Social media is remembering a news item that got little attention during the Democratic presidential primary: the time Joe Biden said that there are “at least three” genders when a far-right activist tried to trip him up.
Twitter user Michael Vera said that it was “unironically a better answer than most politicians would give to that question.”
Related: President-elect Biden thanks his “gay, straight, transgender” supporters in historic victory moment
Joe Biden answering "At least 3" when Kaitlyn Bennett posing as a journalist asked him how many genders are there was unironically a better answer than most politicians would give to that question.
— Michael Vera (@MushroomsOnMarz) January 12, 2021
Vera was referring to a video posted online by rightwing activist Charlie Kirk, the founder of the “alt-lite” organization for young far-right conservatives, Turning Point USA. Ginni Thomas, the wife of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, and Candace Owens have worked with the organization.
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According to Newsweek, the video showed a woman asking Biden at a campaign stop in August 2019 at the Iowa State Fair – well before COVID-19 – how many genders there are.
“There are at least three,” Biden responded, without missing a beat.
The woman then asked him to name them.
“Don’t play games with me, kid,” Biden responded, shutting her down.
While Biden didn’t exactly say that gender is a spectrum… he didn’t say “just two” either. And, technically, “gender is a spectrum” implies that there are at least three gender identities possible.
This is a good thing, according to LGBTQ people on Twitter.
I don't even think it was that dumb! I don't expect Joe Biden to explain the nuances of gender identity to a far right troll, but this was funny and sweet while technically true. If one of my parents gave me that answer if I asked them about gender identity I'd be ecstatic.
— Michael Vera (@MushroomsOnMarz) January 12, 2021
It’s a very Joe answer ( he doesn’t get it, but he supports it and is trying) and I love it
— Mixed Berry Social Anxiety Disorder (@aerospiked) January 12, 2021
Big Accepting Grandpa vibes there! 😍
— Suzanne *SANTA MONTH* Best (@Suzapalooz) January 12, 2021
i mean, he’s not wrong? pic.twitter.com/V7ZUGLM5Kg
— the melon man (@mostly_post) January 13, 2021
I’d argue that it’s the best answer possible; people are creating new genders for themselves all the time & deserve to be called whatever gender they want to identify as.
Male, Female & literally any other gender makes “atleast 3”
— trilli the illest (@TRILLItweets) January 13, 2021
he really said ‘just google it smh’
— Kale (@galaxyfaerie) January 13, 2021
That’s like fucking Han Solo energy lmao
— President-Elect Fabs (@RationalWins) January 12, 2021
