The Story Behind Controversial Documentary 'What Is A Woman'

Matt Walsh’s controversial documentary What Is A Woman? (2022) recently received an acknowledgement from Twitter's head honcho Elon Musk.

A year after its initial release on the Daily Wire‘s subscription-only streaming service, Walsh’s documentary is generating significant attention and controversy on the internet. To commemorate the first anniversary of its release, the film was made available for streaming on The Daily Wire’s Twitter account for a limited period of 24 hours starting on Thursday, June 1.

However, shortly after its publication, the social networking site flagged the documentary with a “hateful” tag, which restricted its visibility and discoverability on the platform. This labelling added to the ongoing debate and controversy surrounding the film. However, as of now, the limited visibility was revoked and the documentary is available for free streaming on the platform.

So, what is Walsh’s documentary all about, and what is all the controversy that has seen #WhatIsAWoman trend on Twitter? Let’s dive in.

The Story Behind Controversial Doc What Is A Woman

According to the film's description, What Is a Woman follows Matt Walsh's comical yet deeply disturbing journey as he "fearlessly questions the logic behind a gender ideology movement that has taken aim at women and children.”

Walsh travels around the US and Africa asking various people a seemingly simple question that many are unable to answer: "What Is a Woman?" The film further discusses sex reassignment surgery, puberty blockers, transgender youth, and transgender athletes in women’s sports. The film is courting controversy for it criticises gender and transgender issues, with many also calling Walsh a 'transphobic'.

However, Walsh and the outlet claimed they were asked to edit certain “misgendering” scenes before the launch, which they refused. This refusal to comply with the editing request resulted in the film being flagged, and Elon Musk voicing his support for the documentary’s availability on the platform.

Elon Musk on What Is A Woman

Musk said the company’s reported rejection of the documentary on the basis of “misgendering” was “a mistake by many people at Twitter. It is definitely allowed.”

"Whether or not you agree with using someone’s preferred pronouns, not doing so is at most rude and certainly breaks no laws. I should note that I do personally use someone’s preferred pronouns, just as I use someone’s preferred name, simply from the standpoint of good manners. However, for the same reason, I object to rude behaviour, ostracism or threats of violence if the wrong pronoun or name is used,” he added.

The Twitter owner then shared a separate tweet on his profile and urged parents to watch the documentary.

Suggested Reading: Can Elon Musk And Tucker Carlson For Once Stop Being Misogynist?