One of the most memorable showcases of the left’s inclination toward labels and identity politics occurred when presidential candidate Hillary Clinton referred to half of our country as a ‘basket of deplorables.’

In this context, those who did not support her candidacy were labeled as xenophobes, sexists, or racists. This episode highlighted the divisive nature of identity politics, which tends to classify people as either good or bad, privileged or not, oppressive or not, and measures the degree to which they are deemed deserving of protection.

Moreover, it underscored the left’s inclination to position individuals as victims, whom only THEY could save under a cloak of protection. Sometimes the cloak is a $1,400 check from the U.S. government. Sometimes it is a perky nylon flag with pastel stripes.

The ‘basket of deplorables’ incident left an indelible mark on politics and likely played a role in costing Hillary Clinton the presidency. It was a delicious gaffe. However, we are reminded daily by so-called news outlets and social media that we are not much more than an indelible label which is a permutation of skin color and gender. Each of us is held hostage in a basket labeled by progressive liberals.

One can visually represent the left’s modern identity politics through an ‘oppression pyramid,’ where different groups are positioned at various levels, reflecting degrees of marginalization and, perhaps, honored with a colorful stripe on the alphabet flag.

Straight white cis males are placed at the base, considered to experience the least discrimination and to be the most oppressive. They are the most devilish layer of the pyramid deserving of no flag or stripe. Above them are straight white cis females, followed by males of color just above white gays. Subsequent levels include females of color, non-binary individuals, and at the apex are transgender individuals.

The apex group is promised ultimate protection by the left, even if it necessitates the full weight of the government. (This past June, the Dane County Supervisory Board voted 25-1 in favor of declaring the county as a sanctuary for trans and non-binary people pre-emtping any future potential laws that could impede their rights. That’s a pretty nice cloak.)

In June, the CDC National Center for Health reported an increase in the suicide rate for individuals aged 10 to 24, rising from 6.8 deaths per 100,000 people in 2007 to 11 deaths per 100,000 in 2021. Additionally, CDC Youth Risk Surveillance Data indicates a significant worsening of adolescent mental health from 2011 to 2021. The national COVID response unquestionably had a detrimental impact on the mental health of young people, as they experienced isolation at a time when their drive for human interaction is at its highest.

Inarguably, our young people are not happy. They contend daily with the pressures of social media, bullying, a surge of hormones and new emotions, anxiety, insecurity, and more. In our woke schools, they are told they are racist, sexist, xenophobic, dripping with white privilege, or a victim of white privilege, based on superficial immutable appearance more often than not. Adolescents face a constant barrage of environmental pressures and many are understandably so desperate they are looking for the quick release valve.

In 2022, The Williams Institute at the UCLA School of Law published a report indicating a dramatic increase in the number of young transgender people in the US. The report found that one in five individuals identifying as transgender is between the ages of 13 and 17 years old – double their previous estimate – while the number of adults identifying as transgender has remained steady over the same time period. Currently, at least 1.5% of all 13 to 17-year-olds believe they are transgender. Unfortunately, sterilization is often a permanent consequence of medical transitioning for those seeking ‘gender-affirming care.’

The reasons for the rise in transgenderism in young people cannot be easily explained through natural or biological factors, as there is no apparent reproductive advantage in being sterilized, as far as we know. This lack of evolutionary advantage suggests that whether a person becomes transgender is primarily influenced by environmental factors, although there are vehement disagreements on this perspective, particularly from many on the left.

We all remember Rachel Dolezal, the white woman who declared she was black and stealthily became the president of the Spokane NAACP chapter. According to NPR in a 2017 article, it was impossible for Rachel to ever be black because she was born white and will always be white—she was born with an indelible label.

Transgenderism is unique in that an individual can decide to adopt this label, asserting at some point in their life that the day they were born a big mistake was made, and they were given the wrong color blanket. Ironically, race is a spectrum, whereas gender, based on XY and XX, is not. The left doesn’t doesn’t have a great history with correct science.

Identity politics is a primary driving force behind the surge in transgenderism. Without it, there would be no apex on the oppression pyramid, or an oppression pyramid at all. Embedded within this framework is the assurance of protection, membership in a revered class, and an untouchable status.

The allure of achieving untouchable status at the apex appeals particularly to the extremely insecure and troubled adolescent, and the adoption of the transgender label provides them with the means to ascend to the top quickly and unfortunately with very little questioning since it is not allowed to question gender. It is not surprising that transgenderism has reached a peak at this time given the rise in adolescent mental health problems. To the left, the pastel-striped flag is the ultimate cloak and superpower for which there is no kryptonite. This high-status label is accessible to anyone, and for some, the journey to the summit of the oppression pyramid is deemed necessary and worthwhile.

In contrast to the left, conservatives typically do not adhere to a hierarchical classification framework based on marginalization. They often view victimhood as self-inflicted rather than a function of outward appearance, such as skin color. Additionally, conservatives hold a binary perspective on gender, recognizing only two categories: male and female. Under conservative ideology, the oppression pyramid is essentially flattened, crushed by the principles of individualism, and the rejection of identity politics. The well-being of young people demands continual efforts to chip away at the pyramid until it becomes a heap of debris leaving nothing to climb.

While the left may be crafting cloaks for new victim classes, conservatives, in contrast, would only don the cloak of an American flag. That is all we will ever need.