In his first two years in office, Gov. Cox marked Pride Month with declarations that encouraged Utahns to “be more inclusive and accepting of the LGBTQ+ members of our community.” This year, though, the governor’s declaration was noticeably different.
in February, Cox continued to describe himself as “an ally to the LGBTQ community” while explaining the decision.
“Missing from all of the reporting is that there were actually two bills that would have done this,” Cox told The Post. “One was much more extreme than the one that passed. That bill failed in the Legislature.”, implemented a moratorium on gender-affirming care for transgender youth while such treatments were studied instead of an outright ban, like the other bill. But there isn’t a deadline for the study or an end date for the moratorium, making it an effective ban, advocates say.
“I feel like a big, expansive declaration could be very disingenuous, given how much people suffered when he signed SB16,” the Utah Legislature’s only openly LGBTQ+ member, Rep. Sahara Hayes, D-Millcreek, told The Salt Lake Tribune. “At the same time, you know, words and support matter.” In a statement shared with The Salt Lake Tribune, the head of Utah’s most politically active LGBTQ+ advocacy organization — which has in recent yearswith conservatives on issues that impact the community — said it supports the governor’s overall message.
“As we kick off Pride month in Utah, Equality Utah acknowledges and agrees with the sentiments expressed in Spencer Cox’s PRIDE declaration, that we should all strive to love, respect and treat one another with kindness and dignity, regardless of any labels we each may wear,” Equality Utah executive director Troy Williams wrote. “This is the true meaning and purpose behind the celebrations this weekend and throughout June.
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