What Is A Woman? Review of a Cultural Turning Point
The most important documentary of the year breaks the spell and is a reckoning for gender ideology
TRIGGER WARNING: CONTAINS SPOILERS
I am a progressive activist who has supported LGBT causes, rights and liberation my entire life. The modern iteration of transgender social contagion has caused me to revise my views due to the medical mutilation and disabling of healthy children. My commitment to second and third wave feminism is also quite offended by the stereotyping of women and young autistic women wanting to opt out of their sex.
I am repelled by the erasure of gays and lesbians from the rainbow coalition who shame them for their “genital preferences” and call them “transphobic” for not wanting to sleep with the opposite sex. It’s the “cotton ceiling” or the “boxer ceiling,” depending on whether lesbian and gay men are targeted. There are workshops for gay men to get over their aversion to vaginas.
I am not OK with being a nonconsensual NPC in older men’s autogynephilia for whom youth transition gives cover, the ultimate beard. When we ratify their illusion of womenhood, they get “gender euphoria” which is code for boners. I am not OK with children performing sexually suggestive dances in kid’s drag shows. Which also gives certain people boners. I am also not OK with the boners men get when they attempt to “chestfeed” infants, who become another prop in their urge to quell “dysphoria.”
Gender ideology destroys lives. I recently advanced that bold statement and laid out the reasons why in this essay. It is an overview of the industry and its effects. I talk about what they do not want you to know. So does Matt Walsh’s new documentary What Is A Woman?
There are so many aspects of the contemporary queer movement I find troubling, and you should too. Many of you do, but lack the information to fight back. Many of you lack confidence in your position on why this is WRONG. Knowing the truth will put you on firm footing in debates and make you immune to being slurred.
The term “groomer” is being disparaged as it relates to the injection of gender ideology in schools, but there is no other word for it. Children are being primed to question their gender, to find their true selves rather than learning to love themselves as they are.
WHAT IS A WOMAN?
Matt Walsh’s film, What Is A Woman? is a crash course in gender ideology that educates and shocks with the absurdities coming out of “educated,” “kind” and “progressive” people’s mouths. Their rejection of biology is astounding, akin to creationism, but worse, as it is amputating girl’s breasts as tribute/sacrifice on the altar of its religion.
The ideas and concepts these gender professionals speak of are ephemeral, based on feelings. Ben Shapiro, a founding member of the Daily Wire, who produced the film, is famous for saying “facts don’t care about your feelings.” As Walsh confronts the inconsistencies and circular logic of their arguments with relentless application of reason, you can see the expert’s frustration grow and they often become openly angry with his questions.
As the priestly class, they are not used to being contradicted or challenged in a principled manner, it is telling how many want to end their interviews. Walsh is embarrassing them. Not by playing unfair, as in Sacha Baron Cohen’s gotchas obtained under false pretense (though I have read Walsh was soliciting interviews under the banner of the Gender Unity Project), but a similar game of deadpan exposure done with honesty, sincerity and precision.
Walsh may not identify as a feminist, but his film is absolutely a feminist defense of women and children. He is an unlikely hero to take the reins of this movement, and his work builds on the backs of many women, notably the Women’s Liberation Front in North America and British/Irish/Scottish women who have been at the forefront and have suffered immensely for speaking out. They are feisty and defiant with J.K. Rowling the spiritual leader. Many have lost jobs, been arrested, faced tribunals and other legal action for simply saying men are not women.
AN UNLIKELY HERO
What Matt Walsh had was financing, steel spine and, dare I say, testicular fortitude to wade into an area where questioning the narrative will make you the target of relentless and vicious attacks. He is fearless, battle tested, immune to being shamed. Walsh is also an expert on the technique of the Obstacle is the Way, using opponent’s attacks to support his points in a devastating manner. This project, with a forthcoming book of the same title, is a massive flex.
