Ep. 52: Ben Appel on Gender Heresy and Belonging

On We Made This Political, hosts Lura Forcum and Lauren Hall talk with writer Ben Appel about his memoir Cis White Gay: The Making of a Gender Heretic and how identity, group loyalty, and the need for belonging shape belief and punish dissent. Appel describes returning to school at Columbia at 33 after a career in hairdressing and personal struggles, and how campus culture, critical theory, and political sloganeering pushed him to question reductive binaries, self-censorship, and seeing government as good only when it serves “my side.” The conversation covers polarization, the lack of ideological viewpoint diversity in education, pressures to conform, debates within gay communities such as marriage equality, and concerns about medicalizing gender-nonconforming youth and the difficulties faced by detransitioners. Appel finds hope in stepping back from social media, connecting with people, and focusing on everyday respect and curiosity, including talking to Trump voters as fellow human beings.00:00 Talk to Trump Voters00:19 Meet Ben Appel01:53 Why Write Cis White Gay06:57 Parroting Politics13:14 Life Experience at Columbia19:23 Starved for Viewpoints23:23 Critical Theory as Dogma25:40 Binary Thinking and Trump31:54 Language Policing in Academia36:09 Identity Buckets Debate37:40 Growing Up Effeminate40:42 From Inclusion to Medicalization44:15 Critical Theory Distraction50:22 Performing Identity Wrong52:40 Gay Marriage Clash01:03:18 Detransitioners Aftercare Gap01:07:09 Finding Hope Offline01:15:05 Wrap Up and CreditsResourcesBen’s Substack Ben Appel’s NewsletterBen’s book, Cis White Gay This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit wemadethispolitical.substack.com