Episode 1848: Francis Foster & Konstantin Kisin

Introduction

Episode 1848 of the Joe Rogan Experience featured Francis Foster and Konstantin Kisin, co-hosts of the TRIGGERnometry podcast, which has been described by The Times as “anti-woke” and documented as anti-transgender by media watchdogs. This episode platformed guests with a history of spreading anti-trans rhetoric and misinformation on topics ranging from gender-affirming care to climate change, without adequate pushback or fact-checking.

Anti-Transgender Rhetoric and Misinformation

Comparing Gender Identity to Soviet Persecution

In his 2022 book “An Immigrant’s Love Letter to the West,” promoted during this episode, Kisin draws a deeply problematic comparison between his grandfather’s persecution by the Soviet KGB for opposing the 1979 invasion of Afghanistan and contemporary consequences for anti-trans statements. According to the book, Kisin’s grandfather was fired, had his house searched by the KGB, and his children were expelled from university for criticizing Soviet policy.

Kisin then compares this to what happens to people who “publicly express the view that there are only two sexes” in Western democracies, suggesting that facing social consequences for anti-trans statements is equivalent to authoritarian Soviet persecution.

Why This Is Problematic:

This comparison is both historically inappropriate and factually misleading. Facing professional or social consequences for making anti-trans statements is not remotely comparable to state persecution by secret police. No one in Western democracies is being arrested, having their homes searched by government agents, or forcibly expelled from universities by state authorities for anti-trans views. This false equivalence trivializes actual authoritarian persecution while portraying anti-trans activists as victims of oppression.

”Cutting Bits Off Confused Children”

Kisin has publicly stated on social media: “There is no such thing as ‘gender-affirming care for minors’. The correct term is ‘cutting bits off confused children’” (May 29, 2023 tweet). This inflammatory characterization of transgender healthcare is medically inaccurate and deeply harmful.

Medical Consensus:

Major medical organizations support gender-affirming care for transgender youth when medically appropriate:

The American Academy of Pediatrics supports “a gender-affirmative care model” and states that “transgender identities and diverse gender expressions do not constitute a mental disorder.”
The Endocrine Society’s clinical practice guidelines support puberty suppression for adolescents with gender dysphoria.
The American Medical Association opposes efforts to deny medically necessary gender-affirming care.

Gender-affirming care for minors typically begins with social transition and counseling. Puberty blockers (reversible) may be prescribed for adolescents, while surgeries are exceptionally rare for minors and subject to extensive evaluation protocols. Kisin’s characterization as “cutting bits off confused children” is an inflammatory misrepresentation designed to provoke outrage rather than inform.

Climate Change Misinformation

The Oxford Union Speech

In a viral 2023 Oxford Union speech titled “Woke Culture Has Gone Too Far,” Kisin made several misleading claims about climate change:

False Claim: “Britain is responsible for 2% of global carbon emissions. If Britain were to sink into the sea right now, it would make absolutely no difference to climate change.”

This argument commits a red herring fallacy and ignores historical responsibility. While the UK currently produces about 2% of annual global emissions, this ignores:

Historical emissions: The UK was the birthplace of the Industrial Revolution and has contributed disproportionately to cumulative atmospheric CO2 over the past 200 years.
Per capita emissions: The UK’s per capita emissions remain significantly higher than the global average.
Exported emissions: This figure doesn’t account for emissions embedded in imported goods.
Moral leadership: The UK’s actions influence international climate negotiations and set precedents for other nations.

False Claim: Reducing climate change is “incompatible with reducing poverty in poorer countries.”

This presents a false dichotomy. Clean energy transitions can reduce poverty while addressing climate change:

Renewable energy costs have plummeted, with solar and wind now cheaper than fossil fuels in many markets.
Climate change itself disproportionately harms poor countries through droughts, floods, and crop failures.
The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) reports that renewable energy jobs can provide economic opportunities in developing nations.

Pattern of Misinformation

COVID-19 Medical Misinformation

YouTube removed a 2021 interview with Konstantin Kisin, citing violations of their COVID-19 medical misinformation policy. While the specific claims weren’t detailed in public reporting, the platform’s action indicates the interview contained misleading health information during a critical public health emergency.

The TRIGGERnometry Platform

TRIGGERnometry has been documented as an “anti-transgender” podcast by Transgender Map and described as “anti-woke” by mainstream media. The show regularly platforms controversial figures and promotes narratives that:

Mischaracterize gender-affirming healthcare
Present social consequences for offensive speech as authoritarian oppression
Downplay climate science and urgent need for action
Frame progressive social movements as threats to Western civilization

Real-World Harm

Anti-transgender rhetoric like that promoted by Kisin and Foster has documented real-world consequences:

Healthcare access: Misinformation about gender-affirming care has led to legislative bans in multiple U.S. states, denying medically necessary care to transgender youth.
Youth mental health: The Trevor Project’s 2023 National Survey found that 86% of transgender and nonbinary youth said their mental health was negatively impacted by recent debates about anti-trans legislation.
Violence and harassment: Anti-trans rhetoric contributes to a climate where transgender individuals face disproportionate rates of violence, harassment, and discrimination.
Climate inaction: Misleading claims about climate change that downplay urgency or present false trade-offs between climate action and poverty reduction contribute to policy paralysis on the most significant existential threat facing humanity.

Conclusion

Episode 1848 exemplifies how Joe Rogan’s platform amplifies anti-trans rhetoric and misinformation under the banner of “free speech” and anti-woke commentary. While Kisin and Foster present themselves as defenders of open dialogue, their content includes medically inaccurate characterizations of healthcare, false historical comparisons, and misleading climate claims.

The “anti-woke” framing often serves as cover for spreading harmful misinformation about marginalized communities and urgent global challenges. Listeners deserve hosts who will challenge these claims with facts and expert consensus, rather than providing an uncritical platform for rhetoric that causes real-world harm to transgender individuals and undermines climate action.

Sources

Wikipedia contributors. “Konstantin Kisin.” Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia.
Wikipedia contributors. “An Immigrant’s Love Letter to the West.” Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia.
Transgender Map. “Konstantin Kisin vs. transgender people.”
American Academy of Pediatrics. “Ensuring Comprehensive Care and Support for Transgender and Gender-Diverse Children and Adolescents.” Pediatrics, 2018.
The Endocrine Society. “Transgender Health.” Endocrine Society Clinical Practice Guidelines.
Kelly McCubbin. “Konstantin Kisin Is Taking You for a Ride.” Medium, 2023.
“Just because it’s articulate doesn’t make it true (aka why Konstantin Kisin’s Oxford Debate speech is utter bullsh*t).” LinkedIn, 2023.
International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA). “Renewable Energy and Jobs: Annual Review.”
The Trevor Project. “2023 National Survey on LGBTQ Youth Mental Health.”