Utah recently passed a law that bars transgender girls from playing girls sports.  Based on the Utah legislature’s actions, one might assume that there has been an explosion of transgender girls enrolling in girls sports and stealing trophies from biological girls who lacked the competitive advantage of being born a boy.  Surely, there have been cisgender female athletes who have been deprived of opportunities because of bigger stronger transgender girls.  Obviously, this must be the case, otherwise why would the legislature enact such a law? 

As it happens, there is one transgender girl who will be impacted by this law. One.  A group of predominantly white male conservatives gathered together to draft a law, pass it and override the Governor’s veto in response to one transgender girl.  This law is a solution to a nonexistent problem. 

I find it to be utterly appalling that a law was enacted in response to a single girl’s desire to play sports. I must assume that these lawmakers did not stop to consider the impact this would have on that girl.  Can you even imagine what it would feel like to have a law passed to stop you from doing something so incredibly ordinary as playing a sport?  The psychological harm to her and her family is heart breaking.

It also sends a devastating message to transgender teens throughout Utah and the United States.  The message is “You do not belong.  You are not like the others.”  The Utah legislature told transgender youth that they have no place in typical circles of American society.  It is government sponsored marginalization. It is legislative emotional abuse.  Having the courage to be transgender is undoubtedly difficult enough.  Suicide rates among transgender teens are extraordinarily high.  Homelessness among transgender youths is endemic.  This is already one of the most marginalized and vulnerable populations in the United States.  The utter absence of empathy demonstrated by lawmakers in Utah is astounding.  The law is a cruel solution for a problem that does not exist in Utah.

If it sounds like I am angry, it is because I am.  I am a father of three.  Since becoming a father I have begun to remember the many ways in which being a child can be difficult and confusing.   As a human and a father, I believe the primary objective of any laws affecting children should be to do no harm.  This law is clearly and objectively harmful.  Most of Utah’s legislators are likely also parents.  The fact that a parent would pass a law that directly harms children is incomprehensible to me.  The Utah legislature should be focused on protecting and supporting vulnerable children, and not enacting pointless cruelty.

This law is an example of political opportunism.  Right-wing conservatives believe they can win elections and appeal to their base by continuing to fight the culture wars.  Do the Utah legislators actually and honestly give a damn about girls sports?  Of course not. What they care about is winning elections, retaining power and establishing their conservative bona fides.  They do not bother to concern themselves with the impact this will have on vulnerable transgender youth, because those youth, their families and allies would never vote for these right-wing conservatives anyway.  Political self-interest and power preservation is what is actually in the hearts and minds of legislators in Utah.

I know very little about Republican Gov. Spencer Cox.  I imagine we would disagree on a great many issues.  However, it takes a rare courage in the age of Trumpism to defy your political party and alienate your base.  Gov. Cox vetoed this bill because of empathy.  That is to be commended.  We need more lawmakers who will embrace empathy as a principle of decision-making.

In 2022 asking for empathetic lawmakers may be a bridge too far. Perhaps, at a minimum, we could have elected officials who have the raw decency to not use vulnerable populations as a political bludgeon. That, also, may be too much to ask in the age of Trumpism. How about politicians who are unwilling to harm vulnerable children? The bar could not be set any lower than that.