Trans Women Reject Toxic Masculinity
False Assumption: Transgender women, as former men, do not embody or represent masculinity at its most toxic.
Written by FARAgent on February 10, 2026
In the early 2010s, as transgender visibility grew in media and progressive circles, the notion spread that transgender women inherently rejected toxic masculinity. Writers and reporters, including Rationalist blogger Ozy Brennan, portrayed trans individuals as enlightened figures escaping patriarchal norms. A single childhood memory of gender dysphoria often sufficed as proof of an innate female identity, prompting transitions. This view gained traction in communities like the Rationalists, who valued logic and AI safety research; they believed transgender women possessed a unique neurotype suited to such work. Media profiles, such as Greg Jaffe's 2019 New York Times piece on Maj. Erica Vandal, a transgender artillery officer and Bronze Star recipient, emphasized personal triumph without scrutinizing family impacts.
Events soon complicated this narrative. By 2020, Ziz LaSota, a 34-year-old transgender woman formerly known as Jack, founded a cult within Rationalist circles. The group, dubbed Zizians, isolated members through Discord arguments, accusing outsiders of transphobia. Their activities escalated to violence; LaSota faced charges tied to murders, trespassing, and robbery, linked to six deaths nationwide. Brennan later described the Zizians as an "incomprehensible cult." New York Times reporter Christopher Beam attended Rationalist meet-ups but delayed revealing the group's darker side in his coverage.
Critics now argue that such cases challenge the assumption, pointing to patterns of aggression among some transgender women that echo toxic masculinity. Mounting evidence from blogs and reports, including Steve Sailer's analyses, highlights overlooked harms to families and communities. The debate remains hotly contested, with experts split on whether these incidents represent outliers or deeper flaws in the prevailing view.
People Involved
- Ziz LaSota, once known as Jack LaSota, emerged as a key figure in the Zizian group. At 34, this transgender woman led what critics describe as a murder cult. She had pursued tech ambitions before turning to ultraradical views. LaSota faked her death, skipped bail, and now faces charges linked to murders. She championed radical Rationalist ideas and claimed trans neurotype superiority in AI safety. [1]
- Ozy Brennan, a trans nonbinary writer in Rationalist circles, observed the Zizians closely. Brennan called them an incomprehensible cluster. They accused moderators of transphobia over Discord handles. Brennan noted how they saw trans illegibility as central to identity. [1]
- Christopher Beam, a New York Times reporter, attended Rationalist meet-ups. He structured his article to reveal the transgender dominance late. This approach reflected a belief in sensitivity toward such biases. [1]
- Greg Jaffe, another New York Times reporter, profiled Maj. Erica Vandal. He portrayed her artillery career as blocked feminine self-expression under Trump's ban. [3]
- Maj. Erica Vandal, a transgender officer and Bronze Star recipient, transitioned after a masculine military path. Media presented her as a tragic victim. [3]
- Steve Sailer warned early about media portrayals of such transitions. He called them dishonest, pointing to autogynephilia as overlooked. [3]
- President Trump enforced a ban on transgender military service. He cited concerns over honesty and integrity in these cases. [3]
▶ Supporting Quotes (7)
“Ziz LaSota seemed much like any other philosophically inclined young tech aspirant. Now, she and her followers are in jail, six people are dead... Ziz, who is transgender, started as a typical Rationalist — a geeky optimist hoping to save the world — but turned toward an ultraradical strain of the philosophy.”— The NYT Finally Ponders the Zizian Trans Murder Cult
““We called them ‘the incomprehensible cluster,’” said Ozy Brennan, a Rationalist writer... “They’re like, ‘You are forcing us into legibility, and trans people are illegible, and this is an important expression of my identity,’” said Brennan, who is trans nonbinary.”— The NYT Finally Ponders the Zizian Trans Murder Cult
“By Christopher Beam Christopher Beam attended Rationalist community meet-ups and spoke with dozens of Rationalists in the Bay Area and New York City for this article.”— The NYT Finally Ponders the Zizian Trans Murder Cult
“By Greg Jaffe Reporting from Fort Drum, N.Y. June 16, 2025”— Masculinity at Its Most Toxic
