The Rise of the Woke Cult in America: A First-Hand Perspective on Its Agenda of Cultural Marxism, LGBTQ, Feminism, Abortion, and More
By Bobby Darvish, Iranian-American Ex-Muslim, Former Vegan, Former Democrat, Former Socialist, Former CAIR-Columbus Executive Director, Former Muslim Forum of Utah President, Christian Conservative LDS
Growing up as an Iranian-American and former leader in both Muslim and left-leaning communities, I’ve witnessed firsthand the gradual rise of what I now see as a “woke cult” in America. For many years, I subscribed to leftist ideologies, thinking they were grounded in compassion and justice. I advocated for progressive causes, believing they were steps toward a fairer society. I eventually became the executive director for CAIR-Columbus and the president of the Muslim Forum of Utah, embracing social justice frameworks that seemed aligned with my commitment to help marginalized voices. Yet, my journey through these roles revealed an unsettling agenda hidden beneath the surface, one that promotes a radical agenda of cultural Marxism, LGBTQ normalization, extreme feminism, abortion, and a host of other divisive ideologies.
Origins of the Woke Movement
The “woke” phenomenon, as we see it today, isn’t just a modern trend; its roots trace back to the early days of Marxism in the West. The cultural Marxism agenda emerged as a means of subverting Western traditions through ideological infiltration. Marxism, traditionally focused on class struggle, evolved in American academic circles to target cultural institutions, aiming to destabilize the family, gender norms, religious institutions, and social structures. Thinkers from the Frankfurt School, like Herbert Marcuse and Theodor Adorno, shifted Marxist thought away from economic class alone to broader “oppressor vs. oppressed” frameworks that infiltrate all areas of liferanding oppression as “systemic,” woke ideology creates an endless list of grievances, exploiting real injustices but twisting them to fuel division. Traditional Marxism failed to take hold in the United States, but cultural Marxism found fertile ground by shifting its focus. The goal wasn’t merely economic redistribution, but cultural control. What the woke cult aims to create is an entirely new moral order that seeks to dismantle what has historically made America exceptional: freedom, personal responsibility, faith, and family.
The LGBTQ Agenda and Sexual Politics
My time in left-leaning circles revealed a relentless push to mainstream LGBTQ ideology under the guise of “inclusion” and “tolerance.” But inclusion quickly evolved into aggressive demands for public endorsement, even when it conflicted with traditional values. The LGBTQ movement, originally aimed at protecting individuals from discrimination, has morphed into something much larger and more coercive. It now operates as an ideological weapon, demanding that everyone conform to its narratives, even when it disregards biological realities and fundamental religious beliefs .
As I these changes, it’s striking how organizations I was once a part of increasingly prioritized LGBTQ activism over all other issues. Those who disagreed or questioned these narratives were branded as bigots, ostracized, or even canceled. This authoritarianism is a hallmark of cult-like behavior, showing how quickly the LGBTQ movement has become a litmus test for loyalty to the woke ideology rather than simply a call for tolerance.
Feminism and the Attack on Family
As a former Muslim and a former vegan with strong beliefs about justice, I initially supported feminism. Like many, I was drawn to its promises of equality and fairness. But I began to see that modern feminism isn’t about lifting women up; it’s about tearing down traditional family structures, undermining motherhood, and erasing masculinity. Radical feminists now argue that motherhood is a trap, that the nuclear family is outdated, and that men and women are indistinguishable.
The family unit is the building block of any stable society, and woke feminism seeks to destabilize it by promoting an unrealistic, individualized, and often misandric worldview. Radical feminists advocate for “smashing the patriarchy” without considering the benefits that strong families bring to children, communities, and society at large. With the erosion of family values, we are witnessing higher rates of depression, loneliness, and societal fragmentation .
Abortion as Control
The woke ideology’s emphasis on abortion as a right is another disturbing aspect of this movement. Rather than framing it as a complex moral issue, the woke cult elevates abortion to a “sacred” status. Abortion is marketed as “empowerment,” while any dissent is harshly silenced. Underlying this drive is a sinister aspect of cultural Marxism: the normalization of death over life, autonomy over responsibility.
I once believed that supporting “choice” was an extension of individual rights. But as I dug deeper, I saw how abortion was weaponized against life itself, pushing young women to view motherhood as a barrier to self-realization. The woke agenda uses abortion as a form of population control, further weakening the family unit and stripping the next generation of moral and spiritual values .
My Conversion and thn Conservative LDS Perspective
My journey away from the leftist and woke ideologies began with an increasing sense of unease about the effects these agendas had on society. After much soul-searching, I found myself drawn to the teachings of Christianity, especially the doctrines taught in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). The principles of the gospel gave me a newfound understanding of purpose, morality, and freedom. Where the woke cult promotes victimhood, Christ teaches redemption. Where the left glorifies division, the gospel calls for unity and forgiveness.
The woke ideology is a cult not because it stands up for marginalized people, but because it demands absolute allegiance while denying individual agency. It has transformed politics into a religion, demanding sacrifices that tear down families, churches, and communities. As Christians, we’re called to stand firm against these ideologies, to promote values rooted in truth, faith, and family.
America’s strength lies not in tearing down its foundations, but in affirming them. The woke cult, for all its claims of liberation, offers only chains. It’s time we recognize this movement for what it truly is: a destructive force masked as progress. As someone who has seen both sides, I urge all who are concerned about the future of America to stand up for truth and reject the hollow promises of woke ideology.
Citations:
Martin Jay, The Dialectical Imagination: A History of the Frankfurt School and the Institute of Social Research, 1923-1950 (Berkeley: University of California Press, 1996).
Douglas Murray, The Madness of Crowds: Gender, Race and Identity (London: Bloomsbury, 2019).
Mary Eberstadt, Primal Screams: How the Sexual Revolution Created Identity Politics (West Conshohocken, PA: Templeton Press, 2019).
Ryan T. Anderson, When Harry Became Sally: Responding to the Transgender Moment (New York: Encounter Books, 2018).
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