Episode Overview

Title: Most Americans Agree: You Can’t Change Your Sex
Podcast: American Thought Leaders (The Epoch Times)
Host: Jan Jekielek
Guest: Jonathan Butcher (Acting Director, Heritage Foundation Center for Education Policy; Author, "The Polarization Mythology")
Date: February 18, 2026

This episode explores Jonathan Butcher’s research on consensus issues in American society, focusing on gender identity, education policy, race, and the myth of polarization. Drawing on his newly released book and a major survey, Butcher argues that despite media narratives highlighting division, a large majority of Americans agree on core social and policy questions—especially related to gender, merit, and the importance of character education. The discussion examines the influence of activists, shifts in legal and institutional norms, the role of the media in perceived polarization, and the challenges facing contemporary education.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Gender Identity, Affirming Care, and National Consensus ([00:00]–[04:03])

• Medical Authority & Youth:
  • Butcher criticizes the push for children's self-diagnosis regarding gender while noting professional gatekeeping in other medical decisions.
    • Quote: "We don't allow young people to diagnose themselves with a sprained ankle or with pneumonia. But when they say they were born in the wrong body, we say they need to be socially affirmed..." (Butcher, 00:00)
• Recent Legal Developments:
  • Reference to a New York court case awarding damages to a detransitioned individual, Fox Varian, for malpractice after adolescent gender surgery.
  • Butcher: Professionals often rush affirmation without addressing co-occurring mental health issues like anxiety and depression.
• Suicide Narrative Challenged:
  • Heritage Foundation research cited; suicide rates do not, in fact, increase in states restricting youth surgeries.
    • Quote: "We’ve done research... it’s not true that suicide rates are higher in states that prevent these surgeries from happening to young people." (Butcher, 02:34)
• Medical & Social Shifts:
  • Emerging pushback from medical associations; potential for snowball/ripple effect from legal cases.
• Survey Data:
  • Clear majority of Americans disagree with the idea that gender can be changed; common rejection of male access to women’s spaces or sports.

2. The 'Polarization Myth'—American Common Sense Across Issues ([04:03]–[11:43])

• Public Consensus Is Real, Not Imagined:
  • On gender, sex, and schoolbooks: Most Americans favor restrictions on sexually explicit content in schools and reject fluid gender ideology.
  • On race: Majorities oppose racial preferences in admissions, promotions, and tenure, favoring judging by merit and character.
    • Quote: “There are clear positions supporting some pretty common sense ideas... that we shouldn’t have books with explicit sex acts on library shelves... or that gender is something they can simply choose.” (Butcher, 04:22)
• Radical Minorities vs. Quiet Majorities:
  • Media amplify activist views, distorting perception of division.
  • Butcher: “It’s a loud minority amplified by media narratives, while a quiet majority shares common sense beliefs about merit, family and community.” (Butcher paraphrased, 00:55)
• Historical and Policy Context:
  • The Civil Rights Act as a moral baseline—judging by actions, not immutable traits, is widely embraced.

3. Character Education, Virtue, and Parental Authority ([06:29]–[08:41])

• Survey Highlight:
  • 74% of Americans agree schools should teach character and virtue—the strongest consensus finding.
    • Quote: “Parents want character and virtue taught... courage, self control, wisdom. These are the kinds of things that you want young people to embrace so they can become civic members of their communities...” (Butcher, 07:28)
• Disconnect Between Schools and Family Values:
  • Dissatisfaction with public schooling drives support for homeschooling and educational choice.

4. Cross-Survey Agreement & Declining Trust in Institutions ([08:41]–[11:19])

• Multiple Survey Alignment:
  • Gallup, WSJ, NYT, Pew: Broad agreement on rejecting early gender instruction in elementary education; skepticism toward current public education content.
• Perception of Polarization:
  • Voters and the media overstate actual division; major policy issues see broad agreement.

5. Affirmative Action, Critical Theories & Meritocracy ([11:43]–[18:07])

• Minority of Activists Drive DEI and Racial Quotas:
  • Butcher traces the rise of “disparate impact theory” (policy is called racist if outcomes differ by group), especially since the Obama administration.
  • Quote: "Radical racial activists... hold racial quotas when it comes to discipline. And if the quotas are off, that's opposed to their policy." (Butcher, 13:32)
• Consequences:
  • Gifted/talented programs and merit-based advancement attacked for lack of “representative” group outcomes.
  • Butcher argues this “war on merit” undermines both high-achieving and at-risk students.

6. Critical Theory in Education & Civics ([16:55]–[19:55])

• Critical Theory vs. Traditional Values:
  • Critical theory posits a zero-sum struggle between groups; aims to redistribute rights/power.
  • Butcher connects critical theory to attacks on biology, sex, and civil rights law:
    • Quote: “Critical theory inspired critical legal theory... critical gender theory... critical race theory.” (Butcher, 16:55)
• Civics Education as Activism:
  • Shift from teaching foundational understanding to promoting protest and activism in schools/departments.
  • Quote: “Civics has been transitioned... as something that is about action... instead of reasoning on the issues, instead of finding out what the full story is.” (Butcher, 18:19)

7. Founding Documents, Equality, and the ‘Equity’ Distinction ([19:55]–[23:22])

• Reverence for America’s Founders:
  • Emphasis on Declaration and Constitution; government’s role to protect—not grant—individual rights.
• Equity vs. Equality:
  • “Equity” seeks equal outcomes, sometimes at the expense of merit; affirmative action can harm those it’s meant to help.
    • Quote: “You’re setting people up for failure because they won’t be prepared to handle that work.” (Butcher, 21:45)

8. Differences and Trends Within Ethnic Minorities ([23:22]–[25:24])

• Small Gap in Survey Results:
  • Ethnic minorities generally agree with national trends on merit, women’s rights, and civics—though intensity may be slightly less.
  • Rapid growth in homeschool rates among Black families.

