'Look, we've a queer child': Donald Trump's VP Pick JD Vance suggests affluent parents use LGBTQ+ labels for college admissions

During a recent appearance on the Joe Rogan podcast, Republican vice presidential candidate JD Vance made quite a few controversial statements on transgenders, pushing the narrative that the increasing number of children identifying as transgender may be driven by social pressure among white progressive parents.

In the three-hour episode of The Joe Rogan Experience, Senator J.D. Vance stirred up controversy with his remarks on gender identity, elite college admissions, and cultural dynamics among affluent families.?

Check out a clip from the podcast here:

Vance argued that some upper-middle-class white parents, especially those highly focused on securing spots for their children at prestigious schools like Harvard or Yale, may feel pressured to embrace progressive ideals, which he claims could include encouraging their children to identify as LGBTQ+.

“If you’re a middle- or upper-middle-class white parent, and the only thing you care about is getting your child into Harvard or Yale… the DEI bureaucracy is the one way that those people can participate,” Vance told Rogan, referencing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion initiatives that are increasingly prominent in many institutions.?

According to Vance, gender identity has become a “social signifier,” a visible means of aligning with what he calls the DEI “bureaucracy.”?

He suggested that some parents see this alignment as beneficial for their children’s future opportunities, especially at competitive schools where DEI values are emphasised.

Vance went on to argue that for certain parents, having an LGBTQ+ child may act as a way to display their own alignment with progressive ideals.?

“I’m just going to say it even though it sounds gross,” he remarked. “They want their kid to be a part of the LGBTQ thing because it looks like a flag of virtue that they can post in their front lawn. Oh, look, we have a queer child.”?

He also pointed to what he perceives as a trend in celebrity circles, saying, “There has to be some reason why there is an enormous percentage of Hollywood kids who are trans."

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