A Senate committee in the Utah Legislature has effectively killed an anti-trans sports bill after the state’s governor spoke out against it.
On Wednesday night, the Senate Health and Human Services Committee moved to adjourn without voting on House Bill 302, a proposal that would force transgender female student athletes out of women’s sports. Proposed by state Rep. Kera Birkeland (R-Morgan), the legislation was met with fierce condemnation last week by Republican Gov. Spencer Cox, who announced that he would not sign the bill as currently written.
“If you have not spent time with transgender youth, then I would encourage you to pause on this issue,” he said in comments cited by KTVX, a Salt Lake City ABC affiliate. “We have so many people who are in a very difficult spot right now.”
Cox also warned that legislation, if passed, could have a disastrous impact on LGBTQ+ youth in the state. According to a 2018 report from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the number of complete suicides in Utah has increased by a dramatic 46.5% since 1999, with the Beehive State claiming the fifth-highest suicide rate of any U.S. state. While state health agencies do not track mortality data on LGBTQ+ youth, separate reports show that suicide is the leading cause of death for young people in Utah between the ages of 11 and 17.
“These kids… are just trying to stay alive,” Cox said in a press conference. “You know, there is a reason none of them are playing sports. And so, I just think there is a better way, and I hope that there will be enough grace in our state to find a better solution.”
Facing a potential gubernatorial veto, Birkeland attempted to water down the legislation. Prior to committee debate, the conservative lawmaker introduced amendments that would permit transgender female students to compete on sports teams that align with their gender identity, but with a major catch: They could practice with the team but would not be allowed to play in games.
Proposed amendments to HB 302 also exempted collegiate sporting associations from the list of entities prohibited from affirming the identities of trans athletes.
But even with those changes, the legislation was met with a fairly hostile reception in the Health and Human Services Committee. State Sen. Jacob Anderegg (R-Lehi) bluntly informed Birkeland during debate, “I hate your bill.”
“I have people I know who are trans — family members, friends of mine who I desperately love,” he said in comments reported by KSTU, a Fox affiliate in Salt Lake City. “And yet, I have this biological understanding of human development that throws that into stark contrast and I don’t know how to reconcile the two.”
With the Health and Human Services Committee declining to vote on HB 302, the bill is likely dead for the year. The Utah Legislature wraps for the year on March 5, giving supporters little time to revive it. The legislation was previously approved by the state House by a strong 50-23 margin, in a chamber where Republicans control 77% of seats. Interestingly enough, the GOP boasts an even greater 79% majority in the Senate, and the legislation was considered likely to pass prior to Cox’s opposition.
LGBTQ+ advocacy groups celebrated the bill’s defeat during a year that has seen more than 20 states take up similar proposals. Troy Williams, executive director of Equality Utah, said the organization is “incredibly grateful that the Utah Legislature has decided not to advance bills that disriminate against transgender children” and credited the governor directly with helping to defeat HB 302.
“We are grateful to Governor Cox’s leadership,” Williams said in a statement to them. “His plea for compassion for transgender children really turned the tide.”
But Candice Metzler, executive director of Transgender Education Advocates (TEA) of Utah, noted that the fight is far from over. Birkeland signaled in a statement that she is likely to bring the bill back in another form next year, vowing that she “will continue to stand up and speak out for past, current, and future female athletes fighting for the opportunity to compete fairly.”
“While this is a reprieve, for now, some form of this bill will be back again,” Metzler said in comments shared with them. “I hope that we can find solutions by working together instead of targeting vulnerable young people in this way. The education and conversations need to continue after this legislative session has ended.”
HB 302 is the second anti-trans bill to be defeated in Utah this month. A bill that would have blocked doctors from providing gender-affirming care to trans minors stalled last week in the House Health and Human Services Committee.
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