There's a lot of factors tbh but I think one is that conservatives hate science. They've hated it ever since it said that evolution is real, and most US conservatives continue to deny that evolution is real. They see science as something that is fundamentally opposed to their religious identities, and which is constantly trying to expand into areas where it "doesn't belong," (outside of "hard" sciences). Of course it's not limited to evolution, but generally there's a large, influential section of conservatives who want to discredit science in general (polls generally show around 30-40% of Americans are just straight up evolution deniers), in hopes of winning that age old culture war, and of course the whackjobs' interests are aligned with money that wants to pretend climate change isn't real.
The science is all very clear on trans people existing, the efficacy of hormone therapy, and the importance of social acceptance and support. But you have this population that is primed to distrust science and is actively looking to discredit it, especially when it introduces them to something outside of their experience and asks them to change their behavior. The same factor is also observable in the anti-mask, anti-vaccine sentiment. It wasn't just that people didn't want to wear masks, it was also that they wanted to make the case that science was being unreasonable and stepping out of its lane.
I singled out evolution because its a very classic and influencial example, but while it's arguably the father of the movement, "Hate on trans people to discredit science so people come back to church" is only one part of that anti-science movement which is in turn only one part of transphobia. There's also a whole ecosystem of grifters selling fake medicine and such, and people just in it for the clout, and people who buy into the anti-intellectualism but become doomers about it like the "eat bugs and live in a pod" types.
Like I said I think there's a lot of factors and that's not necessarily the biggest one but it's an angle I don't see talked about much so that's my contribution.
I have a mild thought that pushing anti-science is a way of having a ready population of people that will respond viscerally to any infringement of property rights. The propertied class will periodically butt up against something that the scientific community will say is damaging. Having people already primed to hate science is very useful for reigning in any regulations.
Modern version of how the anti-religious sentiment in the founding fathers was partly because religion was one of the bulwarks against what could be done with slaves.
There's a lot of factors tbh but I think one is that conservatives hate science. They've hated it ever since it said that evolution is real, and most US conservatives continue to deny that evolution is real. They see science as something that is fundamentally opposed to their religious identities, and which is constantly trying to expand into areas where it "doesn't belong," (outside of "hard" sciences). Of course it's not limited to evolution, but generally there's a large, influential section of conservatives who want to discredit science in general (polls generally show around 30-40% of Americans are just straight up evolution deniers), in hopes of winning that age old culture war, and of course the whackjobs' interests are aligned with money that wants to pretend climate change isn't real.
The science is all very clear on trans people existing, the efficacy of hormone therapy, and the importance of social acceptance and support. But you have this population that is primed to distrust science and is actively looking to discredit it, especially when it introduces them to something outside of their experience and asks them to change their behavior. The same factor is also observable in the anti-mask, anti-vaccine sentiment. It wasn't just that people didn't want to wear masks, it was also that they wanted to make the case that science was being unreasonable and stepping out of its lane.
I singled out evolution because its a very classic and influencial example, but while it's arguably the father of the movement, "Hate on trans people to discredit science so people come back to church" is only one part of that anti-science movement which is in turn only one part of transphobia. There's also a whole ecosystem of grifters selling fake medicine and such, and people just in it for the clout, and people who buy into the anti-intellectualism but become doomers about it like the "eat bugs and live in a pod" types.
Like I said I think there's a lot of factors and that's not necessarily the biggest one but it's an angle I don't see talked about much so that's my contribution.
I have a mild thought that pushing anti-science is a way of having a ready population of people that will respond viscerally to any infringement of property rights. The propertied class will periodically butt up against something that the scientific community will say is damaging. Having people already primed to hate science is very useful for reigning in any regulations.
Modern version of how the anti-religious sentiment in the founding fathers was partly because religion was one of the bulwarks against what could be done with slaves.