❓ WHAT HAPPENED: Support for gender ideology correlates with left-wing authoritarianism, according to a new study.

📺 DETAIL: Titled “Where the Clinic Meets the Movement: Does Gender Ideology Arm Left-Wing Authoritarian Psychology?,” the study was conducted by researchers from Rutgers University, the Network Contagion Research Institute, a non-profit focused on political violence, and the Manhattan Institute think tank. The study surveyed 1,208 U.S. adults. Researchers asked participants to respond to a series of statements to see where they ranked on the Clinical Gender Affirmation Scale (CGAS), a gauge that measures how strongly someone supports gender ideology. The statements used included: “failure to affirm a transgender person’s gender identity increases the risk of serious psychological distress,” “using a chosen name is a necessary form of support,” “people should be supported in expressing their transgender identity,” “parents should support their children’s transgender exploration,” and “using preferred pronouns is a necessary form of support.” Researchers then ranked the participants on the Left-Wing Authoritarianism (LWA) scale, a gauge that measures authoritarian attitudes, traits, and behaviors associated with leftism. A participant’s score was measured by factoring in political identity, belief in so-called “trans genocide,” the perceived threat posed by certain groups, and their willingness to justify six examples of political violence: killing President Donald J. Trump, killing Charlie Kirk, killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, committing arson attacks on U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) buildings, committing property damage against the wealthy, and committing violence against police officers. The study concluded that CGAS and LWA were correlated. “These findings suggest that gender ideology is associated with LWA [left-wing authoritarianism] and willingness to justify political violence,” reads the study.

🎯 IMPACT: While the researchers emphasized that it focused on correlation rather than causation, the study substantiates claims that support for gender ideology is associated with a willingness to justify political violence. The study also shows how support for far-left political violence relies on a permission structure stemming from perceived victimhood. The study concludes: “Finally, broader research on perceived victimhood, moralization, and political violence suggests that identities organized around grievance, perceived victimization, and injustice, when paired with authoritarian or punitive dispositions, can predict support for anti-democratic or violent political action… Taken together, these literatures suggest a common mechanism: ideological content that names an oppressor class, certifies ongoing victimization, and locates remedy in coercive institutional or social action which may supply authoritarian psychology with morally justified targets.”