Houghton County Board defeats resolution declaring there are only two sexes after lengthy public comment

After an extended public-comment period that drew more than 100 registered speakers in person and on Zoom, the Houghton County Board of Commissioners voted 4–1 on Dec. 9 to defeat a resolution asserting that there are only two sexes.

The motion to vote on the measure was made by Commissioner Glenn Anderson and seconded by Commissioner Gretchen Janssen; the roll-call outcome was Joel Keranen — Yes; Glenn Anderson, Gretchen Janssen, Tom Tikkanen and Roy Britz — No, which the clerk recorded as a failed motion. Commissioner Joel Keranen read a prepared statement in support of the resolution during the agenda discussion; Chairman Tom Tikkanen said he opposed the resolution. Commissioners Anderson and Britz told the board they believed the resolution was not a county function.

Public comment on the agenda item dominated the early portion of the meeting. The record lists more than 100 named speakers who addressed the measure, including local clergy and residents; many of those speakers were recorded as opposing the resolution and saying that the county should not adopt the proposed wording, while a smaller number of speakers said they supported it. Examples of individuals recorded in the public-comment list include Aryel Azimuth, Shelby Owens, Pastor Peter Norland, Ivan Niemela, Jerome Niemela, and dozens of other residents and Zoom participants.

The resolution language included in the meeting packet stated that Houghton County ‘‘encourage all other Michigan Counties and the State of Michigan to recognize there are only two sexes, Male, and, Female,’’ and repeated a biological rationale referencing XX and XY chromosomes. The board’s discussion noted that the resolution was on the packet and that some members felt it was not within the county board’s authority or appropriate for county action.

Because the motion to bring the resolution to a vote failed, no further procedural steps (such as a formal roll-call adoption) were taken. The clerk’s record includes the full resolution text in the meeting packet and a certificate showing the resolution text is on file in the clerk’s office.

The board proceeded to other agenda items after the vote; several commenters who had spoken during public comment also later raised issues about Canal View and county property matters during the general comment period.

The board is expected to revisit related administrative items in January when several matters that were tabled — including a transition-to-direct-deposit proposal and death-certificate filing fees — return to the agenda.