'Trans Kids' and the Return of the Castrati

The new reason for sterilizing boys is just as stupid as the old one

A caricature drawing of two tall castrati (left and right) showing abnormal height and long extremities. From Eunuch and Castrati: A Cultural History.

As the saying goes: There’s nothing new under the sun. While sterilizing children because their body does not align with their inner gender ghost seems to be a uniquely modern insanity, this is not the first time humans have purposely sought to derail the physical development and maturation of children, particularly little boys. A macabre parallel can be found in the castrati of 16^th to 18^th century Europe.

The castrati were singers who were castrated (hence the name) before puberty to preserve their unbroken voice. They sang in church choirs and in the opera, with some achieving great fame. Many people today would likely look back on this trend with horror and call it abusive. But many of those same people would turn right around and chant “Support trans kids!” The development and history of the castrati speak to the same dark inclination to put other values—whether politics, religion, art, or music—over the current and future lives of children.