Human Rights Campaign Rebukes Utah Legislature for Advancing Ban on Gender Affirming Care for Transgender Youth, Urges Governor Cox to Veto Harmful, Dangerous Measure

by HRC Staff •

SALT LAKE CITY, UT - Today, the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), the nation’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ+) civil rights organization, condemned the passing of SB 16, advanced by the Utah Senate today, that, if signed into law, will effectively ban the provision of gender affirming care to transgender patients under the age of 18. It will now head to Governor Spencer Cox’s desk for a signature or veto.

Today’s move comes in the midst of ongoing far-right pressure placed upon lawmakers, spearheaded by political extremists and disinformation campaigns on social media and other platforms. This bill is one of many being pushed by national anti-LGBTQ+ organizations across dozens of states that are designed to take aim at age appropriate, life-saving, medically necessary care for transgender youth.

In response, Cathryn Oakley, HRC’s State Legislative Director and Senior Counsel released the following statement:

“Today, Utah legislators capitulated to extremism and fear-mongering, and by doing so, shamelessly put the lives and well-being of young Utahans at risk - young transgender folks who are simply trying to navigate life as their authentic selves. Every parent wants and deserves access to the highest quality health care for our kids. This discriminatory legislation bans care that is age-appropriate and supported by every major medical association, representing more than 1.3 million doctors. Medical decisions are best left to medical experts and parents or guardians, not politicians without an ounce of medical training acting as if they know how to raise and support our children better than we do. Last year, Governor Cox vetoed anti-transgender legislation and expressed compassion for young trangender Utahans, saying, ‘I always try to err on the side of kindness, mercy and compassion,’ and ‘Rarely has so much fear and anger been directed at so few. I don’t understand what they are going through or why they feel the way they do. But I want them to live.’ We urge Governor Cox to once again exhibit this compassion and veto this harmful bill that is motivated by fear and animus, not science, and certainly not the well-being of these youth.”

Cathryn Oakley, HRC State Legislative Director and Senior Counsel

Get the facts about gender-affirming care:

  • Every credible medical organization – representing over 1.3 million doctors in the United States – calls for age-appropriate gender-affirming care for transgender and non-binary people.

    • “Transition-related” or “gender-affirming” care looks different for every transgender and non-binary person.

    • Parents, their kids, and doctors make decisions together, and no medical interventions with permanent consequences happen until a transgender person is old enough to give truly informed consent.

  • Gender transition is a personal process that can include changing clothes, names, and hairstyles to fit a person’s gender identity.

    • Some people take medication, and some do not; some adults have surgeries, and others do not. How someone transitions is their choice, to be made with their family and their doctor.

    • Therapists, parents and health care providers work together to determine which changes to make at a given time that are in the best interest of the child.

    • In most young children, this care can be entirely social. This means:

      • New name

      • New hairstyle

      • New clothing

      • None of this care is irreversible.

  • Being transgender is not new.

    • Some say it can feel like being transgender is very new – but that’s because the media has been covering it more in recent months and years.

    • But transgender people have always existed and will continue to exist regardless of the bills we pass.

    • And very few transgender people change their mind.

  • ALL gender-affirming care is:

    • Age-appropriate

    • Medically necessary

    • Supported by all major medical organizations

    • Made in consultation with medical and mental health professionals AND parents

  • And in many cases, this care is lifesaving!

    • A recent study from the Trevor Project provides data supporting this — transgender youth with access to gender-affirming hormone therapy have lower rates of depression and are at a lower risk for suicide.

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