The recent shenanigans of certain members of the Houghton County Board are but a microcosm of the deeds being perpetrated against fellow human beings by the Trumpist “christian” right wing nationalists all across the USA. They wish to force on us a policy that there are only two sexes, a man with only X-Y chromosomes, and a woman with only X-X chromosomes. Physicians and scientists know this is not true.

It was fortunate that Dr. Shelby Owen was present at the Tuesday Dec. 9 meeting to present facts contrary to the proposed resolution. She shared the facts that Turner syndrome (only 1 X chromosome) occurs at 1 in 2,000 births, Klinefelter syndrome (XXY chromosomes) occurs at 1 in 600 births, Triple X syndrome (XXX chromosomes) occurs at 1 in 1,000 births. Additionally, a person with two X chromosomes and an S-R-Y gene translocated onto an X chromosome can be born with a penis. She noted that these were just a few examples of sexes other than XX and XY.

The population of the Upper Peninsula is about 300,000 human beings. Doing the math, statistically there is about 150 humans with Turner syndrome, 500 humans with Kleinfelter syndrone and 300 humans with Triple X syndrone. Not counting the other biological possibilities, this adds up to 950 human beings who do not fall into the strictly Trumpist christian right nationalist sexual categories of X-X or X-Y. This group of people would fill Kauffman auditorium (seating capacity 807) to overflowing. That is a lot of fellow human beings to betray!

Why would certain Houghton County Board members and their Trumpist “christian” right wing nationalist ilk want to limit human being sexuality to only two categories? It is their “god” who “created” biological processes resulting in more than two sexual categories. If their “god” did this, why are they not completely accepting of the wide diversity of sexual categories “he” created?

Interestingly, these “christians” are against any and all abortions. They believe that each and every embryo is a gift from their “god,” imbued with the right to be carried to full term and born into this world. Yet after each baby is born and matures, anyone differing from the X-X male or X-Y female find themselves snubbed, shunned and possibly worse by the Trumpist christian right nationalist minority. In my opinion, it is as if the Trumpist christian right nationalists are accepting of this form of post-birth abortion of this group of “god’s” children.

Parents do not get to choose who/what their children are. Children do not get to pick who their parents are or what chromosomes they have. When children begin to display behavior that differs from Trumpist “christian” right nationalist preconceived notions about how a boy or girl should behave, parents can choose to accept their children as they are, individuals who conform to diversity of biological processes, who have the same god-given rights as all the “christian”-favored X-X and X-Y children.

In a Dec. 17 Mining Journal editorial about Trump’s national security strategy, the report is quoted as stating “…an independent, sovereign republic whose government secures the God-given natural rights of its citizen’s and prioritizes their well-being and interests.” Taken at face value, this includes all non-X-X, non-X-Y and LGBTQ citizens.