9. Policy Under Current Administration & School Choice ([25:24]–[28:19])

• Federal–State Dynamics:
  • School choice expansion largely state-driven; the White House supports state-based school choice and two-sex policy stances.
• DEI in the Workplace:
  • Example of a chemist forced into DEI training; comparisons drawn to “brainwashing” techniques.
    • Quote: "...these techniques that DEI trainers are using are very similar to the same sort of techniques that unseat your allegiance to your country." (Butcher, 27:06)

10. DEI’s Expansion, Retreat, and Efficacy ([28:19]–[33:18])

• Corporate DEI:
  • After 2020, Fortune 500 companies rapidly adopted (then retracted) DEI commitments under legal and public pressure.
    • Quote: “It’s amazing how quickly their appreciation for DEI disappears.” (Butcher, 32:38)
• DEI as Ineffective or Counterproductive:
  • Large studies (cited: Washington Post, McKinsey, NYT) show DEI rarely achieves its aims, sometimes backfires.
  • Quote: “DEI training is brainwashing? I think it absolutely is.” (Butcher, 31:10)

11. Legislative & Legal Landmarks ([34:01]–[35:47])

• Major Cases:
  • Supreme Court’s Students for Fair Admissions bans use of racial preferences in college admissions.
  • Multiple states have legislated bans on gender-affirming care for minors, DEI programming, and men in women’s spaces/sports.

12. The "Success Sequence" & Poverty Avoidance ([35:47]–[38:51])

• Success Sequence:
  • Three steps: finish high school, get a job or degree, marry before having children; ensures high rates of avoiding poverty (97% success among Millennials).
    • Quote: "97% of millennials who did all three... were not living in poverty." (Butcher, 36:03)
• Non-partisan Support:
  • Popular across demographic and political splits; critics wrongly fear it stigmatizes single-parent families.

13. Media’s Role in Perpetuating Polarization ([38:51]–[43:35])

• Media Incentives & Emotional Polarization:
  • News, entertainment amplify division for profit; 24-hour cycles and social media algorithms reinforce confirmation bias.
    • Quote: "...media can instill fear... producing pieces that say... bunkers and stocking up on food because they're fearful of what the next civil war may bring." (Butcher, 39:27)
• Historical Examples:
  • Host draws parallels to small radical minorities seizing power in revolutions by inflating their perceived support.

14. Counteracting Division—What Individuals and Families Can Do ([43:35]–[46:52])

• Potential Solutions:
  • Restricting cell phone/social media use in schools; careful AI adoption; promoting deep education and reflection.
  • Encouragement for family meals, shared reading, real conversations as antidotes to division and misinformation.
    • Quote: “Dinner table conversations... has serious positive outcomes for participants.” (Butcher, 45:57)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On gender self-diagnosis:
  Butcher: "We don't allow young people to diagnose themselves with a sprained ankle or with pneumonia. But when they say they were born in the wrong body, we say they need to be socially affirmed..." (00:00)
• On media narratives:
  Butcher: “It's a loud minority amplified by media narratives, while a quiet majority shares common sense beliefs about merit, family and community.” (00:55)
• On character education:
  Butcher: "...courage, self control, wisdom. These are the kinds of things that you want young people to embrace..." (07:28)
• On critical theory:
  Butcher: "Critical theory, which is the opposite of what we would call traditional theory... believes that there is a zero sum game between those who have power and those who don't." (16:55)
• On DEI training:
  Butcher: “These techniques that DEI trainers are using are very similar to the same sort of techniques that unseat your allegiance to your country... DEI training is brainwashing? I think it absolutely is.” (27:06, 31:10)
• On the "success sequence":
  Butcher: "97% of millennials who did all three... were not living in poverty." (36:03)
• On antidotes to polarization:
  Butcher: “Dinner table conversations... serious positive outcomes for participants.” (45:57)
• On family and the nation:
  Butcher: “If you start with the family, then you can build the community, then you build the city, then you build the state, then you build the nation.” (46:49)

Important Timestamps

• 00:00–04:03 — Gender identity, Fox Varian legal case, and Americans’ views
• 06:29–08:41 — Character education, virtue, and school/family values
• 11:43–16:48 — Racial preferences, merit, and DEI critique
• 19:55–23:22 — Equity vs. equality and the harm of affirmative action
• 25:24–28:19 — School choice policies, federal/state dynamics
• 28:19–33:18 — Corporate and governmental DEI, its efficacy and retreat
• 34:47–35:47 — Lasting legal and legislative reforms
• 35:47–38:51 — The success sequence and social mobility
• 38:51–43:35 — Media, emotional polarization, and radical minorities
• 43:35–46:52 — Solutions: family conversations, education, and shared values

Overall Tone & Style

The episode is thoughtful, data-driven, and critical of prevailing activist and media narratives. Butcher, supported by the host, argues with conviction and appeals to common sense, tradition, and a shared American story while highlighting the quiet, cross-partisan agreement on key issues. Concerns about radical activism, critical theory, and the effects of media are presented soberly but with optimism for renewal rooted in family, virtue, and genuine education.