Republican’s effort to defund LGBTQ+ initiatives goes viral after he’s baffled by the term ‘intersex’
Andy Hopper admitted he does not know what intersex is (Lone Star Left on YouTube)
Andy Hopper admitted he does not know what intersex is (Lone Star Left on YouTube)
Footage of a Republican politician trying to defund LGBTQ+ and equality policies has gone viral after he admitted to having absolutely no idea what “intersex” means.
The Texas House of Representatives voted on Friday (11 April) to adopt a $337 billion (£255 billion) budget, after more than 14 hours of debate.
A number of representatives sought to tag on amendments, including Andy Hopper who wanted to eliminate state funding for the University of Texas at Austin because they had LGBTQ+ and diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programmes and policies.
“Despite repeated calls by our president, governor and legislature, the University of Texas continues to put out an outsized focus offering degree programmes and courses on lesbian, gay, bisexual transgender and queer studies,” he said to a chorus of boos and hisses.
“It has continued a pattern of teaching discrimination, hidden behind the words diversity, equity and inclusion. There are also programmes that deny the unchangeable biological reality that there are only two sexes: male and female.
“These programmes, and by extension this university, shall not be funded by tax dollars.”
Questioning Hopper’s amendment and his understanding of what was being discussed, Democratic representative Lauren Ashley Simmons asked if he was referring to biological sex or gender.
“You want to defund a programme about something you don’t understand”
When he replied: “They’re one and the same, ma’am,” she interjected: “That’s not true, but moving on. So, in the same vein, what about intersex individuals?”
Hopper then admitted: “I don’t even know what that means.”
Simmons blasted back: “You are not sure what intersex people are, if they exist or not, but you want to defund a programme about something you don’t understand.”
Intersex refers to people who are born with a particular set of sex characteristics which do not fit neatly into the “typical” binary categories of male or female.
Up to 1.7 per cent of people are born intersex, a figure roughly equivalent to the number of redheads.
Simmons continued to press Hopper: “Then again, you haven’t yet answered my question about where intersex people fall into that equation.”
Hooper replied that intersex people “are still XX or XY”.
Fellow Republican Valoree Swanson was then seen tugging on his sleeve and heard to say: “Andy, that’s not true.”
Sharing the clip of Hopper’s gaff on Instagram, The Houston Intersex Society wrote: “Intersex people are born with genital anatomy, hormones, chromosomes, and/or gonads that are in-between what is considered typical for male or female.
“Over one in 1,000 births have intersex traits, sometimes also called variations in sex characteristics or difference of sex development.
“Attempts to legally establish an exclusively binary sex system (are) not only scientifically inaccurate, (they) also create a dangerous situation that leaves intersex people in legal limbo and perpetuate the ongoing practice of forced sterilisation, and genital surgeries on intersex babies and children.”
Simmons filed a point of order against Hopper and his amendment was voted down.
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