His trolling nature provokes and exposes in the best tradition of activist documentaries. I am reminded of early Michael Moore who relied on satire of reality to make razor sharp points. At one point, Walsh drily questions how he could have “bought into the rumor all men have penises.” He is willing to make himself the butt of the humor when necessary, which it was, particularly in Kenya, where the people he met thought he actually believed concepts like nonbinary.
The comedy is often ironic, the contrast of ideology with reality requiring a deft touch in editing to retain integrity. Walsh is not going for laughs with cheap edits but by pointing out holes in sacred texts, or better yet, letting the believers themselves do so. The main question of the movie is “Does gender ideology withstand scrutiny?” It can’t, and Walsh “let’s gender ideology hang itself.”
In contrast, Don Sucher of Aberdeen WA and the Kenyan Maasai tribe provide authentic and pitch perfect foils to the ideologues. Sucher is firm, no pun intended, that he is a man because “he has a dick.” The Maasai concept of identity revolves around what they offer the community, not a solipsistic belief the world is what the self believes the world to be. To the Maasai, “a woman delivers, a man cannot.”
The tribe is a brilliant rhetorical move on so many levels because it is playing the game with leftist rules. How can the activist class call these Black people transphobic without being racist AND, worse, a cultural colonialist? A favorite moment in the film was Walsh reading his best selling book Johnny the Walrus to Maasai children.
BREAKING THE SPELL
Using humor is a devastating weapon against gender (and all Woke) ideology because of its ability to highlight contradiction through language. Ricky Gervais did this quite effectively in his recent special, SuperNature, when he chastised a rape victim, saying “Her penis, you fucking bigot!”
Some might be offended, but this is the reality female prisoners are facing when being housed with men pretending to be women. Or when crime statistics for women are rising in England because of the inclusion of transwomen in the counts. Strangely there has been a rise in female sexual abusers. Who could have predicted?
Dave Chappelle and Bill Maher have also been notably critical, Maher doing a segment questioning medical transition of children. It was a hopeful moment seeing a relatively mainstream progressive voice speaking in such a blunt and skeptical manner, calling children “cannon fodder” in the culture wars. Maher is influential and his editorial raised many questions that progressives are going to have to answer to.
These male comics are getting a bit of heat for getting more attention than gender critical women, who have been the point of the spear. They are slurred as TERFs, Trans Exclusionary Radical Feminists, for wanting to protect women’s rights. This slur dehumanizes women in order to justify male violence against them with frequent calls to “punch a TERF” or “kill a TERF.” How patriarchal.
Walsh role models flipping the power dynamic with trans activists, which is easier than it might appear. All you have to do to break the gender ideology spell is to not allow the spell to be cast. Say ‘NO, I believe in biology and you calling me names will not work.” Walsh states, “They only have the power we give them.” Walsh calls for a “united front” that “does not care” about blowback. When that happens, Walsh predicts the gender ideologists will “lose.” When you are not affected by their slurs, they have no other method of attack. You win.
People are rightfully afraid of consequences. On of the saddest parts of the film is the phone conversation with a father who has gone to jail and was fined $30K in his effort to protect his child from transition. Canadian officials claimed it was criminal violence to not use his child’s preferred pronouns. Other parents are losing custody and visitation rights due to wanting to protect their children from harm.
Anything less than pure affirmation by parents risks estrangement in their relationship with their child, which is incredibly painful. I have read many accounts from parents about their child cutting them off. I have also read accounts from detransitioners who speak about how the trans community encourages such estrangement, promising they are a new and more understanding family.
It is classic cult grooming technique to isolate a person from their past, and nothing does it as starkly as gender ideology to the point of calling your given name a “deadname,” never to be uttered on risk of emotional breakdown. Walsh touches on but does not deep dive into the manipulation the gender ideologists use against parents, the classic hostage taking question being “Would you rather a live son or a dead daughter?” It is a lie, but hard for parents to resist.
