your authentic inner self, that is only knowable by you

• Opposition from Society

  • NRMs are frequently labeled as deviant, dangerous, or heretical by mainstream culture, media, or religious authorities, leading to tension or persecution.

    • This can reinforce group cohesion as members rally against external criticism.

  • Trans people constantly emphasize the fact there is so much “anti-trans” animus against them in order to prop up the legitimacy of their movement

• Indoctrination mechanisms

  • Initial Attraction (Recruitment)

    • Targeting Vulnerable Individuals: NRMs often appeal to those experiencing personal crises, alienation, or a search for meaning (e.g., young adults, the recently divorced, or the spiritually curious).

      • Young adults searching for identity and meaning, men going through divorce and mid-life crisis, young lonely people searching for community and a sense of purpose, autistic people struggling to grapple with their homosexual desires, are all vulnerable to the cult indoctrination

    • Love-Bombing: New recruits are showered with affection, acceptance, and community, creating an emotional bond (e.g., Moonies/Unification Church were known for this).

      • Love bombing is common in trans circles. When you first come out you are showered with praise for being “stunning and brave” and generally lauded in progressive circles

      • Newly out trans people are welcomed into the “loving and accepting” rainbow community

    • The group’s message promises answers to existential questions or a path to salvation/transcendence.

      • Figuring our your true gender identity is said to be a pathway to self-knowledge and personal salvation

  • Gradual Commitment

    • Low-Barrier Entry: Initial involvement is low-stakes—attending a meeting, reading a text, or participating in a ritual—making it easy to join (e.g., Scientology’s free personality tests).

      • Part of “egg culture" is to provide a low-barrier entry for people to “try on” new names and pronouns

  • Socialization and Enculturation

    • Immersion: New members are surrounded by the group—living together, attending frequent gatherings, or cutting off outside influences—to reinforce the worldview.

      • Trans people are encouraged to cut off contact from “transphobic” friends and family and instead only spend time in “safe spaces” that are trans friendly and support the cult ideology

  • Belief Reinforcement

    • Testimonials: Stories of transformation from veteran members validate the group’s claims.

      • Trans people are constantly sharing their “timelines” which go viral on social media showing their stories of transformation

  • Emotional Dependency

    • Isolation from Past Life: Members may be encouraged to sever ties with family or friends who don’t support the group, making the NRM their primary support system.

      • Trans identifies males are encouraged to divorce their unsupportive wives. Children are encouraged to go “no contact” with their “transphobic” family.

  • Identity Transformation

    • New Name or Title: Adopting a spiritual name (e.g., in ISKCON or Sikh-inspired groups) symbolizes a break from the old self.

      • Choosing your own name and deciding your pronouns takes on a spiritual significance

• Mechanisms of control

  • Authoritarianism

    • Deviation from doctrine is punished through cancel campaigns and ostracization

      • Doubting whether trans women are women or pediatric gender transition or sports will get you called a heretic

  • Surveillance and Accountability

    • Peer Monitoring: Group members police each other, reporting deviations to leadership.

      • The cult of gender will monitor your speech and social media for signs you are deviating from orthodoxy

  • Isolation

    • Social Isolation: Discouraging contact with non-members or labeling outsiders as spiritually inferior.

      • “cis people” are denigrated as “cissoids” or seen to be spiritually inferior due to their “cis privilege” that makes them hated as “oppressors”

  • Economic Dependence

    • Members may donate significant funds, work for the group, or relinquish personal assets (e.g., Unification Church’s mass weddings often came with financial commitments).

      • The use of crowd funding like Go Fund Me’s for surgery or paying bills is common

  • Information Control

    • Restricted Access: Outside media, books, or ideas are banned or disparaged as corrupt (e.g., Heaven’s Gate’s rejection of mainstream culture).

      • Internal Propaganda: The group’s narrative is the only trusted source of truth.

      • In trans culture, if you merely follow on social media “heretics” like Blaire White you are seen as suspicious.

      • Opponents to the cult can never be platformed or engaged with.

  • Behavioral Regulation

    • Strict rules govern diet, dress, sex, sleep, or speech (e.g., Jehovah’s Witnesses’ prohibitions on holidays or blood transfusions).

    • Noncompliance may lead to ostracism or punishment.

    • Behaviors like “deadnaming” and “misgendering” are regulated and punished

  • Fear and Guilt

    • Eschatological Threats: Leaving the group might mean damnation, missing salvation, or cosmic consequences (e.g., Heaven’s Gate’s comet-based ultimatum).

      • Emotional Manipulation: Guilt is leveraged to keep members in line, framing exit as betrayal of the leader or community.

    • Detransitioners are often labeled as “traitors”

  • Exit Costs

    • Shunning: Departing members are cut off from the community (e.g., Scientology’s "disconnection" policy).

      • Stigma: Ex-members face reputational damage or difficulty reintegrating into society.

    • Detransitioners often face total ostracism from their LGBT communities and face reputational damage

• Rejection of Objective Reality

  • Many cults demand belief in ideas that defy observable reality, requiring faith over evidence. Transgender ideology sometimes insists that subjective identity overrides material facts, such as gametic sex or innate sex differences. The assertion that "sex is a spectrum" or that biology is irrelevant to gender can feel akin to a cult’s rejection of external truths in favor of an internal narrative. This highlights how the ideology prioritizes belief over empirical discussion, a hallmark of cult-like thinking.

• Emotional Manipulation and Social Pressure

  • Cults frequently use emotional appeals and social coercion to retain members and silence dissent. In transgender ideology, there’s a prevalent narrative that failing to affirm someone’s gender identity causes direct harm, such as increased suicide risk. This claim, while rooted in some statistical correlations, is often wielded as an emotional cudgel to compel compliance rather than invite discussion. The phrase "deadnaming," for instance, carries a moral weight akin to a cult’s taboo, implying that missteps are not just errors but existential betrayals. This creates a culture where fear of ostracism or guilt drives conformity, much like in cult settings.

Conclusion

Modern transgenderism, particularly in its most dogmatic expressions, shares characteristics with cults: a rigid belief system, social and emotional coercion, revered authorities, isolationist tendencies, symbolic rituals, and a departure from objective reality. While it lacks some cult features (e.g., a single leader or formal structure), its cultural dynamics suggest a quasi-religious fervor that can stifle dissent and demand loyalty—traits that align with cult-like behavior.