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Elon Musk has condemned so-called "gender-affirming care" practitioners for effectively "killing" his son — by tricking the billionaire into authorizing puberty-blocking treatments out of fear the then-teenager would otherwise commit suicide. In remarks made Monday, Musk said the devastating experience fueled his commitment to "destroy the woke mind virus." 

Musk shared his candid thoughts about what happened to his son in a Monday conversation with psychologist and commentator Jordan Peterson, which was streamed live on X and the Daily Wire. 

The specter of suicide is frequently introduced by practitioners who recommend gender change therapies. When pressuring parents to go along, they often present a disturbing choice, typically phrased as "would you rather have a dead son or a living daughter?"

Happier times: Musk with ex-wife Justine and twins Xavier (circled) and Griffin (via New York Post)

The assumed link between gender dysphoria and suicide, however, has come under fire — and not only from laypeople. "Gender dysphoria per se does not seem to predict neither all-cause nor suicide mortality in gender-referred adolescents," wrote the authors of a Finnish study published in January. "[The] main predictor of mortality in this population is psychiatric morbidity…Medical gender reassignment does not have an impact on suicide risk."

"[The suicide threat] was a lie right from the outset," observed Peterson. Musk replied, "Incredibly evil, and I agree with you that the people that have been promoting this should go to prison," and added, "It wasn't explained to me that puberty blockers are actually just sterilization drugs."  

Summing up the effect of the process on his life and his child, Musk invoked the term "deadnaming," which is used to describe referring to a transitioned person by their previous name: 

Born as Xavier, Musk's son now goes by Vivian Jenna Wilson. When petitioning for the name change, Vivian said it was sparked by “gender identity and the fact that I no longer live with or wish to be related to my biological father in any way, shape or form.” Last year, Musk characterized the split as even more saddening than when his first son died as an infant. 

Musk told Peterson the experience inspired his resolve to obliterate woke ideology in general: "I vowed to destroy the woke mind virus after that." Putting his money where is mouth is, Musk has pledged $45 million to a Trump-backing super PAC that focuses on "get out the vote" efforts. 

Earlier this year, the UK's National Health Service barred private gender clinics from administering puberty-blockers to minors, declaring there is “not enough evidence to support the safety or clinical effectiveness.” The move was part of a broader trend in Europe to emphasize psychotherapy over hormones and surgeries.