From Transgender to Transhuman

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Education

4.8 • 2.5K Ratings

🗓️ 20 February 2026

⏱️ 98 minutes

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Summary

The New Discourses Podcast with James Lindsay, Ep. 193 As we encounter both the material in the infamous Epstein Files and revelations from some of Epstein's associates, not to mention the advances in AI and robotics, we're confronted with what seemed like dystopian science fiction just a few years ago: transhumanism. Tech futurists, however, have been predicting it and working toward it for decades, including the curious figure of "Martine" Rothblatt, creator of SiriusXM Radio and board member at the Mayo Clinic. Rothblatt is trans and has written at least two very odd books about sex and gender, The Apartheid of Sex: A Manifesto on the Freedom of Gender (https://www.amazon.com/Apartheid-Sex-Manifesto-Freedom-Gender/dp/051759997X/) (1996) and an updated version called From Transgender to Transhuman: A Manifesto on the Freedom of Form (https://www.amazon.com/Transgender-Transhuman-Manifesto-Freedom-Form/dp/0615489427/) (2011). In this latter book, Rothblatt explains, perhaps ironically now, that the same arguments that justify "transgender" also justify transhuman: ultimately that who we really are does not depend on our physical body at all. In this creepy episode of the New Discourses Podcast, host James Lindsay presents some of this troubling book to you. You will not want to miss this. Latest from New Discourses Press! The Queering of the American Child: https://queeringbook.com/ Support New Discourses: https://newdiscourses.com/support Follow New Discourses on other platforms: https://newdiscourses.com/subscribe Follow James Lindsay: https://linktr.ee/conceptualjames © 2026 New Discourses. All rights reserved. #NewDiscourses #JamesLindsay #Transhumanism

Transcript

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0:00.0	Hey, everybody, it's James Lindsay, you're listening to the New Discourses podcast, and today we're going to do something really screwed up. I'm going to read to you from a book that I've had for like five years. I've read it when I got it, like five years ago. It's called From Transgender to Transhuman. It is by a person on the cover called Martin Rothblatt.
0:41.4	Martin Rothblatt is trans.
0:44.2	Therefore, it is an original name Martin Rothblatt.
0:48.4	Martin Rothblatt transitioned.
0:51.3	He says back in 1994 and has lived a very complicated life since.
0:56.7	Martin Rothblatt also created Sirius X-Hem radio.
1:01.2	Among other things, is valued at roughly a billion dollars net worth
1:05.9	and sits on the board of the Mayo Clinic,
1:09.6	which is arguably one of the most important hospitals
1:12.7	in the world.
1:15.1	And this book's title is From Transgender to Transhuman.
1:18.7	This was published in 2011 as an update to Rothblatt's book from 15 years earlier,
1:26.1	which if you're doing the math, would have been like in the 90s.
1:30.2	That was called the apartheid of sex.
1:33.3	Now, like I said, I've had this book for about five years.
1:37.3	I read this book soon after I got it, and I just thought, I've got to share this with people
1:42.2	eventually, but what do I do?
1:45.1	Like, this book is so crazy.
1:46.9	I don't know how to explain it to you.
1:48.4	My wife made me give you a disclaimer that she apologizes or warns you in advance for the
1:55.1	brain damage you're about to receive hearing from this book.
1:58.9	Earlier, I told her I was going to do this episode, it's podcast.
	...

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