"Andy, that's not true."

How one stupid state rep became the poster child governing from hate rather than knowledge.

There were four words heard round the world, particularly if you’re intersex. It made all of us laugh. It also made all of us angry because it put on display exactly what’s wrong with how government is approaching intersex, transgender, and nonbinary people.

Oh, Texas

Let’s set the stage. On April 11, 2025, the budget for the state of Texas came to the floor of the Texas State House of Representatives. Before the floor opened for voting, however, Texas Republicans killed several amendments to it that provided funding to LGBTQIA+ people and DEI initiatives.

Before they killed the amendments, there was debate on the floor. That’s when Representative Lauren Ashley Simmons, a Democrat, confronted Representative Andy Hopper. Specifically, they were discussing an amendment to deny state funding for the University of Texas over its LGBTQIA+ and DEI programs and degree plans.

Just…just watch the conversation.

That’s right, Andy. That’s not necessarily true. Now, to be clear, SOME intersex people have XX or XY chromosomes. I, myself, have XY chromosomes. But some intersex conditions like Klinefelter Syndrome, Turner Syndrome, or mosaic chromosomes definitely do not have just XX or XY.

People Just Don’t Understand

Andy’s foolishness represents two clear problems that intersex people have right now.

1. A lot of people don’t understand what intersex means.
   Some of this can be chalked up to innocent ignorance. When I talk about being intersex, the most frequent reaction is to ask me what it means. This is a challenge, but not one that angers me. Education is a big part of why I do this.

2. Conservatives don’t want us to exist.
   Conservatives are hellbent on attacking transgender people right now. It’s a strategic choice because they’ve painted transgender people as monsters, and their base has bought into it. Intersex people, however, undermine all of their hollow arguments. How can you try to define male and female as the only sexes when intersex people prove otherwise?

Small Victories

After Representative Hopper showed his ignorance and ass in what would become a viral moment, Representative Simmons filed a point of order. The House parliamentarians unanimously ruled to reject the amendment for which Hopper was trying to advocate. In what sometimes feels like a sea of defeats, Democrats were able to win this small battle and allow the University of Texas to keep their funding.

Of course, this is just one fight in one state legislature, but it points to the larger issues our nation is facing right now. And really, these fights are happening around the world. Republicans are determined to keep attacking transgender people, and intersex people are a casualty of that assault.

Sadly, we’ll likely keep having these little fights until the next time elections come around, giving us a chance to really change things. Or, you know, if more Republicans would stop goosestepping with the current president, we might have a fighting chance to save this country’s soul.