(LifeSiteNews) – A Michigan education official is under fire for not admitting during a state committee hearing that there are two genders, male and female.
On October 28, Chief Deputy Superintendent Dr. Sue Carnell was asked twice by Republican state Rep. Jay DeBoyer, “How many genders are there?”
After the first time Carnell was asked the question, she paused and smiled while failing to provide a response. It was only after DeBoyer asked her again that she replied.
“Different people have different beliefs on that,” she responded.
Carnell’s comment prompted DeBoyer to say in a follow-up, “Well, you can believe all you want, but science says there’s two.”
Carnell was in Lansing last month discussing the Michigan Department of Education’s updates to its sex education recommendations.
The department wants to revise its 2007 guidelines with references to gender identity and sexual orientation.
“The standards point to understanding tolerance and inclusivity,” Carnell has said.
Per local media outlet WILX-10, the revisions will also include “teaching safe sex practices, including abstinence, and how to recognize sexual abuse and partner violence.”
Conservatives made sure Carnell’s awkward moment went viral on social media.
“3/4 Michigan kids can’t read at grade level. When you realize these are the people in charge of education in Michigan, that number starts to make a lot more sense,” Michigan GOP Senator Aric Nesbitt said in an X post.
“Surprised progressives are still not prepared for the ‘what is a woman’ question when they testify at hearings. You would think they would have come up with something better than ‘I’m not a biologist’ (as Justice Jackson said) by now,” Roger Severino of the D.C.-based Heritage Foundation exclaimed.
Severino’s reference was to current Supreme Court Justice Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson, who infamously replied, “I’m not a biologist” when repeatedly asked by Republican U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee during her confirmation hearings if she could define the word “woman.”
“The fact that you can’t give me a straight answer about something as fundamental as what a woman is underscores the dangers of the kind of progressive education that we are hearing about,” Blackburn said.
Other Michigan lawmakers expressed shock over Carnell’s response.
“Michigan students are falling behind in reading, writing, math, etc. Our priority should be improving academic performance, not advancing ideology that is perverse and controversial,” Rep. Gina Johnsen said.
Earlier this month, conservative lawmakers as well as Christians across the Wolverine State attended the second annual Michigan March for Life in Lansing to protest abortion laws previously passed by Democrats.
“I want to express my appreciation to all of the pro-lifers who traveled to the Capitol,” GOP state Rep. Jim DeSana told LifeSiteNews. “It was especially heartwarming to see all of the Catholic school students and homeschoolers adding to the crowd of over 4,000 people.”
Democrats currently hold a 19-18 majority in the state Senate and Republicans control the House 58-52. House Republicans have introduced several bills that would add a variety of restrictions on abortion in the state, though that is unlikely given current Michigan Democrat Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is an avowed supporter of not just abortion but the LGBT agenda as well.
