The words cult and culture share a common Latin root, cultus, which means to tend or to worship.
This etymological link reminds us that what we call “cults” are not alien phenomena, but rather exaggerated or distorted forms of the same human impulse to belong, to share meaning and find purpose, and to build community.
In part one we looked at what a cult is – a group or movement with a shared commitment to a leader or an ideology, and which uses manipulative techniques of control and persuasion to isolate and dominate members. In part two we examined how information control is a critical and overarching aspect of cult control. Without accurate information we cannot think independently and our ability to make sensible decisions is completely undermined.
According to cult experts Robert Lifton, Janja Lalich, and Steve Hassan, there are several other defining features of cults, all of which bear consideration in the context of the trans movement.
Ideological Totalism and Belief Restructuring
The doctrine or sacred science of trans ideology is that man/woman/both/neither is determined by how you feel rather than by your actual biology; that it’s possible to be born in the wrong body – one that doesn’t match your feeling of maleness, femaleness or otherness (that is, your gender identity); and when this happens it’s possible to change sex.
Psychological Manipulation
Emotional dependence and fear are central to the maintenance of control within a cult. Members are manipulated through guilt, shame, fear, and reward. Love-bombing – described by Steve Hassan as “the use of excessive affection, attention, and flattery” – is a powerful recruitment and retention tool.
Behaviour Control
Behaviour control in this context takes the form of social and institutional pressure to use correct, affirmative language and preferred pronouns, and to display visible symbols of support such as badges or flags.
Bounded Choice
The cultic influence is not just external pressure, but internalised mental confinement, so people believe they are acting freely, but all choices are actually constrained by the group’s ideology.
Questioning medicalisation of gender dysphoria is seen as transphobic, and therapy to explore the underlying causes of distress is considered akin to conversion therapy.
What feels like a self-directed, autonomous decision – to transition – is in fact made within a bounded framework. The only option is the one that aligns with the prevailing ideology.
How Did We Get Here?
The digital landscape is fertile ground for modern cults – a massive audience of susceptible people combined with algorithms, targeted marketing, and manipulative online techniques similar to those used in traditional cults has created the perfect storm.