Parents are “dinosaurs” who simply are backward, uninformed or worse, “toxic.” Walsh does not speak to parents who encourage “gender diversity” in their own children, deriving social capital from making trans their identity via their children. It has been advanced that some of these parents, mainly mothers, have a form of Munchausen’s-by-proxy. They express way too much enthusiasm about their child’s mental illness.
The problem with gender dysphoria, and other mental illness as identity, is that there is no incentive to transcend toward health. To do so, is to lose one’s privileged place in the modern hierarchy.
Many detransitioners have cited the role of Oppression Olympics as part of their desire to transition. By rejecting their “privilege” as cis het white females, they get to be special by being “marginalized.” It is my conclusion that gender ideology is sanctioned self harm with schools conspiring to hide gender related mental illness from parents.
THE HERO OF THE FILM
Matt Walsh, his wife Alissa, director Justin Folk and viewers are united that the hero of the film is Scott Newgent, founder of TReVoices, Trans Rational Educational Voices, an organization that advocates against child gender transition. Folk called Newgent “the most important interview in the film.” If you are not moved by Newgent, you are dead inside.
Newgent is a lesbian who was pressured to transition in order to continue a homosexual relationship. His interview was candid and a refreshing palate cleanser after the fuckery of the priests. Many, including myself, admit to crying during Scott’s raw appeal to protect children.
A key moment in the film is Newgent revealing a massive phalloplasty scar where his arm was flayed to make a faux penis. Newgent speaks about the complications of his transition which include seven surgeries, one heart attack, a pulmonary embolism, a helicopter evacuation, and infections every three or four months. According to Newgent, there was no discussion of risks and side effects for these experimental procedures that have up to a 67% complication rate. Newgent believes these complications will eventually kill him.
Newgent cites five children’s hospitals in the United States performing this surgery at $70K an operation. Medical care for each transition can cost over a million dollars, including pharmaceutical hormones which are a lifetime commitment. Newgent warns, “it got me at 42, your child doesn’t have a chance.”
Predictably Newgent has faced abuse and death threats from trans rights activists but he too has the steel spine to withstand because of the passion and dedication he brings to his mission. His personal account on Twitter and his TReVoices channel on YouTube have been banned but Newgent is committed to “screaming louder” until childhood transition ends.
Newgent reports that the Daily Wire team was professional and the interview experience, while emotional, went well. He incurred great personal expense to travel to New York for the interview. My one real criticism is, given the importance of Newgent’s voice, Walsh should have made it easier on Newgent, traveling to his location. That being said, the trip was a hero’s journey of sorts for Newgent.
On social media, Newgent reports being humbled by the positive response the film has received and the level of well wishes coming his way. He says that it feels healing to finally have people listening to his message.
Some comments about Newgent on YouTube:
“Scott Newgent is the bravest person in America.”
“I’ve seen this clip multiple times now and every single time it brings tears to my eyes. The whole documentary was phenominal, [sic] but Scott was definitely the star, the hero, of the show!”
“I decided to look up pictures of phalloplasties to learn more about the skin grafting and whatnot... it's terrifying. Their arms or thighs are cut up like that, and it looks so disturbing. And those hospitals do it to YOUNG GIRLS. Oh, this is terrifying.”
“And thank you Scott for speaking up and actually telling the truth. Best interview in the film by far.”
“Goosebumps. Wow.”
The TReVoices website has Scott’s story, media appearances and resources for parents. Newgent is supporting a family and producing important work with moral authority on a shoestring budget, often spending hours counseling distraught parents one on one, labor intensive and emotionally draining but rewarding.
TRANSPARENCY: I have been a fan of Scott’s since I saw him on Benjamin Boyce’s YouTube channel. When he told me about appearing in a major film—in an NDA appropriate way, which I also kept confidential and I did not know it was Walsh until around the trailer drop—I wanted to support TReVoices’ level up.
Coincidentally, Scott posted a picture of his cat and a microphone. I told him THAT is is image to put on merchandise. I volunteered to design a series of images that TReVoices could use to raise awareness and funds for his mission. My goal was to produce an image that would be desirable, that could be worn in public without being obvious. I wanted it to have a “secret club” appeal, so when people saw others wearing the image they knew they have an ally. I also wanted an image that could provoke conversation.
