Friend, as you remember, "transgender policies" have been popping up in our state in school districts and the MN State High School League. Some DFL Senators even introduced a bill last week that would require taxpayers to pay for "gender reassignment surgery."
Transgender policies in schools are extremely concerning to families because they permit children to choose their own bathroom, locker room, sports team, etc. based on their "gender self-identification" rather than their biological sex.
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This means biological boys in girls' bathrooms, and vice versa.
As a result, parents across Minnesota have joined us in asking the MN Legislature to pass the Student Safety & Physical Privacy Act this year (HF 1546/SF 1543). This bill would, in part, require schools to continue to keep intimate facilities like bathrooms and locker rooms separated based on biological sex--basic common sense.
The GOOD NEWS is that the MN House of Representatives passed the student privacy provision of that bill requiring schools to maintain separate bathrooms for boys and girls as part of the larger Education policy omnibus bill.
The BAD NEWS is that last week, the DFL-controlled MN Senate voted against maintaining separate bathrooms for boys and girls in their larger Education policy omnibus bill.
So, now a group of 10 legislators (5 from the House, 5 from the Senate) will meet to form a final Education policy omnibus bill from their two separate bills. These 10 legislators will decide whether or not boys and girls will continue to have privacy in their public school restrooms and locker rooms.
They said WHAT??
We know not everyone can be present at the Capitol to hear the debate on important issues, so we captured a few quotes to show you how incredible the debate over something as common sense as separate bathrooms for boys and girls really was.
Compare the quotes below--we're sure you'll be shocked at what was said! Then decide who you feel better speaks for your family.
Sen. Scott Dibble (Minneapolis)
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compared to... |
Sen. Paul Gazelka (Nisswa)
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These bills are inappropriate involvement by government in our
daily life. ...
How do we enforce this? We can’t ask schools to
police bathrooms.
Transgender boys are boys; transgender girls are
girls.
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I appreciate, Sen. Dibble, that you are standing up for folks who
are transgender...but as we wrestle with these issues we can’t forget all students
in every situation. And we want to make sure that ALL students' privacy and
safety is protected.
How is it inappropriate and unenforceable to say
girls use the girls' and boys use the boys' [restroom]—we’ve been doing that for a long time.
Biological boys who identify as girls should not share with biological
girls—that’s just common sense. |
Sen. Scott Dibble (Minneapolis)
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compared to... |
Sen. Dan Hall (Burnsville)
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'Sex means the physical condition of being male or female which is determined by a person’s chromosomes and is identified at birth by a person’s anatomy'…that is a false statement on its face.
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I’m thinking about my grandddaughers. I think all students
need to be considered. I appreciate Sen. Dibble’s heart in this... But for my
granddaughters at 8 and 9-years-old to be in a locker room and have a boy walk in
that believes he’s a girl, I feel for him, but what about my granddaughters or
your children or the children of MN that are going to see him nude and that’s ok?
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Sen. John Marty (Roseville)
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compared to... |
Sen. Michelle Benson (Ham Lake)
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Transgender folks don’t understand us and we don’t undertand
them... 4th graders can learn. This transgender girl is still a
girl—they can learn to understand this.
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I think we need to think about all the students in
this situation. Think about a girl in 4th grade—and a boy she’s been going to school with
since Kindergarten, and in 5th grade comes back as a girl. And now someone she’s
known her whole life is different and maybe she can’t figure that out because while
we are adults and we can have empathy, she is a child and maybe she’s nervous
and maybe she would just like to be in a bathroom with girls. And this would let
her do that. |
Sen. Ron Latz (St. Louis Park)
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compared to... |
Sen. Warren Limmer (Maple Grove)
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I stand with Sen. Dibble and Sen. Marty and those of us who would
not take the step of this amendment. I stand with MSHSL who spent months [working on this issue]...
Who's standing with all the children, Sen. Latz?
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This amendment would simply recognize that when a student
regardless of how they think of themselves, the birth sex would dictate to them
the appropriate bathroom locker room, changing room.
I believe that gay and transgender kids should be protected
and safe at our schools as any and all of our children should be.
I [also] believe and MN Parents believe that biological girls
shouldn’t have to worry about being in a locker room with a biological boy.
Schools should not be a place for social engineering....
Do ALL students have a right to privacy?
Apparently there’s a few here that say they do not deserve
privacy.
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Who are the decision-makers?
This group of 10 legislators (5 from the House, 5 from the Senate) will decide whether or not to keep in the provision that requires schools to continue separating bathrooms based on biological sex, for the privacy and safety of all students, in their final Education bill:
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Sen. Charles Wiger (43, Maplewood)
(651) 296-6820
Use email form
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Sen. Alice Johnson (37, Blaine)
(651) 296-2556
Use email form
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Sen. LeRoy Stumpf (1, Plummer)
(651) 296-8660
Use email form
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Sen. Kevin Dahle (20, Northfield)
(651) 296-1279
Use email form
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Sen. Eric Pratt (55, Prior Lake)
(651) 296-4123
sen.eric.pratt@senate.mn
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Rep. Jenifer Loon (48B, Eden Prairie)
651-296-7449
rep.jenifer.loon@house.mn
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Rep. Sondra Erickson (15A, Princeton)
651-296-6746
rep.sondra.erickson@house.mn
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Rep. Ron Kresha (9B, Little Falls)
651-296-4247
rep.ron.kresha@house.mn
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Rep. Bob Dettmer (39A, Forest Lake)
651-296-4124
rep.bob.dettmer@house.mn
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Rep. Roz Peterson (56B, Lakeville)
651-296-5387
rep.roz.peterson@house.mn
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We need your help!
We need your help letting these 10 legislators know that YOU WANT the provision requiring schools to continue to separate bathrooms and locker rooms based on biological sex to stay in the final Education bill!
These 10 legislators need to know that they should OPPOSE any efforts to remove this provision.
Here's how you can help:
- Select 1 of the 10 legislators above in charge of this decision who lives closest to you. Take 2 minutes to call their office staffer or email them, asking them to make sure the provision requiring schools to maintain bathrooms separated based on biological sex stays in the Education omnibus bill, H.F. 844.
- Then ask as many of your friends and neighbors as you can to do the same!
- If you have a little more time to give, please call (or email) Sen. Wiger's office and Rep. Loon's office asking them the same thing. These 2 legislators are the two Chairpersons of the committee in charge of the Education bill.
- Pray!
Thank you so much for giving of your time! God bless you for helping turn the Light back on in Minnesota!
MFC's mission to nurture and defend families by restoring biblical truth in our culture is entirely funded by generous givers like you! Would you consider a gift today to help support our ministry?
Together, we can turn the Light back on in Minnesota!
Thank you and God bless you.
#LightsOnMN
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