Minnesota Democrat Leigh Finke, the state’s first transgender lawmaker, publicly called for a “cementation” of the rights of “trans, nonbinary, two-spirit and intersex people in our state constitution.”
Finke, who outraged many when USA Today named her the state’s “Woman of the Year,” gave the speech as the “Minnesota Queer Legislators Caucus” unveiled its 2024 agenda.
In a speech Wednesday, Finke proposed to Minnesotans an “equal rights amendment” that would add to liberal Gov. Tim Walz’s executive order protecting access to “gender-affirming care” for trans youth .
He demanded that trans people in Minnesota “have full and equal access to protections in perpetuity.”
Then, Finke also said the state should enshrine the rights of “non-binary, two-spirit and intersex individuals.”
Minnesota Democrat Leigh Finke, the state’s first transgender lawmaker, publicly called for a “cementation” of the rights of “trans, nonbinary, two-spirit and intersex people in our state constitution.”
Non-binary people are considered ‘people whose gender is neither male nor female’ according to the National Center for Transgender Equality.
‘Two-spirit’ is an identity used by indigenous peoples that ‘refers to a person who identifies with both a male and female spirit,’ according to Re: seeking LGBTQ health.
Intersex people are people who were born with a combination of male and female biological traits, according to Family planning.
Finke argued that the amendment would be a “nationally leading initiative” at a time when transgender issues are a national flashpoint.
“Passing a trans-inclusive ERA and long-term protection of trans rights are crucial to the long-term health and safety of my community and all of our communities,” he said.
The Minnesota Queer Legislators Caucus added that its goals for 2024 include “accountability, accessibility and tangible improvements for a more inclusive and equitable Minnesota.”
In Minnesota alone, many of the issues involving LGBTQ+ people and children have caused controversy.
In November, a Minnesota mother and former teacher slammed her former school district, saying they push gender ideology and critical race theory over children’s emotional well-being.
Finke, who outraged many when USA Today named her the state’s “Woman of the Year,” gave the speech as the “Minnesota Queer Legislators Caucus” unveiled its 2024 agenda.
He demanded that trans people in Minnesota “have full and equal access to protections in perpetuity.”
The former teacher said: ‘I have witnessed in recent years that social-emotional learning has become less about improving a student’s emotional intelligence, as it was intended, and more about driving ideologies.
‘There are two ideologies that I will address tonight that have become ingrained in social-emotional learning within the Anoka-Hennepin district. Issue number one: children should not be sexualized.
‘We don’t need books about exploring sexuality (gay, straight or otherwise) in schools.
‘We don’t need teachers to ask students about their pronouns. And worse yet, we don’t need teachers to ask students if they have a preferred pronoun that they want to keep secret from their parents. “That’s happening in this district.”
Bednar went on to call that behavior “grooming.”
Anoka-Hennepin is the largest school district in Minnesota, serving 38,000 students in 25 elementary schools, six middle schools, and five high schools.
The 2023/24 policy manual says, “Anoka-Hennepin schools have a growing number of students who identify as transgender or gender nonconforming.”
It adds: “All students, including transgender and gender non-conforming students, will be permitted to use any and all facilities that are consistent with their gender identity.”
Leigh Finke, a former academic, journalist and author, was voted out of her strongly left-wing district in the Twin Cities metro area in November 2022 with 81 percent of the vote. She was honored along with others as USA Today’s Woman of the Year.
Finke is the first transgender legislator elected in the state, which partly explains why the newspaper decided to honor her. Finke made the transition in 2017.
If students request more private changing areas, the policy suggests they could use an “alternative changing area” that includes a “physical education instructor’s office in the locker room.”
It adds: ‘In some circumstances, transgender students do not want their parents to know about their transgender status or that they are expressing their affirmed gender at school.
“Parents or guardians have the right to access the data unless a court order provides otherwise or the student requests that the data be withheld and the school determines that is in the student’s best interest.”
In December, a handful of Somali parents hoping to provide a better life for their children in Minnesota clashed with their public school district for teaching “sexualized topics” without their consent.
First Liberty Institute represents six Somali-Muslim families who are asking to be notified before their children receive instruction about LGBTQ identities, because they say it violates their religious beliefs.
All of their children are between seven and nine years old and most are in third and fourth grade.
Finke, a former academic, journalist and author, was voted out of her strongly left-wing district in the Twin Cities metro area in 2022 with 81 percent of the vote.
She was honored along with others, including former first lady Michelle Obama and the United States women’s soccer team. Transgender Undersecretary of Health Rachel Levine was one last year.
Finke, who has two children, has fought for transgender rights at a time when her state has become a flashpoint of the culture war.
Late last year, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, a Democrat, signed an executive order protecting the rights of LGBTQ people in Minnesota and other states to receive gender-affirming health care. Finke appears in the background at the signing.
Finke is the first transgender legislator elected in the state, which partly explains why the newspaper decided to honor her. Finke made the transition in 2017.
He acknowledged that he had recently risen in politics in a cheep commenting on the award over the weekend.
‘As an elected official, I recognize that I have just arrived. The faith that my district, the queer community, and my colleagues at the Capitol have placed in me has been life-giving. I’ve only just begun to understand how much my life has changed, for the better, over the last year.’
In late 2023, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, a Democrat, signed an executive order protect the rights of LGBTQ people in Minnesota and other states to receive gender-affirming health care.
Finke was at the signing of the order and, as expected, supported the measure in a tweet.
‘This executive order is necessary because the national attack on trans people increases every day. Our rights are under attack now. People are looking for security now. And Governor Walz’s actions today will provide that assurance,” he wrote.
However, it has created controversy elsewhere, with the Daily call criticizing her for describing an accusation of sexual assault against a minor against a member of the indigenous group Honor the Earth as “irrelevant” when debating its funding.
USA Today described Finke as “a nearly lifelong activist for transgender and LGBTQ+ rights, as well as Black Lives Matter.”