A senior Michigan education official has ignited a firestorm of conservative criticism after a video went viral showing her evading a direct question about how many genders exist during a state hearing.
The Confrontation That Sparked Outrage
The controversy erupted during an October 28 hearing before the Michigan House of Representatives, where Republican state Representative Jay DeBoyer directly questioned Chief Deputy Superintendent Sue Carnell about proposed changes to the Department of Education's Health Education Standards Guidelines.
"How many genders are there?" DeBoyer demanded of Carnell, who initially responded with a smile and silence, prompting the lawmaker to repeat his question.
After a pause, Carnell eventually replied: "Different people have different beliefs on that."
DeBoyer immediately countered: "Well, you can believe all you want, but science says there's two."
Conservative Backlash Erupts Online
The 15-second clip gained widespread attention on Monday after being shared by the popular X account Libs of TikTok, triggering immediate condemnation from conservative commentators and politicians across social media platforms.
Republican State Senator for Michigan Aric Nesbitt responded sharply to the video, writing: "Three quarters of Michigan kids can’t read at grade level. When you realize these are the people in charge of education in Michigan, that number starts to make a lot more sense."
Criticism flooded social media, with one X user describing Carnell's response as "a cop-out answer" while another declared: "If a person can't answer how many genders there are then they shouldn't be allowed to vote."
The account 'MAGA Bags' posted: "No Sue Carnell, You are the Chief Deputy Superintendent of the Michigan Department of Education and can’t answer a simple biology question?"
Educational Context and Justification
The heated exchange occurred during discussions about progressive proposals that were ultimately passed last week by the Michigan Board of Education in a 6-2 vote.
The updated Health Education Standards Guidelines now include lessons about gender identity, recommending that by the end of eighth grade, students should be able to:
- Define gender identity and expression and sexual orientation
- Identify that romantic and sexual attractions can occur regardless of gender
- Understand that attractions can change over time
- Differentiate between biological sex, gender identity, and gender expression
When pressed by DeBoyer about why this "indoctrination" was necessary, Carnell explained: "The reason behind it is that we find that children who are gender diverse are being harassed, bullied, in school. We can't make education gains if students feel unsafe."
She defended the guidelines as promoting "understanding, tolerance, inclusivity" and emphasised that "we are not dictating these standards - these are guidelines."
The debate unfolds against a challenging educational backdrop for Michigan, which ranks 44th nationally in fourth-grade reading scores according to this year's report from the Education Trust Midwest.
Supporters argue the updated guidelines will help LGBT+ students understand themselves better, while opponents maintain they represent ideological overreach into classroom education.
