VIDEO: Heated Exchange At Texas Capitol Over LGBTQ And DEI Programs

Well, here's one for the "you can’t make this up" file out of Austin.

What Happened?

During a heated budget debate at the Texas Capitol last Friday, Republican State Rep. Andy Hopper stood up with bold intentions: eliminate state funding for LGBTQ+ and DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) programs at the University of Texas at Austin. But it didn’t take long for things to take a turn that left social media on fire.

Rep. Hopper, aiming to push an amendment that would gut LGBTQ+ and DEI-related funding from the state’s massive $337 billion budget, was challenged by Democratic Rep. Lauren Ashley Simmons. Simmons began calmly, asking Hopper to clarify whether he was referring to biological sex or gender — pointing out that one is scientific and the other a social construct.

Hopper, with the confidence only a Texas politician can summon, responded, “They’re one and the same, ma’am.”

Spoiler alert: they’re not.

The conversation continued when Simmons asked where intersex individuals fit into Hopper’s black-and-white view of gender.

“I don’t even know what that means, ma’am,” Hopper admitted.

The Video

@itvnews'Andy, that's not true' Republican Representative Hopper was quickly told by his colleague during a debate on funding that his comments regarding intersex were not true. The Representative was being challenged after proposing to remove state funding for LGBTQ+ and diversity programs at the University of Texas. Intersex means a person has reproductive or sexual anatomy that doesn’t fit exclusively to either male or female, that means intersex people can have a combination of chromosomes not just XX and XY. #itvnews

♬ original sound - itvnews

Let’s repeat that: A Texas lawmaker is trying to defund academic programs about queer identities, but doesn’t know what intersex means — a term recognized by the medical community, taught in health classes, and included in modern human rights frameworks.

The exchange, shared widely by the Human Rights Campaign and Texas Democrats, drew audible gasps and laughter in the House chamber. Simmons, undeterred, pressed on:

“You want to defund a program about something you don’t even understand.”

Did the Amendment Pass?

Despite Hopper’s blunder, the amendment was ultimately rejected, and the budget passed 118-26.

In the end, the viral moment proved what LGBTQ+ advocates have long said — many politicians targeting queer communities don’t actually understand them.

Maybe it’s time our lawmakers learn what intersex means before trying to erase people who are.

Until then, Texas continues to be ground zero for national headlines that sound like satire — but are unfortunately all too real.

Stay informed, Lubbock.