“Scream Louder” is Newgent’s catch phrase, it comes from a time when his grandfather experienced the murder of a loved one and vowed to scream until justice was served. Newgent is honoring that legacy by making videos and other content, screaming for justice on the issue close to his heart. He is considering writing a book, but needs financial support in order to take on that project.
You can acquire a variety of merchandise with the Screaming Cat and Dog image at Newgent’s online store. He is selling basic t-shirts at cost and other items at a small markup. You can also make a donation on the TReVoices website. By donating you can become a force multiplier for someone who is dedicating their lives to stopping harm to children.
END STAGE POSTMODERNISM
I found it horrifying how pomo relativism around the concept of truth and reality has infected the general population as evidenced by the man on the street interviews where people constantly devolved to truthiness when asked what a woman is.
It is the priestly class however that take biological denialism to an entirely different level. An interesting philosophical concept was advanced by Carl Truman that gender ideology is the end result of making personal happiness the main pursuit of life, a goal reinforced by Hollywood, social media and culture. Academia, however, is the taproot of the weed, the intellectual cover, for what is rather regressive thinking.
Michelle Forcier, a gender affirming pediatrician, takes postmodernism to an absurd conclusion by saying we should let children, known for their unbounded imagination, define reality, giving cover to medical transition. The interview w Patrick Grzanka, a social scientist, drove home the absolute intellectual dishonesty that permeates the movement when he attacked truth as “transphobic . . . condescending and rude.” He argued, “when [children] tell you who they are, believe them.”
Gert Comfrey, identity not revealed but clearly a woman, denied knowing what a woman is because they(?) are not one. Marci Bowers, a gynecologist and leading proponent of surgical transition, corrected Walsh, saying she “is a woman, not a transwoman.”
Walsh maneuvers Bowers into a corner with transableism, expressed by the desire to be disabled, often involving amputation of a limb, which is still frowned upon in the surgical community. Bowers calls it a “mental disorder” and “kooky” without making the connection between that and what she is doing. She has acknowledged blocking puberty leads to sterility and lifetime inability to orgasm. Children are forsaking two incredibly important human experiences/functions without the ability to foresee how this loss will impact them in their future, particularly when it comes to relationships.
Bowers is balanced by Miriam Grossman MD, a psychiatrist who rejects the delusion that people can change sex or have a separate gender. Another contrarian view came from clinical psychologist Jordan Peterson who said “its not your business as a psychologist to affirm [a patient’s delusion].” Peterson says gender is “not a good word” because it is “not measurable” and relates more to “diversity in personality and temperment.”
Peterson is famous for his battle against pronouns as compelled speech in the university, saying, “you don’t get to control my tongue.” Part of the problem is an authoritarian control of language epitomized by the assertion trans women are women. There is the literal erasure of women, a genocidal cleansing of language to comfort a tiny minority that they are “included.” Mother becomes “birthing parent,” breastfeeding is now “chestfeeding.”
One based psychologist, Sara Stockton, says that there is an embargo on any discussion around trans issues that is not fully affirming. Dr. Debra Soh weighs in on the impossibility of doing objective research in the witch hunt climate.
Indeed, these treatments that are being mainstreamed have never been studied. It is a mass medical experiment on some of our most vulnerable, mentally ill teens caught up in a social contagion even Marci Bowers cannot deny while at the same time defending the next generation’s “tweaking the system.”
Even worse, the real uncharted territory of medicine for those who have been victims of gender ideology, there are no standards of care or even an understanding of the long term effects of cross sex hormone treatment.
Common sense tells us that forcing the body to go against its homeostatic hormonal balance will have drastic effects, one being an underdevelopment of the cardiovascular system due to puberty blockers. Bone growth is also affected, leading to advances cases of osteoporosis at an early age. Many detransitioners, including Helena, admit testosterone made their emotional problems worse.
