Navigating Gender Identity, Cancel Culture, and Free Speech in Gen Z with Simon Amaya Price
In this week’s episode, Jennifer welcomes Simon Amaya-Price, a Massachusetts-based advocate and storyteller whose journey through gender identity, activism, and the political landscape has captured national attention. Simon is a desistor, meaning he previously identified as transgender but later ceased transition to re-identify with his birth sex. He is a graduate of Berklee College of Music, a writer, and a speaker whose experiences have made him an outspoken critic of current policies surrounding pediatric transgender care, medical malpractice, and the broader reach of "gender ideology" in American institutions. Simon is actively involved in advocacy and has testified, written op-eds, and worked with organizations including FIRE, Genspect, and Independent Women’s Voices.
Simon joins Jennifer to share his personal narrative of growing up in Boston, enduring bullying, navigating gender identity, and ultimately choosing not to transition. The discussion delves into the controversy surrounding gender-affirming care for minors, the influence of critical theory and "woke" ideology in academic and medical settings, and the silencing of dissenting voices through cancel culture and social media harassment. Simon details disturbing interactions with clinicians, his firsthand view of medical transition among teens, and his thoughts on the intersectionality and extremism shaping today’s social climate. The episode covers topics such as the conflict between compassion and ideology, challenges to free speech, dissent within the LGBTQ+ community, and Simon’s vision for activist reform, future legal action, and eventual public service.
“If we continue on like saying everybody on blue side is bad and evil or everybody on red side is bad and evil, you’re not going to get anywhere.”
This week on Political Contessa:
- Simon’s experience with bullying and alienation in Boston schools
- The process of socially transitioning and joining support groups for LGBTQ+ youth
- Medical affirmation practices in Massachusetts and their legal requirements
- Why Simon decided to desist and the challenges faced during this process
- Cancel culture and violence aimed at dissenting voices in progressive spaces
- The rise and impact of intersectionality and standpoint epistemology in political debates
- The disconnect between voters’ views on pediatric transition and government policy
- The potential paths forward for American society and political polarization
Connect with Simon Amaya-Price:
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