Minnesota Rep. Leigh Finke, DFL-St. Paul, walked out of a Minnesota House Judiciary Committee hearing last week during a discussion on transgender athletes participating in female sports.
Finke, who is transgender, stated in a post on social media: “I took a walk and a breather in judiciary committee today. I just didn’t want to listen to an explanation of why trans girls are boys. No one has to believe we are real, that’s fine. But I don’t have to listen to why I’m not here.”
The walkout occurred while Rep. Walter Hudson, R-Albertville, was speaking in favor of House File 1233, a bill authored by Rep. Natalie Zeleznikar, R-Fredenberg Township, that seeks to amend the Minnesota Human Rights Act to allow schools, nonprofits, businesses, and youth sports organizations to restrict girls’ athletics to biological females only.
Hudson addressed the committee, emphasizing the distinction between biological sex and gender identity in his remarks.
He said, “Rep. Finke made the point about calling trans girls boys, and that that is somehow dehumanizing.”
At that moment, Rep. Finke interrupted, saying, “It is … please … please stop doing that.” Finke then proceeded to walk out of the committee meeting. The chair turned the floor back to Rep. Hudson.
He continued by stating that terms like “cisgender,” “transgender,” and “gender identity” inherently acknowledge the distinction between the two categories of biological sex and gender expression. He noted that sex has been a protected class in the Minnesota Human Rights Act since 1967, while gender identity was only included in 2024.
Hudson further stated that the inclusion of gender identity in the law created a conflict with the existing distinction between male and female, specifically in the context of sports.
He said the conflict was created “when you put into the Minnesota Human Rights Act a category that directly conflicts with a preexisting category.”
“It is impossible to protect both of these things. You cannot protect the distinction between the male sex and the female sex while also protecting somebody’s identity and expression to the contrary of that existing category,” he said.
Following the hearing, Hudson posted a video which he addressed Finke’s walkout, captioning it:
“Leigh Finke should have stayed to hear my comments. All I did was quote the expressed beliefs of gender theorists to demonstrate that even they believe there is a fundamental difference between gender and sex, and that should probably matter in women’s sports.”
Earlier in the committee, Finke called the proposal “a bad idea,” criticizing Republicans for “trying to hurt trans people” and ignoring “the feelings of trans people intentionally.”
“This is political and it isn’t going to help you,” Finke said. “This is being driven by the leadership of the Republican national and state political movements. People don’t want us to do this. They may agree with you a little bit on the issue, I don’t know. Seventy-eight percent of Americans in 1964 believed that they would move if a black family moved into their neighborhood.”
“Maybe the polling is bad for my team right now, but it’s wrong,” Finke continued. “This is a civil rights movement. It’s early. Your side is on the wrong side.”
The bill passed out of the House Judiciary Committee on a party-line vote and was sent to the general register, meaning it can be taken up on the House floor at any time.
A similar bill to ban males from female sports was defeated in the Minnesota House last week, with all Democrats voting against it and all Republicans voting in favor.
Symone Harms
Symone Harms is a Media Production and Business Marketing student at Bethel University. She is actively involved in The Royals Investment Fund, The 25, theatre, and other leadership positions. She also cohosts Rooted, a podcast dedicated to being rooted in truth, growing in freedom, and prospering in life. A Minnesota native with a passion for storytelling and digital media, she aspires to a career in broadcasting as a news anchor and reporter.
