The Israel-Hamas war is poised to escalate, threatening “Armageddon,” and Americans are still being held hostage in Gaza. But on Thursday, the State Department focused its attention on other matters—namely, celebrating “Intersex Awareness Day.”
"Today in celebration and recognition of Intersex Awareness Day, we affirm the United States’ commitment to promoting and protecting the human rights of Intersex persons globally,” State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said in a statement. “As President Biden stated in his 2021 Memorandum on Advancing the Human Rights of LGBTQI+ Persons Around the World, it is the policy of the United States to pursue an end to violence and discrimination on the bases of sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, and sex characteristics.
“Intersex persons often face stigma and discrimination in accessing education, healthcare, and legal recognition, and are subjected to medically unnecessary surgeries,” he continued. “These harmful practices, which can cause lifelong negative physical and emotional consequences, are a medical form of so-called conversion therapy practices in that they seek to physically “convert” Intersex children into non-Intersex children. We applaud all activists, organizations and governments working to raise visibility and protect Intersex persons’ rights to bodily integrity and to ensure equal protection and recognition before the law.”
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While the prevailing narrative suggests 1.7 percent of the population is intersex, physician and psychologist Leonard Sax argues the true figure is closer to .018 percent “if the term intersex … [is] restricted to those conditions in which chromosomal sex is inconsistent with phenotypic sex, or in which the phenotype is not classifiable as either male or female.”
Critics blasted the statement given the many global and domestic crises raging.
I'd prefer that you devoted your time to affirming your commitment to preventing Iranian bombs from falling on American soldiers. Foreign policy is about priorities, and yours are confused. https://t.co/eTghdlTDRY
— Mike (@Doranimated) October 26, 2023
- Terrorists are holding Americans hostage
— John LeFevre (@JohnLeFevre) October 26, 2023
- Our southern border is being overrun
- Gov’t spending is bankrupting our country
- Inflation, interest rates, fentanyl, crime, WW3, etc.
But, the Department of State wants to wish you a Happy Intersex Awareness Day pic.twitter.com/CdvFbiykhd
This will get the hostages home from Gaza for sure.
— Tim Murtaugh (@TimMurtaugh) October 26, 2023
American citizens are still being held hostage by Hamas terrorists and Biden’s State Department is concerned with “Intersex Awareness Day” pic.twitter.com/n7b1UfCy2V
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) October 26, 2023
— Stephen L. Miller (@redsteeze) October 26, 2023
We just had a mass shooting with 22 dead/60 injured and the killer still on the loose. Americans are being held hostage in Gaza. And Biden's admin sends out this. https://t.co/wGk232hG8X
— Marina Medvin 🇺🇸 (@MarinaMedvin) October 26, 2023
Team Biden far more focused on gender politics than advancing America's security. https://t.co/f6hBz7oGo4
— Tom Cotton (@TomCottonAR) October 26, 2023
Would it be too much to ask for our government to go back to focusing on killing terrorists and freeing American hostages? https://t.co/dQY5PprXEk
— Steve Guest (@SteveGuest) October 26, 2023
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