The governor of Utah is asking state lawmakers to hit the brakes on a bill that would ban transgender students from fully participating in school sports.
Sponsored by Utah state Rep. Kera Birkeland (R-Morgan) in the House and Sen. Curtis Bramble (R-Provo) in the Senate, House Bill 302 would block trans girls from competing in school sports in accordance with their gender identity by designating “athletic activities by sex.” If passed, the bill would also allow individuals to “bring a private cause of action” if they face “direct or indirect harm” from a school that allows full inclusion of trans student athletes.
At a Friday press conference, Utah’s Republican Governor, Spencer Cox, grew emotional when discussing its implications.
“If you have not spent time with transgender youth, then I would encourage you to pause on this issue,” Cox 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.”
While Cox noted that Utah has “very few, if any, transgender girls participating in sports,” that didn’t stop its state House from passing HB 302 earlier this month by a 50-23 vote. The legislation is similar to proposals put forward in 21 states, including Alabama, Arizona, Georgia, and Tennessee, seeking to limit the participation of trans students in school athletics. Such bills have been advanced by state houses in Mississippi, Montana, and North Dakota, but none have been signed into law.
Utah, meanwhile, is also considering HB 92, which would ban doctors from providing gender-affirming health care to trans minors.
At last week’s press conference, Cox spoke about his time meeting transgender youth. “These kids are, they are just trying to stay alive. You know, there is a reason none of them are playing sports,” he said. “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.”
The governor’s remarks were hailed by LGBTQ+ rights leaders in Utah.
“It is essential that the sponsors who seek to disenfranchise others in this way take the time to understand the potential impact of their efforts,” Candice Metzler, executive director of Transgender Education Advocates (TEA) of Utah, told them. in a statement. “Research consistently demonstrates that all students benefit when transgender and gender-diverse students are included and treated with dignity in the schools they attend. It creates a safer environment for all students.”
Equality Utah Executive Director Troy Williams further hailed Cox as a committed ally for LGBTQ+ youth. Last year, the governor expressed support for a ban on conversion therapy for queer and trans minors, and under his leadership, the state released a plan to expand mental health care for LGBTQ+ people in the state.
“This level of support has been unprecedented for a Republican governor,” Williams said in a statement to them. “When he says that he sees and loves transgender children, he means it.”
Cox, though, isn’t Utah’s first conservative governor to support some measure of equality. In 2015, his predecessor, Gary Herbert, signed an LGBTQ+ civil rights bill that was hailed as a “compromise” between religious groups and advocacy organizations. Backed by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, it banned discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity in housing and employment, while also providing generous carve outs for faith-based institutions.
Its religious exemptions proved controversial among progressive critics who warned that the law could be a “trojan horse” allowing anti-LGBTQ+ discrimination by faith groups. But almost six years later, Utah remains the only Republican-majority state in the U.S. with statewide nondiscrimination protections in place.
Even despite Cox’s vow that he will not sign a bill targeting already marginalized people, HB 302 is far from dead. The Utah Senate — where the legislation is headed for a committee hearing — is controlled by Republicans by a 23-6 margin.
LGBTQ+ groups expressed hope that the governor’s words would cause legislators to reconsider their actions, even in one of America’s most conservative states.
“This has been a fast-moving bill and we welcome discussion,” said Sue Robbins, a board member with Equality Utah’s Transgender Advisory Council, in a statement to them. “My hope is that we can all listen to Governor Cox and recognize the damage any exclusions in sports will have upon our youth.”
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