Bombshell Terminations at Texas A&M After Viral Gender Debate

A bombshell termination at Texas A&M is igniting a storm of political and cultural debate across Texas, and here in Victoria, where a brand-new A&M campus just opened its doors this month, people are paying close attention.

The controversy began when a viral video showed a student challenging her professor over what she described as “gender ideology.” In the clip, the student said:

“I'm not entirely sure this is legal to be teaching because, according to our president, there are only 2 genders...so I am not going to participate in this because it's not legal and I don't want to promote something that is against our president's laws.”

Texas A&M University President Mark A. Welsh III announced Monday that two administrators, Arts and Sciences Dean Mark Zoran and department chair Emily Johansen, would be removed. According to Welsh, the pair had signed off on teaching plans that strayed from the official course description.

Gender and sex are NOT interchangeable words.

It’s important to understand that gender and sex are not the same. Gender refers to how a person identifies and expresses themselves through masculinity, femininity, or another identity. Sex, on the other hand, is biological, defined by physical and physiological traits. The two are not interchangeable, even though the terms often get confused.

Another misconception spreading online is the students’ claim about “the president’s law.” In the United States, presidents do not make laws; that power rests with Congress.

You can watch the video below: