A Republican state legislator attempting to defund queer university programs was met with the accusation that he doesn’t even know what he’s fighting. He proved those words true when he expressed confusion at the term ‘intersex.’
On Friday, the Texas House of Representatives voted to approve its latest budget resolution. During a tense fourteen hour debate, Rep Andy Hopper attempted to tack on an amendment that would pull funding from University of Texas at Austin. What had the university done to deserve defunding? Support LGBTQ+ and other diverse students.
“Despite repeated calls by our president, governor and legislature, the University of Texas continues to put out an outsized focus offering degree programs and courses on lesbian, gay, bisexual transgender and queer studies,” Hopper argued during debates.
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“It has continued a pattern of teaching discrimination, hidden behind the words diversity, equity and inclusion. There are also programs that deny the unchangeable biological reality that there are only two sexes: male and female.”
Even as he argued to defund education, Hopper revealed himself to be sorely lacking education when challenged by Rep Lauren Ashley Simmons. The exchange, shared by the Texas House Democratic Caucus, has quickly gone viral.
“Are you speaking about biological sex? Or are you speaking about gender? ‘Cause one is scientific, one is a social construct,” Simmons asked, referring to his claim that there are only two sexes.
“They’re one and the same, ma’am,” Hopper responded.
“That’s not true, but moving on. So, in the same vein, what about intersex individuals?” Simmons pressed.
Here, for once, Hopper fully admitted his blinding ignorance. “I don’t even know what that means, ma’am,” he said.
“You are not sure what intersex people are, if they exist or not, but you want to defund a program about something that you don’t understand,” Simmons said, and asked again how intersex people fall into his definition of sex.
“Those intersex individuals are still XX or XY,” Hopper inaccurately replied. “So, you can’t change that.”
This prompted Republican Rep Valoree Swanson, the lead author of an anti-trans sports bill, to tug on his arm and whisper loud enough for the mic to pick up, “Andy, that’s not true.”
The exchange ended with Simmons filing a point of order against Hopper. The amendment was subsequently voted down, but the video remains as another lasting example of conservatives knowing absolutely nothing about the communities they fearmonger about.
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