The Houghton County Board of Commissioners voted 4-1 against Resolution #25-032 to “Declare that there are only two sexes” during its meeting at 6 p.m. on Dec. 9, 2025.
The Resolution, introduced by commissioner Joel Keranen of Houghton County’s second district, sought to declare that there are only two sexes, male and female, stating “a male has XY Chromosomes, and a female has XX Chromosomes…” and that “if you are born a male XY or born a female XX that sex will follow you from your birth, marriage and death certificate [sic].” The proposed text was widely publicized in the community, leading to a public outcry from residents that feel they were not represented by the resolution.
During the meeting, the Houghton County courtroom, which boasts a legal capacity of 140 persons, was filled beyond capacity, leading the Houghton County Sheriff’s Office to politely request that those not actively speaking refrain from entering the room, lest the meeting be rescheduled. The meeting was called to order, and after the opening statements, public comments pertaining to Resolution #25-032 were opened; over 100 individuals, some of which waiting in a line that stretched out of the courthouse building, appeared before the Board to voice their concerns over the proposed resolution, with approximately 90 percent of those speaking opposing its passing.
Commenters against the resolution argued, amongst other points, that the existence of intersex people, who may have a variance from the standard XY or XX chromosome pair, is not acknowledged by the Resolution, and is therefore exclusionary; many stated they would not feel safe living under it. Those arguing in favor of the resolution posited that Christian religious scripture is in direct support of the text of the proposed Resolution.
After almost five hours of public comment, a ten-minute recess was called by the Chairman of the Board, Tom Tikkanen, after which the commissioners would discuss their opinions and hold a vote. Tikkanen remarked that even though both sides of the argument have valid points, it is simply not the purview of the Board of Commissioners to weigh in on such matters, stating “I cannot support a resolution… [that] does not pertain to function;” it was said that the Board should focus its resources on more relevant matters, such as what would happen when the jail is closed or if the lift bridge fails.
The subsequent vote failed to pass, with a single “Yea” vote from Commissioner Keranen and four “Nay” votes from Commissioners Tikkanen, Gretchen Janssen, Glenn Anderson, and Roy Britz. Once the ballots were cast, the meeting continued with the rest of its agenda. Local members of the LGBTQ community expressed their relief at the outcome of the vote after the meeting.
