Texas is winning the war against ‘woke’

OPINION:

Through the regular Texas legislative session, noisy protesters filled the Texas Capitol to testify in support of a range of “woke” issues: the diversity, equity and inclusion ideology of systemic racism, nonbinary genders, biological males competing with females in women’s and girls’ sports, drag shows for children, and even defunding the police. Some challenged the legislators fighting “wokeness,” insisting that “woke” is merely a left-wing term meaning “stay aware.”

Even the left-leaning Associated Press Stylebook has accepted that “woke” is conservative shorthand for every crazy idea the left is pushing.

Texas lawmakers attacked those crazy “woke” ideas starting at their power center — college campuses — by passing the strongest anti-DEI bill in the nation. Texas closed DEI offices on every state campus, and prohibited mandatory DEI training and DEI statements to be hired. They also reined in Democratic-led cities with the “Death Star” bill that will prohibit city leaders from overriding state law. They blocked male athletes from competing with female ones on college campuses and prohibited children from being exposed to drag shows. Children will also be protected from cross-sex hormones, puberty blockers and sex-change surgeries before they are 18.

A new Gallup Poll makes it clear that the Texas anti-“woke” agenda is much bigger than Texas. Most Americans agree with Texans on these issues. The number of people who call themselves social conservatives has increased 8 points in just two years while the number of people who call themselves socially liberal is dropping.

To just look at one issue, support for “trans rights,” which affect those suffering from gender confusion, is falling. According to Gallup, the number of Americans who oppose transgender men playing in women’s sports has increased to almost 70%, about the same as the percentage of Texans who oppose it. Predictions by the left that “trans rights” would gradually evolve into broader acceptance, as gay rights have, seem to be off base.

The Washington Post reluctantly reports in its own poll that almost 60% of Americans “don’t believe it is even possible” to be any sex other than the sex you were at birth. Similarly, the Texas Polling Project also found that 63% of Texans believe that sex is determined by what is on your birth certificate.

Population data regarding “trans” people are suspect, but even with all the hype, The Washington Post says only about 0.6% of the population calls themselves “trans.” If you add in those who believe they are somehow “nonbinary” (some gender other than male or female), that figure increases to 1.6%. According to The Washington Post, 2.4% of the population is gay — although the number is much higher among younger people. As Bill Maher has hilariously pointed out, the number of young people who now say they are gay is escalating so rapidly that the entire population will be gay by 2054.

Interestingly, a Summit poll found that about 69% of Americans attribute the skyrocketing numbers of young people who suddenly believe they are the opposite sex to cultural infusion through the media as well as the influence of the health care industry, which produces puberty blockers and sex transition surgical centers. Regardless of the cause, the majority of Americans support Texas’ legislation that restricts discussions of gender identity and adult sexuality in elementary school classrooms.

Disagreement regarding so-called trans issues isn’t the total reason for the substantial shift toward social conservatism among Americans. Progressives pushing ideas that all American and Texas history is a lie, that White supremacy is ubiquitous, and that racism is in America’s DNA are also chief causes. So is defunding the police, even as our cities are being destroyed by crime.

Ignoring predictable progressive charges of racism and transphobia, Texas lawmakers took on the “woke” insanity, and they won. They took significant steps to return reason and free speech to our college campuses, protect our children and women’s sports, and help restore safety and vitality to our cities. The numbers in the latest Gallup Poll showing an increase in social conservatism make it clear that Americans across the country would like to see more of the same in their states.

• Sherry Sylvester is a distinguished senior fellow at the Texas Public Policy Foundation and the former senior adviser to Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick.