But where do the emotions come from

I’d argue the majority of them come from cultural influence and/or peer pressure. I think Jordan Peterson is correct in his overtones of “You would’ve been a concentration camp guard and you would’ve been okay with it”. I think people’s ethics and what they’re willing to live with are extremely malleable. I think COVID-19 restrictions are also a good example of this. People will live with things simply to get along.

when the Bad Guys say anything they are presumed to be making it up or skewing statistics or otherwise just lying.

This will happen no matter what. This happens frequently with the wage gap and with the whole 13/50 argument. The majority of people don’t care about studies or statistics and will just dismiss them outright with some talking point.

the "Bad Guys" were trying to communicate was actually sensible and irrefutable

I don’t think that will never happen without cultural or social power. The studies around children’s hormone blockers is murky at best yet there are powerful political segments that are willing to go full steam ahead with risking children’s health and future. The studies & reality don’t matter.

And I'd think studies like this can make people peak,

I think men competing in women’s sports makes more people peak. I think cultural issues like that are far more impactful than some random study nobody will ever read or know about.