“Maj. Erica [Eric] Vandal had just finished briefing 200 soldiers on her [his] brigade’s plan to employ artillery fire in a big combat training exercise.”— Masculinity at Its Most Toxic
“You can’t get much more truly feminine than devoting your life to artillery fire.”— Masculinity at Its Most Toxic
“The president said transgender soldiers like her lack the “honesty,” “humility” and “integrity” to serve.”— Masculinity at Its Most Toxic
Organizations Involved
The New York Times handled coverage of the Zizian murders with care. It delayed and downplayed the transgender pattern. This avoided upsetting subscribers who view trans women favorably, not as violent actors. [1] The Rationalist community provided a home for Zizians. Figures like Peter Thiel and Sam Bankman-Fried loomed in the background. Zizians argued for trans superiority in AI safety. They clashed over identity expressions. [1] The Allegany County Detention Center housed LaSota in the men's section. This was despite her transgender claims. The center provided vegan meals from the outset. [1] The New York Times furthered the assumption through sympathetic profiles. These focused on late-transitioning individuals with hyper-masculine backgrounds, framing them as authentic women. [3] US Army superiors praised Vandal as an outstanding officer. They did so despite her status and combat role. [3]
▶ Supporting Quotes (5)
“it took the New York Times four weeks longer to get around to writing about the Zizians, and then it didn’t mention that most of the violent cultists are transgender ex-men... Some of the delay seemed to stem from the Times laboring last winter to avoid committing to any pronouns for the killers... to cover up their transgenderness from the Times’ 11 million mostly sensitive subscribers.”— The NYT Finally Ponders the Zizian Trans Murder Cult
“Ziz had been a minor celebrity within a slice of the Bay Area tech scene known as the Rationalists... Over the years, the Rationalist movement has counted Peter Thiel and Sam Bankman-Fried among its community... Ziz’s clique was predominantly transgender or nonbinary, and several worked or interned at tech outfits like Google, Oracle and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.”— The NYT Finally Ponders the Zizian Trans Murder Cult
“according to Capt. Daniel Lasher, assistant administrator of the Allegany County Detention Center, Ziz had been served vegan meals “from the get-go.””— The NYT Finally Ponders the Zizian Trans Murder Cult
“From the New York Times new section, a classic example of the kind of dishonest articles the prestige press has been running about toxically masculine autogynephiles for decades.”— Masculinity at Its Most Toxic
“Maj. Erica Vandal’s superiors called her “a superb officer.””— Masculinity at Its Most Toxic
The Foundation
The Zizians held that transgender women possess a distinct neurotype. They claimed it excels in AI safety research. This idea gained traction in Rationalist circles. Those groups value logic and world-saving efforts. Critics argue it justified illegible identity expressions that tied into violence. [1] Rationalist philosophy aimed at improving the world through reason and AI concerns. It seemed sound at first. But it spawned beliefs in trans illegibility and neurotype superiority. These fueled the group's radical turn. [1] A lone childhood memory of wishing to be a girl underpinned claims of living in the wrong body. This propped up notions of innate femininity. It did so despite decades in wrestling, at West Point, and in artillery combat. Downstream, this led to beliefs that such histories merely masked true womanhood. [3] Emulating a successful male general father appeared as fitting in. Vandal became a star wrestler and artillery officer. Critics argue this showed hyper-masculinity, not suppression of femininity. The belief overlooked autogynephilia as a factor. [3] A lifetime of extreme masculinity supported the idea of inner girlhood. This included roles as wrestler, cadet, and combat officer. Mounting questions surround how this generated beliefs that ignored puberty-onset fetish behaviors. [3]
▶ Supporting Quotes (5)
“This view dovetailed with their belief that transgender women have a distinct neurotype that is particularly good at A.I. safety research, according to Brennan.”— The NYT Finally Ponders the Zizian Trans Murder Cult
“a highly cerebral, extremely online group of tech and philosophy nerds dedicated to improving the world through logical thinking and deeply concerned with whether artificial intelligence will overtake the world and destroy humanity.”— The NYT Finally Ponders the Zizian Trans Murder Cult