GAPS IN THE FILM
I hesitate to raise these points as a critique, as the film is well balanced and contains a tremendous amount of information, but there were some gaps I would have liked to have seen explored. This could have bloated the story, but I feel these are also important facets to gender ideology that need sunshine.
The documentary touched on the horrifying nature of these surgical interventions but was not explicit in what it entailed. I can understand a desire to keep the film accessible for general audiences by not showing what can be very disturbing images. I discuss the medical harm in my earlier essay.
Another penis in the room is autogynephiliac men who get off on being treated as woman. They are some of the most strident activists and the creepiest, often into diaper or menstruation fetishes. I mentioned them in the open to this review and discuss the unique issues they present in my previous essay. They are a separate category of trans from the younger women, who rarely have a sexual paraphilia, and are often sexually avoidant until testosterone kicks in and they become promiscuous.
I would have liked a closer look at the business and marketing aspect of gender ideology, from drug companies packaging hormones in silver rainbow holographic packaging to make them look cool to Target selling binders to hand crocheted baby size packers - soft prosthetic penises for toddlers. There is a lot of money being made capitalizing on people’s insecurities about their appearance and pathologizing gender expression.
While What is A Woman? included clips of Helena, I would have loved to see Walsh interview her or another young person who was able to escape the cult (a rabbit hole for another essay). Many of these young women and men are incredibly articulate and have detailed analysis of what happened to them, how they were seduced and how they then were able to reject the movement. Notably, this is often happens when the girls reach their mid-twenties and their brain has fully matured. Kiera Bell is a notable detrans who successfully sued the Tavistock Clinic in England over informed consent.
Going broader, the movie did not mention conservative legislation to prevent child transition, which is seen as hate by the left, but is sincere in its desire to protect. One should not have to be a conservative to be appalled at the medical mutilation of children.
REACTION TO THE FILM
What Is A Woman? has been called a multi-phobic attackumentary and faced a coordinated DDoS cyberattack the night of the premiere that made it hard for viewers to access the film. Some are claiming the Daily Wire fabricated to cover for poor planning, but it is doubtful, as they would proudly claim the success of so many viewers if there indeed were.
The movie has a 98% favorable rating on the movie site Rotten Tomatoes with over 500 reviews. However, many, including critics, are refusing to watch the movie, and have complained about being forced to watch ads on YouTube. The usual slurs are being bandied. There are a couple specific attacks emerging as gotcha attempts but are really self owns.
One is that the Maasai practice genital mutilation which in their outrage they miss the irony as it applies to what is being done to teen girls in the name of gender ideology. Another one is an odd pretzel twisting attempt at mental gymnastics by accusing Walsh of child pornography because of a montage that shows social media images of girls after their mastectomies. The attempt to loophole only serves to undermine their point. It is beyond the scope of this review to unpack the problematic illogic of this one, which is being repeated near verbatim by multiple accounts.
A fairer critique is the paywall access to the movie which is currently available by subscription only. This is limiting access but is defensible given the quality and budget of the film. One can sign up for a monthly subscription to the Daily Wire for $14, which is reasonable. However, it would have been nice to be able to rent or purchase the film. I would like to see film in the theatres, community screenings and watch parties. This is an important project and I hope that their will be alternative distribution in the future.
The film is a work of art, beautifully shot and thoughtfully edited with deft use of humor especially in the visual jokes that give continuity to Matt’s journey into gender wonderland. The use of kitsch and irony provide a much needed break from the heaviness of the interviews. Walsh allows himself to look foolish in his pursuit of dialectic. To his credit he eats the still warm raw goat kidney offered as hospitality by the Maasai.
The dramatic arc reveals Walsh’s increasing frustration. As he gazes at his pushpin map of womanhood, he reaches a breaking point, smashing his chair against the bulletin board in an explosive display of toxic masculinity.
This transitions into the third act which shows Walsh fighting back, donning a red cardigan to pen Johnny the Walrus on a vintage typewriter and appearing on Dr. Phil to debate gender extremists who cannot break out of spiral logic.
