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Former Minnesota Vikings captain Jack Brewer says he feels like his family is, figuratively speaking, being “held hostage” by Democratic policymakers in the North Star State who continue to allow transgender athletes to play women’s sports.
The state failed to meet the Trump administration’s Friday deadline to ban transgender athletes from women’s sports. Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison cited the ongoing government shutdown in a letter to the departments of Education, Health and Human Services, saying he did not have a “substantial response” to the Title IX deadline.
Brewer, who also served as captain of the University of Minnesota football team, has family and young relatives living in the state, and called its policies regarding trans athletes “dark and evil.”
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Former Minnesota Vikings safety Jack Brewer speaks during a panel discussion at the Conservative Political Action Conference in Orlando, Florida, February 27, 2021. (Elie Nouvelage/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
“I still have a lot of family in Minnesota — nieces, nephews, cousins — and family members who coach high school sports there,” Brewer told PK Press Club Digital. “My family is hostage to these dark, evil laws. I feel for my little nieces who dream of becoming athletes, for my younger cousins who play high school sports, and for my former teammates who are now coaches and athletic directors across the state. These are my people, this is why I speak out. I say things they cannot. It is a sad reality that they are forced to raise their children in the face of this disease.”
The Trump administration determined in late September that Minnesota’s policies violated Title IX, citing a spring controversy that saw a transgender softball pitcher lead a high school girls team to a state title.
The findings also cite cases of trans athletes competing in alpine and Nordic skiing, lacrosse, track and field and women’s volleyball in Minnesota.
The U.S. Department of Justice has already filed lawsuits against education agencies in Maine and California for similar violations. A DOJ referral for Minnesota is now likely when the government reopens.
“President Trump is absolutely right to demand that men stay out of women’s sports,” Brewer said. “When Congress resumes its work, it should cut off all federal funding for the states that perpetuate this madness. Minnesota has become America’s laughing stock, our nation’s embarrassment.”
Ellison’s response to the ultimatum comes despite hundreds of Minnesota school board members writing an open letter urging the state to comply with President Donald Trump’s executive order and change its policies to exclude men from women’s sports. As of Tuesday afternoon, 280 school board members across 113 school districts across the state had signed the letter, citing concerns about girls’ privacy and safety, as well as possible reductions in federal funding in response to the state’s failure to comply with the law.
Brewer called out Ellison and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz for not adhering to the wishes of those school board members.
Teen Minnesota softball player opens up about trans pitcher’s playoff game as Trump admin promises Title IX enforcement
“Hundreds of school board members opposed this, but a governor and attorney general with this much control are imposing their satanic left-wing ideals on people who want nothing to do with this,” Brewer said. “The world is watching as Minnesota becomes the epicenter of this darkness, the devil’s den. Something needs to change and Minnesotans need to wake up.”
Brewer also cited his Christian beliefs for his stance on the issue.
“The Bible talks about this: Jesus said it is better to have a millstone tied around your neck and be thrown into the sea than to harm one of your little ones,” he said. “Our nation was founded as a Christian nation, not one that appeases or promotes sexual immorality. We are destroying the souls of our children.”
Ellison responded to school board members urging the state to exclude biological males from women’s sports by saying the issue “doesn’t hurt anyone.”
“Allowing a very small number of transgender students in Minnesota to play on their school sports teams doesn’t hurt anyone, but segregating them does,” Ellison’s statement read.
“I, too, am concerned about the Trump administration’s threats to cut education funding for Minnesota’s children, but this matter is currently before the courts. The federal government’s threats violate the U.S. Constitution, Minnesota law and Title IX itself.
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison arrives to speak at the Democratic National Convention August 21, 2024 in Chicago. (Getty Images)
Ellison has already filed his own lawsuit against Trump and the DOJ for trying to enforce his policies aimed at protecting women’s sports in Minnesota. He also boasted “sue them first” on the question.
PK Press Club Digital has reached out to Ellison and Walz’s office for a response to Brewer’s comments.
