Transgenderism and the rise of fascism: The location of disturbance and the Trickster archetype

In recent years, transgender identities have become a focal point in public discussions, often cynically used in campaigns across the political spectrum and more powerfully so as foregrounded by extreme right-wing ideology and the current rise of fascism. These discussions frequently address issues of societal norms and shifting cultural values. This tension, or ‘location of disturbance’, can be understood as a disruption of established social structures, a mirror reflecting collective anxieties and unresolved fears. Within these debates, terms like ‘social contagion’ have surfaced, particularly in reference to the rising visibility of transgender identities among younger people, reflecting a climate of societal uncertainty and anxiety. In group analytic terms, such tensions are expressions of unconscious group processes, where underlying fears of difference, change, and instability, via the emergence of a ‘fascist state of mind’, are projected onto those perceived as ‘other’. The group matrix—our shared social, cultural, and historical context—reveals both the overt and hidden conflicts within society, as well as the potential for collective transformation. The archetype of the ‘Trickster’, as the ‘uninvited guest’ familiar in Jungian thought, resonates deeply in this moment of flux. Trickster figures inhabit liminal spaces, embodying the potential for both creative renewal and destabilisation. In contemporary society, expressions of transgender identities may be seen, through a group analytic lens, as trickster phenomena—challenging binary thinking, disrupting norms, and fostering new ways of understanding identity and belonging. However, as with all archetypes, the Trickster can bring ambiguity, oscillating between being a catalyst for change and a source of confusion or conflict. By acknowledging these dynamics, we deepen our capacity to hold the complexity of these cultural shifts and engage with both the visible and unconscious processes shaping our collective experience.