Hours before several bills set to affect transgender youth were debated by a Utah House Committee, around 200 people gathered Tuesday on the steps of the State Capitol for a protest.

Rep. Rex P. Shipp’s H.B. 132 would have prohibited both performing sex reassignment procedures and medical treatments for transgender minors in Utah, but it failed to make it out of the committee with a vote of 9-5.

The House Health and Human Services Committee also voted to endorse Sen. Mike Kennedy’s S.B. 16, a bill that has already made its way through the Senate. The bill seeks to ban sex-transition surgeries and put a moratorium on puberty blockers for minors. It received a favorable recommendation with a vote of 11-3.

The Protest

Several community members from across the valley shared resounding messages of love and support at the protests beforehand to show solidarity with transgender youth. One of those people was Sue Robbins, who currently serves on Equality Utah’s Transgender Advisory Council.

“Your resiliency demonstrates that you are strong, your consistency demonstrates that you are authentic and your joy demonstrates that transition is a true act of self-love,” she said.

Kiri Miller, a middle schooler at Rowland Hall, said this issue is personal to him because they’ve recently started hormone therapy and hormone blockers.

“I think that it’s kind of unfair that other trans youth that may have not gotten started now might have a chance of just not having that opportunity,” he said. 

Bri Martin, the editor of the West High School newspaper and a transgender woman, said the bills being presented today threaten trans lives all throughout Utah.

“I understand what it feels like to have my rights threatened again and again and again,” she said. “The injustice we face is steeped in misinformation and fear-mongering and the end is far past the horizon, but we will not falter.”

Educators and mental health professionals were also in attendance. Gioia Johnson, an intern therapist at Utah Valley University and a former fourth-grade teacher said medical doctors, such as Sen. Kennedy, are giving out heinous advice.

“He’s pushing for the two bills that are going to harm trans kids, saying there is no conclusive research,” she said. “I don’t know what research he’s reading, but he’s wrong.”

The rally, which lasted under an hour, included speakers that are concerned parents, youth and legislators. Greg Walker is a parent of a transgender kid and spoke to the idea of authenticity, saying people were often intimidated by how his daughter lives her life.

“The world doesn’t change without authentic people living their lives as they are,” he said. 

Another parent, Lance Sweeten, said allies need to support and stand with members of the LGBTQ community. 

“It is important to recognize that everyone deserves to be treated with dignity and respect regardless of their sexual orientation, gender or identity,” he said. 

Near the end of his speech, Sweeten wanted everyone to know one thing: “The fight is not over.” 

Throughout the rally, attendees were encouraged to contact their legislators and submit a public comment in the hearing.

At the end of the protest, several legislators stood behind Sen. Jen Plumb. “I am sorry that we live in a world where you have to write to your elected representatives to beg for basic human rights,” she said. “I want to say thank you for every single person that did.”

Plumb also spoke about her own experiences as a parent of a transgender child. She said parents love their kids in their own ways and love is the purest thing there is.

“And for anyone to question that those of us that go along behind in supporting our kiddos, holding them up as they go on this journey is anything but loving,” she said. “I won’t have it.”

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