In August, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) released a report that detailed what we already knew: those who hold left-wing authoritarian beliefs and adhere to radical gender ideology are more likely to justify political violence.
Here's more from the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health:
The preregistered survey of 1,208 U.S. adults found that stronger endorsement of so-called “gender-affirming” clinical positions was substantially associated with higher levels of left-wing authoritarianism, including after accounting for political identity and age. Both measures were also associated with greater justification of political violence across six scenarios.
“This study raises important questions about what happens when ideology is given the authority of medicine,” said Admiral Brian Christine. “The association between sex-rejecting clinical beliefs, authoritarian attitudes, and the justification of political violence warrant serious scientific scrutiny. HHS will continue to pursue rigorous research that examines these relationships and gives the American people the evidence they deserve.”
To conduct the HHS-commissioned study, researchers from Rutgers University, the Manhattan Institute, and the Network Contagion Research Institute developed a Clinical Gender Affirmation Scale (CGAS) based on positions derived from guidance issued by the American Psychological Association, American Psychiatric Association, World Professional Association for Transgender Health, and American Academy of Pediatrics.
The scale measured endorsement of five positions related to “transgender identity,” names and pronouns, and parental support.
The study showed that people who scored higher on left-wing authoritarianism were substantially more likely to approve of political violence. The same results were prevalent among those who "endorsed sex-rejecting positions," although "generally weaker" than they were among those who embraced left-wing authoritarianism.
"The authors propose that sex-rejecting beliefs may function as an ideological framework through which left-wing authoritarian tendencies become focused on specific perceived threats, outgroups, and forms of institutional action," the report said. "They further propose that clinical and professional institutions may lend authority to a framework that identifies victims, sources of harm and responses to harm, potentially providing people already disposed toward authoritarianism with moral justification for coercive or punitive action."
Colin Wright worked on the report and announced its release on August 26.
🚨BREAKING: Our new HHS report—"Where the Clinic Meets the Movement: Does Gender Ideology Arm Left-Wing Authoritarian Psychology?"—is out!
— Colin Wright (@SwipeWright) August 26, 2026
For decades, psychological research has looked at opposition to transgender ideology through a lens of prejudice and right-wing… pic.twitter.com/yaNJ6DPNVI
Wright then tracked the Left's response to the report, which went exactly as we expected. In short, they were not happy about it, and they lied about what the report said.
Just a minor clarification: Our HHS report did not conclude that "using someone's pronouns makes you a terrorist," because that would be totally absurd.
— Colin Wright (@SwipeWright) September 1, 2026
Read it for yourself (link below) and you'll see why they feel the need to just make stuff up!
🔗https://t.co/SCEstQqklj pic.twitter.com/YKPnCjxsEi
The report doesn't say that at all, of course.
The Left also claimed it was an attack on trans people, even though it wasn't about trans people at all, but those who support "sex-rejecting" beliefs.
This is a hilariously absurd attack on our HHS report.
— Colin Wright (@SwipeWright) August 31, 2026
"It included a grant total of 13 transgender people."
Our report was NOT about trans people and their views, and it never claimed to be.
Our survey was designed to capture the views of a representative sample of Americans.… pic.twitter.com/auX5mMgoBd
"Our survey was designed to capture the views of a representative sample of Americans. Since only about ~1% of Americans identify as transgender, it shouldn't come as a surprise that 1.1% of the participants in our survey identified as transgender," Wright noted on X.
A lot of the hate and negative coverage came from the cesspool that is BlueSky.
The Bluesky crowd is spreading lies about our HHS report.
— Colin Wright (@SwipeWright) August 28, 2026
Nowhere in our report do we ever claim that "trans people are violent, authoritarian, anti-democratic, and extremist."
In fact, our report isn't about trans people at all!
We found left-wing authoritarianism and… pic.twitter.com/z0brJhzbVx
And now the leftists over on that cesspool of a platform are trying to get some of the authors punished by their universities.
Bluesky users are trying to cancel the student authors on our HHS report by writing to the university department chair, seemingly hoping that disciplinary action will be taken against them. pic.twitter.com/TOn6efBHye
— Colin Wright (@SwipeWright) September 4, 2026
The email reads:
I'm writing to call your attention to 'Where the Clinic Meets the Movement: Does Gender Ideology Arm Left-Wing Authoritarian Psychology?' This is a 'report' published by the HHS Office of Population Affairs, which lists as one or more of its authors students in your department."
"The report actually concludes that clinical guidelines might be a radicalization channel for political violence on the Left," the email continued, "Having read it, I've concluded that (a) the persons who wrote it have never had anything to do with the development of clinical guidelines and (b) considerable effort should be undertaken to ensure that this remains the case."
"I'd like to know whether the report represents the current standards Rutgers Psych maintains for scholarship, research and instrument design, and statistical analysis. I've attached the document, such as it is, for your reference," it said.
The best way to prove you're not an authoritarian is to not write to universities to get students punished. But the Left is incapable of that.
Trans and leftist extremists are seeking to punish the scholars who worked on the HHS academic report which found that adherence to gender ideology correlated with strong support for extremist political views and violence. https://t.co/7QNy1KJMjH https://t.co/zLpH8tV8Ro
— Andy Ngo (@MrAndyNgo) September 4, 2026
How many of the most recent mass shootings were carried out by trans or "gender nonbinary" individuals? How much of the Left's ideology revolves around implied or explicit violence towards those who oppose the trans agenda?
J.K. Rowling has faced death threats, boycotts, and harassment for defending women's rights. Minnesota Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan wore a "protect trans kids" shirt featuring knives. Other trans activists have vowed to engage in violence against critics and opponents, especially "TERFs."
We all see it, and this report proves there's a tie between left-wing authoritarian beliefs and political violence. We have polls that show Democrats and leftists are more likely to justify political violence than their Republican and conservative counterparts. This is known, and the Left doesn't like it.
Editor's Note: Do you enjoy Townhall's conservative reporting exposing the radical left and woke media? Support our work so we can keep bringing you the truth.
Join Townhall VIP and use promo code FIGHT to receive 60% off your membership.
Join the Conversation
VIP members get the ability to comment on articles.