MARQUETTE, Mich. (WZMQ) – A controversial gender-definition resolution that was put before the Houghton County Board of Commissioners sparked hours of public comment and filled the Houghton County Courthouse to capacity Tuesday night.
Protesters lined the steps of the Houghton County Courthouse — many arriving long before Tuesday’s meeting began — pushing back against a proposed resolution that would formally recognize only two sexes: male and female.
Inside, it was standing-room-only. The crowd grew so large that some spectators were turned away. More than 150 people signed up to speak, and public comment stretched nearly five hours.
“The purpose is the counter culture that seeks to undermine the definition of gender and destroy the notion that we were created male and female. I believe this culture, which has been targeting young adults and children, has not been helpful but has been hurtful to many people,” said County Commissioner Joel Keranen.
Commissioner Joel Keranen introduced the resolution, which stated that sex is determined by chromosomes — xy for male, xx for female — and that options like “other,” “unknown,” or “undetermined” should not appear on birth, death, or marriage certificates.
Keranen argued the measure wasn’t intended to deny rights, but to push back against what he called a “counterculture” surrounding gender identity.
But one by one, commissioners — and most of the public — disagreed.
Others said it simply wasn’t county business.
Commissioner Glenn Anderson said the resolution stigmatized transgender and intersex residents — pointing to one speaker with triple-x syndrome who challenged the document’s scientific claims.
The overwhelming majority of people who lined up to speak were against this resolution, and most had the same reaction.
“This doesn’t belong here. There is nothing they can actually do with it. It begs the question, why? Why are you doing this? It definitely feels like a distraction to spread hate,” said Houghton County resident Suzie Harris.
The final vote: four to one. Keranen was the lone “yes.”
The board elected in 2024 holds a republican majority — but members emphasized that political identity shouldn’t dictate county policy.
The resolution’s defeat means no changes to county documentation. But with such a large turnout — and emotional testimony on both sides — commissioners say this conversation is far from over.
