Varkey Says He Was Fired for Teaching “Biological Truths”
The professor was allegedly fired for teaching students that biological sex is determined by X and Y chromosomes – a simplification of the truth usually taught to young kids. In reality, biological sex is determined by a combination of primary sex characteristics, secondary sex characteristics, and chromosomes. Moreover, there are more combinations than XX and XY, and someone with XX chromosomes can be born with male genitalia.Varkey Is a Devout Christian
The professor is a devout Christian and, according to reports, was unable to keep that out of his teaching. Allegedly, Varkey was actually fired for a combination of homophobia, transphobia, misogyny, and anti-abortion rhetoric. The professor reportedly denies this and claims he simply taught a biological fact about chromosomes – a “fact” that, as explained previously, is oversimplified and designed for young kids.The Christian Professor Is Fighting for His Job
The First Liberty Institute, a Texas-based nonprofit Christian law firm, sent a letter to the school demanding Varkey’s reinstatement. In a statement, the firm said: “The college fired him for teaching basic and widely accepted concepts of biology. We’re asking the college to immediately reinstate Dr. Varkey to his position and clear his record of any wrongdoing.”The Statement Continued
The statement continued: “During Dr. Varkey’s 20-year employment as a biology professor at St. Philip’s College, he consistently received exemplary performance reviews and was never subject to discipline. Throughout that time, he never discussed with any student his personal views — religious or otherwise — on human gender or sexuality.”The Institute Claimed Varkey Taught an “Unremarkable Concept”
The firm continued its statement, claiming only biological truths had been taught: “[Varkey] stated, consistent with his study of human biology and religious beliefs, that sex was determined by chromosomes X and Y. In two decades of teaching these basic, unremarkable concepts, no other students complained.”The Firm Was Adamant Varkey Is Innocent
The First Liberty Institute continued its statement, going on to say that the school had received “numerous” complaints about religious preaching, homophobia, transphobia, misogyny, and anti-abortion rhetoric. They claimed, once again, that the professor had been fired for teaching “widely accepted concepts.”The Story Made Its Way to Online Communities
Before long, the story made its way to various online forums – and everyone had an opinion to share. “I am from the area and trust me, this San Antonio community college is not a woke institution. Dude seems like a Christian [jerk],” one person wrote. “Another instance of right-wing insane morons doing something bigoted and then claiming they’ve been persecuted,” another added.Online Communities Criticized Varkey
Online communities largely criticized the professor and his actions. One individual wrote: “This teacher was probably spreading Christian nonsense in his classes. Then, when he got canned, he told the media, “All I did was teach the basic fact that females are XX and males are XY!’”A “Religious Nut”
Some Forum posters were harsher than others with their words. “Sounds like a religious nut who is woefully unqualified to teach even basic scientific study. His faith shouldn’t be teaching him anything that he repeats in a biology course,” one particularly passionate individual wrote.Opinions Were Mixed on Other Platforms
While opinions were a little more mixed on platforms other than the original post, the majority still seemed to back the college. “Gasp! Conservatives [are] upset when they can’t promote their agenda in the classroom,” one person wrote. “Clueless,” a second individual replied. “Speak for yourself,” a third hit back.LGBTQ+ People Were Frustrated
Members of the LGBTQ+ community were frustrated. One individual wrote: “As a queer person, seeing people defend this man is so annoying. He obviously said more than he claims, or the school wouldn’t have had grounds to fire him after 20 years of service. Use your heads, people. This guy was obviously preaching religion.”The Story Attracted Transphobes
Unfortunately, Varkey’s story attracted a fair few transphobes. “Did he hurt their feelings by teaching facts?” one person wrote, referring to the idea of XX chromosomes always being female and XY always being male. “Where are the ‘facts’ when someone is preaching about fiction?” another replied, presumably referring to Varkey’s alleged religious preaching. “Biology is more complicated than XX and XY. Read a book or something,” another wrote.16 ANNOYING PHRASES THAT MAKE PEOPLE IMMEDIATELY HATE YOU!
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