An associate professor at the University of New Mexico has expressed concern that she may be pressured to deny her own identity and teach her students that only two genders exist.
Georgiann Davis, an intersex academic and associate professor, spoke out about her fears of being forced to misrepresent scientific and social discussions surrounding gender and sexuality. Her opinion piece, titled “I am an intersex professor. Am I supposed to lie by teaching only male and female?”, highlights her growing anxiety about political influence on education.
The discussion gained attention after a viral Reddit post featured a classroom exchange in which a student questioned lessons about gender diversity. The post also referenced a teaching aid—a purple unicorn graphic—used to explain differences between gender identity, expression, and sexuality, according to The Texas Tribune.
In the viral video, a female student can be heard saying, “I just have a question, because I’m not sure it’s legal to be teaching this.” She continued, “According to the president, there are only two genders, and this goes against my beliefs and the beliefs of many others.”
Davis shared the clip to illustrate the growing tension between academic freedom and political narratives surrounding gender education. She said she worries that educators like herself could soon be silenced or required to teach information they believe to be false.