This article covers a heated online clash between Elon Musk and California Governor Gavin Newsom, sparked when Newsom’s press office mocked Musk by referencing his estranged transgender daughter, Vivian Jenna Wilson (photo).
In response, Musk referred to Vivian as his “son” and described her identity as the result of a “tragic mental illness” caused by what he calls the “woke mind virus.” His wording drew widespread backlash, with many criticizing him for misgendering his daughter and publicly framing her transition as pathology.
The dispute reignited public attention on Musk and Wilson’s long‑strained relationship, including her legal name change, her efforts to distance herself from him, and her criticisms of his politics.
In a highly contentious vote on December 17, 2025, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill that would impose federal felony penalties on healthcare providers who offer gender-affirming medical care to transgender minors, marking the first time a national trans youth healthcare ban has cleared a chamber of Congress.
A new Justice Department memo from Attorney General Pam Bondi instructs the FBI to create a “cash reward system” to incentivize providing information against domestic terrorists. However, it also makes it clear that the targets of such domestic terrorist investigations will be “Antifa-aligned extremists,” including those promoting “radical gender ideology.”
Civil rights attorney Iris Halpern describes the surge in bans as a “manufactured crisis” orchestrated by conservative groups like Moms for Liberty, which pressure local authorities to censor materials. Nationally, hundreds of challenges have been recorded, mostly against books about race, sexual health, and gender identity. At the same time, librarians such as Suzette Baker and Erin Spivey are collaborating with the ACLU and lawmakers, helping pass protections like California’s Freedom to Read Act and framing libraries as crucial democratic spaces where everyone deserves access to information.
