Gender Identity Ideology Conquers the World: Why Are Anthropologists Cheering?

Anthropology would seem the discipline least likely to adopt a universalist version of gender identity ideology, as the strongest versions of this ideology are so clearly an epiphenomenon of recent Anglophone internet culture. It is nevertheless the case that this paradigm has been institutionally embraced within anthropology and anthropologist dissenters like myself are subject to cancellation for our vocal skepticism. The present essay argues that this is due in large part to pre-existing disciplinary predilections, so that it is possible to speak of a local culture of anthropological cancellation. Because of this, when anthropologists eject critics of gender identity ideology, they do not see themselves as participating in a recent general “cancel culture” but instead as doing good traditional anthropology.