Tesla and SpaceX head Elon Musk shared in an interview with Canadian conservative commentator Jordan Peterson that his estranged transgender daughter, Vivian Jenna Wilson, fell victim to, or was “killed” by, what he described as the “woke mind virus.”
Musk claimed this influence led her to pursue gender-affirming care during the pandemic. The owner of X condemned gender-reassignment surgery, labeling it as “child mutilation and sterilization.” In a Daily Wire interview, Musk told Peterson, “I was essentially tricked into signing documents for one of my older boys,” referring to his child by their deadname. “This happened before I fully understood the situation, amidst the chaos of COVID. I was informed that my child might be at risk of suicide,” Musk recounted. Musk accused advocates of gender-affirming care of targeting minors who are well below the age of consent. He agreed with Peterson’s stance that anyone promoting such practices should be imprisoned.
“I was tricked into doing this,” Musk stated. “I lost my son, essentially. They call it ‘deadnaming’ for a reason. The reason they call it ‘deadnaming’ is because your son is dead.”
Deadnaming involves using a transgender or non-binary person’s pre-transition name. This practice is considered harmful, as it can lead to harassment and discrimination against transgender individuals. Musk claimed this experience motivated him to fight what he calls the “woke mind virus.” He added, “I vowed to destroy the woke mind virus after that. And we’re making some progress.”
On June 22, 2022, Vivian Jenna Wilson was legally granted her name and gender change at the age of 18. According to a petition filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court, Wilson attributed the change to her gender identity and a clear disfavor toward Musk. “I no longer live with or wish to be related to my biological father in any way, shape, or form,” Wilson declared in the petition. Wilson’s mother, Justine Wilson, a Canadian author, divorced Musk in 2008.
Although the phrase “woke mind virus” is still used somewhat loosely, it usually refers to actions that critics perceive as unduly progressive or “woke,” which they believe has a detrimental effect on society and the media.
In an interview from 2021, Elon Musk attacked this idea, calling it “arguably one of the greatest threats to modern civilization.” Musk has pledged to reinstate “free speech” on Twitter since purchasing the social media site in 2022 and has been sharing more and more conservative political viewpoints.
Gender-affirming care, which offers transgender and non-binary people a range of services to support them with their gender identity, is one of the “woke practices” he criticizes. Such care, according to some, is equivalent to child abuse.
Last week, Musk announced that SpaceX and X will move their headquarters from California to Texas after the former governor signed a law preventing schools from requiring employees to notify parents if students request to use different pronouns—which Musk said was the “final straw.”
Earlier this month, Musk expressed full support for former President Donald Trump following an attempted assassination at a Pennsylvania rally on July 13.
