#43 Colin Wright- Evolutionary Biology, Getting Cancelled, and Journalism

Chatting with Candice
Colin Wright
Episode Run Time: 01:34:25

Colin Wright is an evolutionary biologist and the managing editor at Quillette. Previously, he held a post doctorate position at Penn State University. His views on gender opposed progressive ideology, which received huge backlash from activist groups. Colin’s critics had even gone as far as to spread false claims to ruin his potential employment opportunities. In April 2020, he decided to leave the academia in favor of a career in journalism due to the current political climate. In this episode, Colin and I delve deeper into the current gender ideology, the risks of exposing children to puberty blockers, and society’s obsession with identities.

[00:02:03] The sex and gender debate[00:06:36] Defining biological sex[00:12:05] Male, female, and intersex[00:14:49] Colin got “canceled” in academia[00:20:19] Denial of reality deteriorates institutions[00:27:02] Current gender ideology causes confusion[00:33:23] Exposing children to irreversible biological changes[00:39:25] Is gender dysphoria socially contagious?[00:49:56] Biological sex matters more in certain contexts [00:54:44] Exploitation of the flawed gender ideology[01:04:50] Dealing with mob pile-ons[01:15:13] There is no social justice without facts[01:24:18] Society’s obsession with identity
Sex and gender are two separate things: the former refers to your reproductive anatomy while the latter refers to your identity. Progressive gender ideology aims to tear down the clear distinction between the two. The liberals insist that biological sex, like gender, exists on a spectrum even though there is no scientific evidence for this claim.
Intersexed individuals do not fall into the typical definition of either male or female. Their physical appearance does not match their reproductive anatomy. Even though they are sexually ambiguous, it does not mean that there is a third sex. For a new category to exist, people must have a third kind of gamete.
People who deny the fundamental aspect of sex essentially deny reality. The current gender ideology is perpetuated through tribal thinking and social policing. Reality should be grounded in science, not politics. Intertwining sex and gender distorts what is real. If we cannot agree on the basic fact that sex is only male or female, then how can we tackle much more complex issues? Trust is slowly being eroded not only in experts and scientists, but in institutions as well.
Allowing children to transition into the opposite sex is also a subject of debate. Gender ideology can cause confusion in children’s gender identities. Parents are expected to unquestioningly affirm their children’s choice to transition. This is a very dangerous precedent since puberty blockers, hormones, and surgery cause changes that cannot be undone. We recognize that children are not yet fully consenting individuals but we allow them to make such delicate, life-changing decisions without parental intervention.
This is an example of how politics undermines science. Activist-scientists push their own agenda in their research and anyone how disagrees will be called out. Journals are reluctant to publish an opposite point of view for fear of “getting canceled”.
The irony of this whole situation is that gender ideology can be taken advantage of. There’s been stories of people who identify as trans in order to get what they want. Gender ideology is so focused on achieving social justice but its work has been counterintuitive. Blurring the separation between sex and gender means that all truth is relative. If we continue to avoid facts to prevent hurting feelings, then there can be no progress in any aspect of society. Denial of biological sex has consequences.

Links and Resources
Colin’s Twitter https://twitter.com/SwipeWright
Colin’s Instagram https://www.instagram.com/swipewrightfitness/
Colin’s Newsletter colinwright.substack.com