April 20, 2023

Find your legislator and contact information: Who represents me? (Senate, House)

Listen to the 10-minute SF2909 Radio Interview with Senator Glenn Gruenhagen and Julie Quist of CPL.

The omnibus Public Safety & Judicial funding bill, SF 2909, Article 3, Section 32, Subd. 1(20) adds gender identity and gender expression to the list of identity groups that are provided special human rights protection in Minnesota. SF2909 directs the Minnesota Department of Human Rights (MDHR) to solicit and compile data from schools, community organizations, and individuals about “incidents” involving these protected groups and the nature and extent of these “incidents.” (line 71.8)

“Incidents committed” will be evaluated on whether they involve “actual or perceived” bias against these identity groups. A newly released investigation, Trapped!: Chaos in the Classroom, reports the rise of altercations in many Minnesota public school classrooms today. Discipline is lacking, students are not being held accountable, and bullying and violence is rapidly increasing. In practice, this new statute will mean that any conflict involving nonbinary and/or trans students will be considered reportable incidents. In these cases, discipline will be enforced.

Gender bending curriculum in schools incentivizes many students to choose to classify themselves nonbinary or trans because this choice removes them from an ‘oppressive’ group classification into a favored ‘oppressed’ group category. It emotionally liberates them from the guilt and shame of being identified as white and heterosexual.

Adding the categories of “gender identity” and “gender expression” to special human rights protections creates an unequal and a two-tiered system of justice that violates the equal protection of heterosexual people who will be provided less protection than non-binary and trans victims of crimes and “incidents.” Notably, the term “gender expression” also gives special protection to drag queens who are men impersonating females.

Failure to speak false and contrived gender pronouns is already being treated as a violation of human rights. Criticism of gender ideology is already being defined as hate. Pointing out that humans are created male and female is already being treated as an assault on “non-binary” identified people. Including “gender identity” and “gender expression” into Minnesota’s protected classes establishes full legal suppression of speech and of the very right to challenge radical gender ideology in our state. It will affect not only schools but businesses, civic organizations, and churches.

SF2909 has passed both the House and the Senate. This language can be removed in the conference committee meetings.

Excerpt from SF2909
Subdivision 1. Formulation of policies.
(a) The commissioner shall formulate policies
to effectuate the purposes of this chapter and shall do the following:

(20) solicit, receive, and compile information from community organizations, school
districts and charter schools, and individuals regarding incidents committed in whole or in
substantial part because of the victim’s or another’s actual or perceived race, color, ethnicity,
religion, sex, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, national
origin, or disability as defined in section 363A.03, or because of the victim’s actual or
perceived association with another person or group of a certain actual or perceived race,
color, ethnicity, religion, sex, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression,
age, national origin, or disability as defined in section 363A.03, and compile data in the
aggregate on the nature and extent of such incidents and include summary data as defined
by section 13.02, subdivision 19, on this information in the report required under clause
(12), disaggregated by the type of incident and the actual or perceived characteristic for
which the person was targeted.