Putting its time and funding to good use, the U.S. Department of State celebrated Intersex Awareness Day on Thursday in a powerful show of America’s strength on the world stage.
As many other global and domestic conflicts dominate current conversations, the State Department's messaging could initially appear out of place. But upon further inspection, it’s clear that the executive agency is doing what must be done to protect the homeland and foreign relations – with its $60 billion budget.
“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,” the State Department declared in a press release.
The celebratory government announcement comes as doctors and the American Academy of Pediatrics face a lawsuit from a woman who detransitioned after being pumped full of testosterone during her teen years. She blames the defendants for prioritizing “politics and ideology over children’s safety, health, and well-being.”
The intended public outcome from the Department of State’s emphasis on sexuality remains ambiguous, but what is clear is the U.S. government’s willingness to drive the cultural agenda across the globe – something the rest of the world undoubtedly welcomes. A focal initiative of the agency is to advance LGBT inclusion and gender equity around the world in coordination with the White House.
“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,” the press release adds.
While Americans have become accustomed to LGBT cultural views, gender-affirming messaging is still novel to many foreign nations, such as Lithuania, Russia, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The UAE prohibits men from “posing as” women in order to enter women-only spaces, according to Human Rights Watch. Russia and Lithuania do not criminalize same-sex acts or forms of gender expression, but they prohibit LGBT “propaganda.”
Given the many other pressing global issues, Americans can see the importance the State Department places in making identity politics such an important topic of discussion. But the truth is, Americans don’t see the significance of pandering to sexual identities. Only one percent of Americans view LGBT rights as the most important problem facing our nation today, according to Gallup polling.
We unite as Americans, not the continuously provoked division based on our personal – and private – differences.
We’re uniting together in calling the nation’s first-ever Article V convention to place checks on the federal government’s expansion. If you’re new to COS, take a moment to sign the petition located below.
