Earlier this year, Trump signed a federal law that legally defines gender as strictly binary: male or female, based solely on “biological sex at birth.” Forget gender identity—this law pushes a flat-out scientific falsehood. And regardless of political orientation, I demand that our leaders fact-check at least the biology before writing laws that shape real lives.
Here’s the truth: science has never supported a rigid binary. Genetic syndromes like Klinefelter Syndrome (XXY), Poly X Syndrome (more than two X chromosomes), and Turner Syndrome (a single X) have been well-documented for decades. Intersex individuals—who make up about 1.7% of the population, the same as those with red hair—are born with chromosomal patterns, hormone levels, or anatomy that don’t fit typical definitions of male or female.
This new law doesn’t just erase intersex individuals—it forces people into categories that ignore their actual biology and lived reality. Even more disturbingly, legislation like this often leads to increased pressure on doctors and parents to “correct” intersex infants at birth through medically unnecessary, and often traumatizing, procedures.
I won’t linger on the social and psychological harm this law causes to transgender, nonbinary, and gender-diverse people—but I will say this: it’s not just cruel. It’s bad science. As someone with a Ph.D. in Molecular Genetics and over a decade of university-level teaching experience, I feel a duty to say it plainly. Gender is not binary. Biology isn’t that simple. Laws that claim otherwise are betraying the trust of constituents.
If you're feeling overwhelmed, you're not alone. If you’re angry, you’re not overreacting. And if you’re ready to do something—support organizations like the ACLU, the Intersex Justice Project, and your local LGBTQ+ centers. Vote like your rights depend on it. Speak out. Share this post. Be louder than the misinformation.
And most importantly: take care of yourself. You are not a mistake. You are not broken. You belong—just as you are.
💜 Always.