““I wish I was a girl,” she recalled telling them. She said they stared at her in disbelief.”— Masculinity at Its Most Toxic
“In the years that followed, she tried to fit in by emulating her father, a former Army general. “The best man I’ve ever known,” she called him.”— Masculinity at Its Most Toxic
“She [he] became the star of her high school [boys] wrestling team, just like her father.”— Masculinity at Its Most Toxic
How It Spread
Media outlets like the New York Times shaped the narrative. They buried transgender details until the 27th paragraph in Zizian coverage. This focused attention on Rationalist ideas instead. It downplayed the pattern of ex-men in the cult. [1] The prestige press amplified the assumption through profiles. These cast late-transitioners as tragic victims. They omitted autogynephilia and family impacts. Growing questions surround this approach. [3]
▶ Supporting Quotes (2)
“And then finally, in the 27th paragraph, comes the revelation that the leader of the murder cult being trans is not just a random fluke but is part of a defining pattern: Ziz’s clique was predominantly transgender or nonbinary.”— The NYT Finally Ponders the Zizian Trans Murder Cult
“Virtually nobody ever gets how fake and not gay these profiles of ultra-masculine guys who eventually realize after they acquire a wife, kids, and a career in killing people and breaking things that they were always a girl on the inside.”— Masculinity at Its Most Toxic
Resulting Policies
Military policy once allowed transgender inclusion. Individuals like Vandal served under it. The Supreme Court upheld Trump's 2019 ban. This expelled thousands, including her. Critics argue the policy shift challenged assumptions about such service members. [3]
▶ Supporting Quotes (1)
“The justices had ruled that President Trump could immediately begin expelling transgender troops from the military. Major Vandal, 36, and thousands of others would be forced out.”— Masculinity at Its Most Toxic
Harm Caused
The Zizian cult resulted in six deaths nationwide. The leader faces ties to murders, plus charges for trespassing, resisting arrest, and misdemeanor gun offenses. She had faked her death earlier. [1] Zizians' Discord arguments escalated conflicts. They accused others of transphobia. This isolation and incomprehensibility linked to the murders. [1] Media sympathy for transitioning service members often overlooked family harm. Vandal's wife and children waited at home after her discharge notice. [3] Such profiles contributed to ignoring disruptions from late-life transitions. These came after marriage and children. Growing evidence suggests broader fallout. [3]
▶ Supporting Quotes (4)
“Now, she and her followers are in jail, six people are dead... prosecutors saw a ploy. They argued that Ziz, 34, was not just any inmate but the leader of an extremist group tied to a series of murders across the country.”— The NYT Finally Ponders the Zizian Trans Murder Cult
“They would get into arguments with other Rationalists on the online platform Discord, but their logic could be hard to parse... When moderators objected, the group accused them of transphobia.”— The NYT Finally Ponders the Zizian Trans Murder Cult
“The New York Times has devoted very little sympathy over the last dozen years to the wives and children of these sex fetishists. This long article about how Major Vandal is a tragic victim is no different.”— Masculinity at Its Most Toxic
“Major Vandal began driving to her house on the other side of Fort Drum, N.Y., where her [his] wife and two children were waiting.”— Masculinity at Its Most Toxic
Downfall
Local media brought details to light. They reported LaSota's listing as male and housing in men's prison. This contrasted with national coverage. It highlighted the transgender pattern that Sailer had emphasized since January. Critics argue this exposure challenges the assumption. The debate remains active. [1][2]
▶ Supporting Quotes (1)
“LaSota is listed as male in charging documents and held in the men’s detention center. "LaSota, a transgender woman who blogged under the name “Ziz” and has been described by police as the leader of the group, was federally indicted last month in Maryland charged as an armed fugitive in the Frostburg arrest.”— The NYT Finally Ponders the Zizian Trans Murder Cult
Sources
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[1]
The NYT Finally Ponders the Zizian Trans Murder Cultreputable_journalism
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[2]
Three Zizians granted joint trialreputable_journalism
- [3]