CPAC speaker and Daily Wire host Michael Knowles calls for ‘transgenderism to be eradicated’
Daily Wire host Michael Knowles says ‘transgenderism must be eradicated’ at conservative conference (CPAC/Twitter)
Right-wing news host Michael Knowles has called for “transgenderism” to be eradicated.
Speaking at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) on Saturday (4 March), Knowles, who hosts a show on conservative news website The Daily Wire, claimed that “transgenderism” should be eradicated from public life, claiming that it would be “for the good of society”.
He told the audience: “There can be no middle way in dealing with transgenderism. It is all or nothing.”
Knowles also denied that transgender people can truly transition, claiming that “we should not indulge” them living their lives freely.
Although there was a smattering of applause at CPAC, Knowles has has faced fierce criticism for his speech, both for the outdated term “transgenderism” and for what some have described as “genocidal” intent towards the trans community.
Harvard clinical law instructor Alejandra Caraballo commented: “What exactly do you think ‘eradication’ entails? If you ever wondered how we get from hate speech to genocide, this is it.”
Michael Knowles has previously defended his statements by stating that his views are not genocidal because he believes being trans is “not a legitimate category of being”.
In February, he lauded new legislation in Kansas. The Women’s Bill of Rights defines a woman as someone “whose biological reproductive system is developed to produce ova”, while a man is now defined as someone “whose reproductive system is developed to fertilise the ova of a female”.
Knowles responded by saying: “This is a beautiful bill because it doesn’t just say ‘don’t trans the kids’. It doesn’t just say ‘wait till eight to introduce kids to transgenderism in schools… it bans transgenderism for all practical purposes in the state for everybody.
“I love this bill because it is so much more aggressive than the other bills we’ve seen.”
The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) slammed the bill, describing as an assault on the LGBTQ+ community in the state.
“This slate of discriminatory bills passed by the Kansas legislature amount to nothing but an all-out assault on transgender and non-binary Kansans,” said Cathryn Oakley, HRC state legislative director and senior counsel.
“The bills… demonstrate that legislators in Kansas are spending far too much time attacking the LGBTQ+ community and far too little time trying to solve real problems.”
