Yesterday was International Women's Day. In honor of the occasion, the first lady, Doctor of Education Jill Biden, Ed.D. and secretary of state Antony Blinken, A.B., J.D. co-hosted the 2023 International Women of Courage Awards ceremony at the White House because Biden "wanted to bring the stories of these incredible women to the biggest stage we could, and that is, of course, the White House," declared Karine Jean-Pierre, B.S., MPA, the White House press secretary, who also spoke at the ceremony. 

According to the official U.S. Department of State press release issued prior to the ceremony, the recipients are

a group of 11 extraordinary women from around the world who are working to build a brighter future for all. ...

Now in its 17th year, the Secretary of State's IWOC Award recognizes women from around the globe who have demonstrated exceptional courage, strength, and leadership in advocating for peace, justice, human rights, gender equity and equality, and the empowerment of women and girls, in all their diversity — often at great personal risk and sacrifice.

A quick reading confirmed that, indeed, the recipients do live up to their outstanding description.

But wait...a deeper reading of the press release and then the ceremony itself revealed that the Biden White House duped us (yeah, yeah, I know) again, because one of the recipients, Alba Rueda, is...a man.  Oh, sure, Rueda, who was "assigned" the sex of male at birth in Argentina, but who now "identifies" as a woman, has had/is having some medical procedures and chemical interventions and "presents" as a woman.  But DNA is forever.

Biological sex refers to the physical features of a human body (or anatomy). 

Gender identity refers to one's internal sense of being. That may align more toward being a male, female, or anywhere in between. Some people who identify as nonbinary may not have an internal sense of being a male or female at all!

Sex reassignment surgery involves changing a person's anatomy. Whether a person identifies as a male or female shouldn't change after surgery. And it doesn't change their genetics either! ...

Whatever set of chromosomes a person has when they are born cannot be changed. This is because chromosomes are in all the cells that make up our bodies. 

To change a person's chromosomes would mean changing trillions of cells! There aren't any technologies (and probably won't be in the future) that can change a chromosome in all of a person's cells.

But hey, those of you born with with XX chromosomes, biologically known as ladies, women, females, girls — Alba Rueda, born with XY chromosomes — and still has them — is a woman according to the authoritative Dr. Biden and Secretary Blinken.

Or maybe not.  S/He, it, they is transgender.  What is this new species that even spell check doesn't recognize — yet?  The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention informs us that

[t]ransgender is an umbrella term for persons whose gender identity or expression (masculine, feminine, other) is different from their sex (male, female) at birth. Gender identity refers to one's internal understanding of one's own gender, or the gender with which a person identifies. Gender expression is a term used to describe people's outward presentation of their gender.

Gender identity and sexual orientation are different facets of identity. Everyone has a gender identity and a sexual orientation, but a person's gender does not determine a person's sexual orientation. Transgender people may identify as heterosexual, homosexual, bisexual, or none of the above.

Oh.

Or maybe non-binary.  Huh? 

The EEOC will incorporate the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) proposal for how to define "X" in a way that promotes clarity and inclusion, as well as safety and privacy for individuals. NCHS's proposed definition of "X," based on user testing performed earlier this year and summarized in a fact sheet issued today, has two parts: (1) "unspecified," which promotes privacy for individuals who prefer not to disclose their gender identity; and (2) "another gender identity," which promotes clarity and inclusion for those who wish to signify that they do not identify as male or female. 

Oh again.

So why did Rueda receive this award as a woman when her/his/its/their biology and identity don't match?  As Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders (R-Ark.) tweeted: 

It’s International Women’s Day – a good time to remember that Democrats can’t even tell you what a woman is. https://t.co/BPJ1fHhl5u

— Sarah Huckabee Sanders (@SarahHuckabee) March 8, 2023

Rueda's inclusion reeks of political correctness.  The State Department's description glowingly explains:

Alba Rueda, Argentina's current Special Envoy for Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, International Trade and Worship, was the first Argentine Undersecretary for Diversity Policies in the newly created Ministry of Women, Gender, and Diversity. Ms. Rueda was the driving force behind Argentina's executive order on the transgender labor quota in the public sector which was converted into the Transgender Labor Quota Act. She previously worked in the Ministry of Justice and Human Rights in their National Institute against Discrimination, Xenophobia and Racism (INADI) as well as the Argentine Secretariat for Human Rights.

Etc. and etc.

Will women "identifying" as men be similarly honored on International Men's Day , November 19, 2023, for aiding this year's theme of "Zero Male Suicide"?  Will there be another White House ceremony for Alba Rueda and others on March 31, 2023, the Transgender Day of Visibility?  Courageous people of all backgrounds want to know.

Image via Pexels.