In another case of Republican legislation based on ignorance, Texas MAGA Republican state Representative Andy Hopper embarrassed himself on the Texas House floor with a little help from Democratic Representative Lauren Ashley Simmons.
Hopper sought to add an amendment to a funding bill for the University of Texas at Austin to penalize the school for not eliminating any reference to non-White, cisgender, heteronormative people in their curriculum.
While introducing his amendment, Hopper stated:
"Despite repeated calls by our President, our governor, and our legislature, the University of Texas continues to put out an outsized focus offering degree programs and courses in lesbian, gay, and bisexual, transgender, queer studies and 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. These programs, and by extension this university, shall not be funded by tax dollars."
After Hopper yielded the floor for questions on his amendment, Democratic state Representative Simmons asked:
"Representative Hopper can you clarify what it means when a course does not comply with the biological reality that there are only two sexes?"
You can see their interaction here:
- YouTubeyoutu.be
Hopper responded:
"So if a course is teaching the student body of a university that gender is–that gender is somehow fluid, that there is some sort of way to change your gender, then that would violate what we're trying to say here."
Representative Simmons replied:
"So just for clarification before I move on, gender or [sex], can you clarify what you mean, 'cuz those are not one and the same."
Hopper continued to confuse gender with sex, saying:
"So when you're born and you have a set of chromosomes."
Representative Simmons pressed for clarity, asking:
"So are you speaking about–are you speaking about biological sex or are you speaking about gender, 'cuz one is scientific one is a social construct. 'Cuz I have a follow-up question."
Hopper was again confused, stating:
"Yeah, they're one and the same, ma'am."
Representative Simmons simply replied:
"That's not true. But moving on. Okay, so in the same vein, what about intersex individuals?"
Hopper—who previously touted an "unchangeable biological reality"—said:
"I don't even know what that means."
He then asked Representative Simmons to explain it to him.
She replied:
"I'll take it really slow. Since the beginning of time people have been born with either ambiguous genitalia or with or without ovaries, or both. And so those people from a biological standpoint exist."
"They're not mythical. It's not something we're making up. Which is why I asked you, are you speaking about gender or [sex] because, again, one is a social construct. One is more scientific-based. And that's why I was asking."
Hopper still insisted gender and biological sex were the same thing, claiming:
"So their gender is not a social construct. It's firmly rooted in biological reality."
After asking Hopper to repeat his misinformation, Representative Simmons asked:
"So again, intersex... intersex people... what about them? When we're talking about two biological sexes, what are we talking about when regarding intersex people?"
Instead of answering, Hopper asked Representative Simmons to explain intersex to him again.
Instead of repeating her explanation, Representative Simmons pointed out the absurdity of Hopper holding himself up as an authority on gender or biological sex.
She 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–that you don't quite understand."
Hopper—in typical MAGA Christian nationalist fashion—then turned to the Bible, saying:
"So the truth that is rooted in our biblical understanding that God set forth from the beginning of creation is that your gender is fixed at birth and you cannot change it."
But Representative Simmons wasn't falling for it.
She replied:
"Again, I want to clarify, gender as a social construct or a biological sex? And again you haven't yet answered my question about where do intersex people fall into that equation?"
Hopper then really displayed his ignorance of biology by replying:
"Yeah, those intersex individuals are still XX or XY. So you can't change that."
This prompted one of the Republicans gathered around Hopper to tug on his sleeve and quietly tell him:
"Andy, that is not true."
Representative Simmons then finished by moving to block consideration of Hopper's "biblically-based" amendment, telling the Texas House:
"Mr. Speaker, I raise a point of order against further consideration of the amendment under house rule 8, section 4, on the grounds that this amendment seeks to create general law through an appropriations bill."
People applauded Representative Simmons exposure of Hopper's ignorance.
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Hopper's amendment was eventually removed by Texas House parliamentarians after an hour of debate.
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