Whitmer Puts Politics Over Parents in Transgender Empowerment Push

Governor Gretchen Whitmer has declared October “Transgender Empowerment Month,” doubling down on her far-left gender agenda, while Michigan parents fight to keep girls’ sports fair. This announcement comes as outrage grows in light of the news that staff at Rockford High School were allegedly helping a student transition their gender without their parents’ knowledge and consent, and in Ann Arbor, where a biologically male student is playing on the girls’ volleyball team.

Last month, a federal judge ruled that a lawsuit brought by the parents of the Rockford student could continue, saying “plaintiffs plausibly allege that the District infringed upon the first set of rights when it failed to inform them of their child’s requested gender transition and when it deceived them so they wouldn’t find out besides their child telling them.”

In Ann Arbor, parents were not notified prior to the participation of a biological boy in a girls’ sporting event, and a waiver was not filed, as required by Michigan High School Athletic Association guidelines (MHSAA). The waivers, which allow boys to compete in girls’ sports, have been used in direct defiance of President Trump’s executive orders aimed at maintaining fairness in athletics. 

Instead of standing up for the health and safety of female athletes, Gretchen Whitmer continues to choose politics. Her message is clear: ideology comes first, common sense comes last.

Earlier this year, the House passed HBs 4066 and 4469, introduced by State Representatives Jason Woolford and Rylee Linting, respectively. Those bills would mandate that athletic participation be done based on biological sex and prevent boys from playing girls’ sports. Those bills remain stalled, as Senate Majority Leader Winnie Brinks has refused to bring them to the floor for a vote.

“Governor Whitmer’s proclamation isn’t about empowerment, it’s about politics,” said Gabe Butzke, a spokesperson for the Michigan Forward Network. “Parents want their students to be safe playing sports, and Whitmer continues to choose ideology over the safety of girls in athletics.”