Walsh also pushes boundaries by becoming “state fluid” and “identifying as a Virginian” to crash a Loudon County School Board meeting. He verbally shames them, calling them complicit, child abusers and predators. This was partially in response to a transgender MtF raping two girls in the school bathroom.
The movie ends with a perfect note of humor which I will not spoil for you.
Why does Walsh care?
“I care about the truth, I care about children, I care about women having opportunities stolen from them.”
RESOURCE LIST
TreVoices/Scott Newgent Transman screaming louder about child transition.
Billboard Chris one man superhero dad crusading against puberty blockers, find him on Twitter.
Abigail Shrier, Deborah Soh, Lisa Littman and Helen Joyce exposing gender ideology’s effects on vulnerable girls.
T The Story of Testosterone, the Hormone that Dominates and Divides Us by Carole Hooven
Christopher Rufo scorched earth investigative journalism when it comes to CRT and the sexualization of children
Buck Angel and Blaire White are two rational based trans people.
Helena and Kiera Bell and other detransitioners can be found on Twitter and Reddit.
Benjamin Boyce has a fabulous series of YouTube videos exploring gender with those on the front lines, both professionals and those who have transitioned or detransitioned.
The Famous Artist Birdy Rose and Jessica DeWahl are doing feminist art that critiques gender ideology.
Kellie-Jay Keen is a British activist who is gender critical.
Maya Forester is a woman who has been put on trial for defending biology.
Libs of Tiktok exposes educators pushing their sexual and gender ideology in the classroom.
Thank you for reading.
I recently wrote a long form series on my journey from left to right, which is more about the ground shifting than me changing.
Part I Strength as a Virtue, Self Censorship, Cancellation and Running for Office
Part II The Trump in the Room, COVID Policy and Gender Ideology
Part III Decriminalization of Crime, Normalization of Political Violence, Antifa, the Proud Boys and other Patriots
APPENDIX Red Pill Resource Guide
Candace Mercer is a progressive artist/writer/activist based in Olympia, WA. She reports on homelessness, political violence and public safety. She ran for Olympia City Council in 2021 with a bold and innovative campaign but lost. Her next project is opening a store for her eighties art, modernized for the culture wars.
Substack Newsletter
YouTube Channel
YouTube Media Appearances
Twitter @candiomercer
Email OlympiaFTW2021@gmail.com
Thank you for this review. I was a lifelong Dem until recently, and all because of the way progressives shut down good faith attempts at discussion of gender ideology. I paid for a month of at The Daily Wire, something me of 2 yrs ago would be shocked to hear, because the issues surrounding gender need to be addressed. I personally find Matt very funny, despite not agreeing with him on things like abortion (though I also disagree with the Democratic Party’s shift from “safe, legal, rare” to “abortion is NBD”).
You’re right that there is so much else that could be included in a film like this, & I think it’s important to keep in mind that this may be the only way the Daily Wire audience might encounter Scott Newgent, who I agree is the true hero of this film.
I was reading gender critical critiques of the film upset about the pickle scene because it is sexist (I thought it was funny & an an attempt to lighten the mood after the he heaviness of the all that preceded it). They don’t realize that they may have more issues on which they’d agree with Matt (in episode 963 of his show he speaks in favor of female athletes, praises feminist site Reduxx for their coverage while talking about their interview with a woman inmate in NJ, and rants against anyone in his audience who would scoff in response to a politician advocating for legislation requiring porn sites use age verification). Political tribalism has made us all dumber because most people won’t interact with ideas that counter their own beliefs.
Well written and very balanced. Open, honest conversations about this growing abuse of children needs to continue. What an adult chooses to do to their own body is concerning for their own longterm well-being – but the increased targeting of children is abhorrent and must stop. This "movement" hides behind coercion, delusion, and intimidation – often for nothing more than profit or perverse pride. This alone indicates it is wrong...and most people know this.