“Hello, world. I’m the dad of a trans kid.”

That was how I started my first post to address the explosion of false accusations and conspiracy theories stemming from another parent outing our family on Facebook. I went on to explain that our young trans son was not actually a threat to God and country, or his 2nd grade class.

That was back in the Spring of 2016.

It seems like another lifetime ago when our son first made it clear that someone got it wrong on his assigned gender. And he was right. Gender, like many other things in nature, is on a spectrum. The year was 2011, and he wasn’t yet three years old.

The need for Scientific Rebellion grew out of my experience advocating for the trans community over the past decade and a half. The world unfortunately, is now a far more dangerous place than it was just a few short years ago.

While I still believe sharing our story is worthwhile and even necessary, it has become painfully clear that it is in no way sufficient. It will take a heck of a lot more to overcome the intentional dehumanization and vilification of the trans community and its allies.

And it is not just the trans community that faces persecution and elimination from American life. Critical thinking and scientific discourse itself are under fire, and anyone who does not fit the far right’s white patriarchal Christian standard may find themselves an enemy of the state.

Every generation has its challenges. But the youngest generations inheriting the world today face trials across the spectrum of existential threats, including some that could make the planet itself uninhabitable. From social injustices to genocide. From environmental disasters to climate crisis. From terrorism to nuclear war. It is no wonder why so many young people today disengage from the political process altogether. We seem to be trying the same things over and over again, hoping for a different outcome.

So how do we motivate our young people in the face of such daunting challenges? How do we reconcile the America that exists today against the vision of our Declaration of Independence and Constitution? How do we confront an American culture that has benefited so greatly from the technological advances of the modern age while simultaneously rejecting scientific discourse on the issues that matter most?

It may seem a tall order, but there is a path. And it represents the single greatest opportunity we have to create a world where critical thinking rises above religious beliefs and speculation; where logic and reason triumph over fear and rage; where the value of human beings is not measured by caste or coin; and where the rules of law are not divined by men masquerading as messiahs.

The tie that binds us together as rebels is critical thinking.

All things being equal, I believe each generation is more inclined to challenge and reject the biases, and irrational assumptions of previous generations. Unfortunately, all things are not equal.

We see how the long-lasting effects of colonization, slavery and segregation have become so ingrained in our institutions, that even today we still struggle to excise it from our systems and culture. We see it in the generational indoctrination that persists like an undetected virus, replacing learning and reason with a preconceived, insidious narrative. We see how easily wealth and power can influence legislation and policy at every level of government, from school boards to the halls of congress, all the way to the Supreme Court. We see how that same wealth and power can be used to convince voters of even the most logic-defying conspiracy theories and big lies.

The Scientific Revolution gave humanity the tools to challenge organized religion, but each generation has fallen short in seeing it through. And with each passing generation, organized religion was able to embed itself more deeply into the halls of government, and more intricately into the social fabric that binds and defines a nation.

It’s time we pick up where the Scientific Revolution fell short and recommit ourselves to finishing the job. It’s time we take direct, non-violent action to ensure all our laws and public policies are based on logic and reason, and not religious doctrine or the whims of oligarchs and would-be kings.

It’s time, for Scientific Rebellion.

Rebellion is more than a call to action. It’s a state of mind. A state of being that allows us to recognize the harsh reality of our situation yet remain focused on what we need to do in this moment.

The incentive is clear. Unless we enshrine critical thinking in our practice of government, we will always be one election cycle away from the rise of some form of weaponized religion and it’s self-identified demi-God. We will always be one election cycle from experiencing life imitating art, as The Handmaid’s Tale becomes prophecy.

The odds may not be in our favor, but there is power in taking that first step of defiance. It is the power in Rosa Parks saying nah to giving up her seat. It is the power in taking a knee, rising up, and never backing down. It is the power in unleashed rebellion.

Scientific Rebellion is the beginning of a new journey. The rest of the story has yet to be written. And while I cannot offer assurances of victory, I can assure you that your efforts will not be in vain. We will be on this journey together and there is joy in that. There is joy in the fight.

Are you ready?

This is Peter Tchoryk.

Welcome, to the rebellion.