Top Michigan official sparks online firestorm when asked to name number of genders: ‘Beyond embarrassing’
A recent viral clip featuring Michigan Chief Deputy Superintendent Dr. Sue Carnell has sparked a wave of outrage among conservatives on social media. The footage, which has garnered over 2 million views, depicts a tense exchange during an October 28 hearing where Republican state Representative Jay DeBoyer pressed Carnell on the contentious issue of how many genders exist. Instead of providing a direct answer, Carnell smiled and hesitated before stating that “different people have different beliefs on that.” This response ignited a firestorm of criticism from conservative figures who accused her of evading the question and promoting what they deem radical ideologies in education.
Conservative influencers and politicians quickly took to platforms like X (formerly Twitter) to voice their disapproval. Former Michigan gubernatorial candidate Tudor Dixon condemned the educational system for allegedly “sexualizing every facet of the curriculum,” while GOP state Senator Aric Nesbitt highlighted the alarming statistic that three-quarters of Michigan students are not reading at grade level, suggesting that the focus on gender identity issues is misplaced. Others, like Heritage Foundation VP Roger Severino, criticized progressives for their perceived inability to address fundamental questions about gender, referencing the infamous “I’m not a biologist” remark made by Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson. Political commentator Wesley Yang went so far as to say that Carnell’s inability to answer the question reflects a broader “institutionalized mania.”
In response to the backlash, Carnell defended her position, emphasizing that the focus of the updated Michigan Health Education Standards Guidelines is to provide research-based information about health topics, including gender identity. These guidelines, recently approved by the Michigan State Board of Education in a 6-2 vote, aim to educate students on concepts such as gender identity, gender expression, and sexual orientation, while still allowing local school districts to maintain control over their curricula. The Michigan Department of Education clarified that these standards serve as guidelines rather than mandates, ensuring that parents retain the right to decide their children’s participation in sex education. Despite the ongoing debate, Carnell’s comments and the board’s decision highlight the contentious landscape of educational policy in Michigan, particularly regarding gender identity and inclusivity in the classroom.
Conservatives on social media erupted over a clip showing a top education official in
Michigan
struggling to answer a question from a Republican lawmaker on how many genders exist.Â
In the viral clip,Â
resurfaced on X
by conservative influencer LibsofTikTok on Sunday and seen over 2 million times, Michigan Chief Deputy Superintendent Dr. Sue Carnell is asked in an Oct. 28 hearing by Republican state Rep. Jay DeBoyer about her opinion on how many genders exist.
“How many genders are there,” DeBoyer asked, prompting Carnell to smile and pause without answering. “How many genders are there?” DeBoyer asked again.
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“Different people have different beliefs on that,” Carnell responded.Â
The clip quickly went viral on social media and resulted in conservatives lambasting Carnell for not directly answering and instead explaining the importance of inclusivity.Â
Former Michigan Republican gubernatorial candidate Tudor Dixon reacted in a statement to Fox News Digital saying, “Democrats want to sexualize every facet of the curriculum and the MBOE is imposing its radical ideology on all Michigan K-12 schools.”
“3/4 Michigan kids can’t read at grade level,” GOP Michigan state Sen. Aric NesbittÂ
posted on X.
“When you realize these are the people in charge of education in Michigan, that number starts to make a lot more sense.”
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“Surprised progressives are still not prepared for the ‘what is a woman’ question when they testify at hearings,” Heritage Foundation VP Roger SeverinoÂ
posted on X.
“You would think they would have come up with something better than ‘I’m not a biologist’ (as Justice Jackson said) by now.”
“This is beyond embarrassing,” conservative influencer Paul A. SzypulaÂ
posted on X
. “If a person can’t answer how many genders there are then they shouldn’t be allowed to vote.”
“She is caught in the grips of an institutionalized mania,” political commentator Wesley YangÂ
posted on X
.Â
In a statement to Fox News Digital, Carnell explained, “What I want people to know about gender identity is what’s in the update to the Michigan Health Education Standards Guidelines. It’s not about gotcha questions. It’s about providing local school districts with research-based information about health topics and including a few standards about gender identity areas for consideration by local schools.”
Carnell went on to say that the guidelines provide students, by completion of 8th grade, to be able to “Define gender identity, gender expression, and sexual orientation, and explain that they are distinct components of every individual’s identity” and “explain how biological sex, gender identity, and gender expression are distinct concepts and how they interact with each other.”
Last week, the Michigan State Board of EducationÂ
approved
new state sex education standards, which include recommendations that students be taught about gender identity and sexual orientation despite pushback from some parents and pastors, who argue they undermine parental rights and religious liberties.
The standards, which were being debated in the viral clip of Carnell, were adopted after a 6-2 vote.
“Despite serious concerns from parents and legislators, board members passed this controversial far left change while the state already had standards,” Dixon told Fox News Digital.
The state Department of Education emphasized that the standards are only guidelines and not mandates, adding that schools are still required to comply with all relevant state law.
“The standards provide guidance to local school districts and, as in previous versions, local control remains in place and parents retain the right to decide whether their children should participate in sex education instruction,” the state Department of Education said in a news release after the vote.
“Local boards of education determine the health curriculum for their districts which may include sex education curriculum — if the district decides to offer sex ed— that has been reviewed by local sex education advisory boards that must include 50% parent representation,” it added.
Fox News Digital’s Landon Mion contributed to this report.
