NBC News faced sharp criticism on Twitter this week for publishing an article that argued individuals could change their sex and gender but not their race. The article’s logic was widely questioned, considering the parallel with the acceptance of transgenderism, which allows people to change their gender identity. Critics argued that if someone can identify as a different gender, the same principle could be applied to race.
NBC News introduced the concept of “race change to another” (RCTA), where individuals supposedly attempt to physically alter their appearance and genetics to become a different race. This notion was met with skepticism, as experts emphasized that altering one’s race was impossible. Many questioned the apparent inconsistency between accepting gender changes while denying the possibility of changing one’s race.
Tiq Milan, a Black transgender activist and writer, attempted to differentiate between changing gender and changing race. Milan argued that racial identity encompasses not just appearance, but also how people are treated by society. This perspective prompted critics to highlight the similarities between changing gender and changing race, both involving complex aspects of identity.
The article tried to provide further justifications for the disparity between changing gender and changing race, often leading to contradictory explanations. The Babylon Bee founder Seth Dillon humorously summarized the article’s arguments, pointing out the contradictions in claiming that race is both unchangeable and a social construct simultaneously.
Some experts proposed asking individuals interested in changing their race to reflect on their motivations. This suggestion paralleled the approach often taken when people struggle with their gender identity.
Critics, such as The Redheaded Libertarian, raised important questions about why changing one’s sex is celebrated and accepted, while changing one’s race is often considered ridiculous. They pointed out that both sex and race are biological traits rooted in DNA, raising concerns about the inconsistency in societal acceptance of altering these aspects of identity.
