According to Anderson, this phenomenon appears most prominently in circles defined by immense wealth and privilege.

“I started thinking about this last week when Jennifer Lopez’s 18-year-old child (born Emme Muñiz) appeared on their high school’s Instagram account using a new male name — Oscar. The announcement came after years of Muñiz dressing exclusively in masculine clothing and frequently appearing in public alongside a visibly delighted Lopez.

Of course, I do not know the Lopez family personally, and I have no doubt whatsoever that she is a loving and devoted mother. But as a parent, a clinical psychologist, a former board member of the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH), and a transgender person myself, I feel compelled to ask: why do so many celebrity children question their gender?

From the families of Cher and Charlize Theron to Elon Musk and Jamie Lee Curtis, the proportion of transgender-identifying teenagers in these circles seems dramatically higher than among the general population.

Today, in many progressive communities — and Hollywood is among the most progressive — refusing to support the trans agenda is viewed not merely as unacceptable, but potentially career-ending.

And yet, according to data from the Williams Institute at UCLA School of Law, only 3.3% of Americans aged 13 to 17 identify as transgender.

It is one thing for mature adults to consciously embrace a transgender identity, and quite another when teenagers declare a gender identity that may lead them down a path of medicalization — potentially altering their bodies through powerful drugs or irreversible surgeries. (I have repeatedly called for extreme caution regarding medical transition for young people.)

More than a decade after America passed this cultural ‘tipping point’ and saw an explosion in transgender identities, it is long past time to ask: have we gone too far?

Ideology Instead of Education

Schools — especially the highly ideological institutions often chosen by wealthy liberal parents — teach children about “gender diversity and identity” from an increasingly young age. In my view, this is entirely inappropriate.

In some classrooms, teachers suggest that “gender” is something children can simply “choose,” much like a favorite food or style of clothing. In my practice, young people increasingly admit they believe anyone can be any gender at any time, often with little understanding of the long-term consequences such decisions may carry.

Even more concerning is that, through overzealous DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion) initiatives and “woke” culture, many boys and young men have effectively been taught to feel ashamed of their own masculinity.

Among some confused boys, there is now a deeply rooted belief that there is nothing less desirable today than being a man — especially a straight white man. Unable to change their race, some see changing their sexuality or gender as the next best option.

This struggle may be particularly intense among affluent communities, despite all their resources and opportunities. In fact, it may be precisely because these children are born with abundance that they are more vulnerable to feeling their own lives lack meaning.

Desperately searching for purpose amid privilege, they look around within their elite social bubbles, envy friends applauded for coming out as gay or transgender, and ask themselves: ‘What about me? Who will I become?’

Public Transitions and Social Contagion

Some children witness parents who not only accept their transgender identity but actively celebrate it.

Certain celebrity parents treat the matter as a deeply private family issue — and good for them. But others, such as actresses Cynthia Nixon and Gabrielle Union, have made their children’s gender transitions highly public. That raises serious concerns, because it becomes far more difficult for young people to objectively process their decisions or reverse course after a period of experimentation.

Of course, not all gender transitions are permanent. We are now seeing growing numbers of young people who later detransition after realizing their original decision was mistaken.

A significant part of this confusion is fueled by social media. Powerful algorithms trap impressionable users inside ideological echo chambers and keep them there. It becomes a form of digital indoctrination that encourages children to question their sex often for no reason other than an influencer told them to.

This is social contagion transmitted through smartphone screens.

Fear of Being Labeled “Transphobic”

Meanwhile, parents — especially prominent and progressive ones — may feel pressured or intimidated into allowing their child’s gender confusion to escalate into full medical transition.

I have heard of cases where parents were criticized within their affluent social circles simply for seeking a second medical opinion after their child had been labeled transgender by healthcare providers or mental health specialists.

Competent, educated, loving parents today can become so terrified of being branded “transphobic” that they suppress their own parental instincts.

And it is into this atmosphere of confusion — and at times coercion — that young people are coming of age.

For now, Hollywood’s transgender “baby boom” shows no sign of slowing down — at least not until the privileged elite find a new form of self-expression, or until the consequences of misguided gender transitions become impossible to ignore.”