After 1 round of technical interview for a Manager position: > "Sorry, we're on a hiring freeze" I pressed my contact to reach out to the guy who interviewed

After 1 round of technical interview for a Manager position: > "Sorry, we're on a hiring freeze" I pressed my contact to reach out to the guy who interviewed me. He said, 'Yeah. I like the guy. I gave a positive feedback' (I would've been his manager, actually). So, what really happened? > Sorry, we're only looking for women candidates for this position. (My name can apply to both genders. The recruiter called and heard my voice before scheduling the interview.)