No Space for Debate

Trans-Activists Force AMC Theatres to Cancel Premier of No Way Back

Even a non-religious, non-political documentary on transgender medicine—one produced by “lifelong, west coast, liberal Democrats” gets cancelled.

It turns out that AMC Theatres’s one-day premiere of No Way Back: The Reality of Gender-Affirming Care in select theaters across the country did not happen in June as scheduled. I reviewed the film here and interviewed one of the producers here. The documentary, which was gaining significant momentum and building wide-ranging interest, offers a reasoned and non-religious look at the dangers of “gender-affirming” care for children. But even that was too much for transgender activists. According to a statement from Deplorable Films, trans-activists “who have not even seen the film have pressured AMC Theatres to make the hard decision to cancel our dates!” The trans-activists were painting the film as a piece of right-wing, religious propaganda.

I have seen the film. It is not a “right-wing” film by any stretch. Nor does it even argue for a historic Christian understanding of sexuality and marriage. That was not the purpose of the film, nor the position of its creators, who described themselves in the film as “lifelong, west coast, liberal Democrats.” The fact that even a film of this nature got pulled from theatres at the last minute shows just how much the free exchange of ideas is being suppressed and just how extreme transgender ideology really is.

Straight-Up Viewpoint Suppression

Going to the theater to see this film would have been a great opportunity to consider rational, common sense, scientific arguments about “gender-affirming” medical interventions, and to have discussions with others about the topic. In a society that is becoming more polarized and alienated from one another, this could have been a model for what healthy civic discourse looks like—and it would have been facilitated by AMC Theatres.

Instead, a vocal group of activists, especially The Queer Trans Project won. Suffice it to say that the QT Project mobilized very quickly in barraging AMC Theatres executives with emails and phone calls. (Check their Instagram feed if you dare, where this is plain for all to see.) When AMC cancelled the showings across the country, The QT Project celebrated:

We did it! Our community's swift action is a testament to the power of advocacy and the importance of raising our voices against harmful content…Your collective efforts have made a significant impact, and the decision to pull No Way Back from AMC theaters is a step towards fostering a more inclusive and respectful environment. Thank you for your dedication and commitment to creating positive change.

Deplorable Films has made it clear that while they’re certainly frustrated, they understand AMC’s dilemma, since going forward with the showing could have led to activist confrontations, property damage, or violence at theatres. But at a minimum, we might ask, Why would trans activists resort to violence over the mere expression of an alternative point of view? And, What happens in a society when threats of violence are sufficient to suppress the free expression of ideas?

Laura Becker, a detransitioned biological female who appears in the documentary shares her perspective on the cancellation here:

I contacted AMC Theatres for comment, hoping that if they were so responsive to the trans-activists, they might be responsive to my inquiry, too. But I received no response.

With the theatre showing cancelled, the next big step for No Way Back was its worldwide release online and on DVD on July 2. Perhaps the AMC cancellation will increase the film’s reach. And if the widespread media coverage of the cancellation in outlets as varied as Fox News and Yahoo Entertainment is any indication, No Way Back just might find a way to a larger audience. And that would be a good thing.

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