Statement from Phillip C. Parrish, Candidate for Governor of Minnesota 2026
April 23, 2025 – Minneapolis, MN
As a candidate for Governor of Minnesota in 2026, I am deeply troubled by Attorney General Keith Ellison’s reckless lawsuit against President Trump, filed on April 17, 2025, which defends policies that ignore the clear scientific and biological realities of sex in favor of an ideological agenda. Ellison’s claim that Trump’s “Gender Ideology Order” and “Sports Ban Order” amount to “bullying vulnerable children” dismisses the fundamental truths of biology and the overwhelming evidence that prioritizing gender identity over sex in children’s sports and schools can cause lasting harm to all Minnesota children—both transgender and cisgender.
Science has long established that there are two biological sexes—male and female—determined by chromosomes and expressed through distinct physiological traits. A 2021 study in the British Journal of Sports Medicine confirms that biological males, even after hormone therapy, retain significant physical advantages over females, including greater muscle mass, bone density, and cardiovascular capacity. By defending Minnesota’s policy of allowing transgender girls to compete in female sports, Ellison is not only undermining fairness for cisgender girls but also exposing them to potential physical risks in contact sports. This is not compassion—it’s negligence.
Moreover, Ellison ignores the science of child development. Research, including a 2022 meta-analysis in The Journal of Adolescent Health, shows that 60-90% of children with gender dysphoria desist by adolescence, identifying with their biological sex if not socially transitioned early. By promoting policies that affirm transgender identities in young children—such as through sports participation—Ellison risks locking children into a path that may lead to irreversible medical interventions, like puberty blockers, which the UK’s National Health Service has linked to reduced bone density, impaired brain development, and infertility. This is not protection; it’s endangerment.
As a father and a leader committed to servant leadership, I find it unconscionable that Ellison would waste taxpayer dollars on a lawsuit that prioritizes ideology over the well-being of our children. His actions not only harm cisgender girls by denying them fair competition but also expose transgender children to potential long-term regret and health risks by encouraging premature affirmation. Minnesota deserves better. We need leaders who will protect the innocent by grounding our policies in science and biology, not in fleeting cultural trends.
When I am elected Governor in 2026, I will work tirelessly to rebuild Minnesota on strong intellectual and moral foundations, as I have pledged in my campaign. This means ensuring that our schools and sports programs prioritize fairness, safety, and the long-term health of all children—not just a select few. Attorney General Ellison, it’s time to stop ignoring the science and start listening to the facts. Minnesota’s children are counting on us to do better.
Phillip C. Parrish
Candidate for Governor of Minnesota 2026