Utah legislature passes a restrictive anti-transgender college student housing plan law
Under the legislation, trans students would be banned from nearly all single-sex facilities that are aligned with their gender identities.
February 12, 2025
By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Under the legislation, trans students would be banned from nearly all single-sex facilities that are aligned with their gender identities.
The embattled member wrongly suggested a high school “tomboy” was trans, which led to a number of hate-filled posts directed at the student.
The state has banned the use of the practice on minors through licensing regulations since 2020, but a state law will make the prohibition stronger.
Republican Gov. Spencer Cox signed the legislation into law on Saturday.
Republican Gov. Spencer Cox says meeting trans kids "changes your heart in important ways."
Republican Utah Gov. Spencer Cox said the partner had been cooperating with authorities and had "no idea this was happening."
Gov. Spencer Cox, who also opposed such legislation last year, promises to veto the last-minute attempt.
"I don't understand what [trans student athletes] are going through or why they feel the way they do. But I want them to live," Utah Gov. Spencer Cox wrote in a letter explaining his decision.
The state's Republican governor, who once support trans youth, signed the bill into law Friday. Advocates warn the law will exclude and harm transgender students.
The student's parents are calling on Natalie Cline to resign from the Utah State Board of Education.
Sponsors of the bill were able to get 10 GOP lawmakers in the House and five in the Senate who had previously voted against the ban to vote to override the veto.
A case brought by the Utah High School Activities Association and two athletes was voluntarily dismissed.
The law, set to go into effect July 1, "violates multiple provisions of the Utah Constitution," the suit says.
Utah's lieutenant governor made a speech that went viral, but will he take his pro-LGBT message to his anti-LGBT boss?
Gov. Gary Herbert had endorsed the weakening of a proposed conversion therapy ban.
HB 257 defines a “women’s bathroom” and “men’s bathroom” as spaces exclusively designated for females and males, and includes criminal penalties for those found in violation.
The measure takes effect immediately.
The students plan to continue organizing the event in the years ahead.
Critics fear the new law was a factor in the famed Sundance Film Festival's decision to leave the state in 2027.
Iowa's bill seeks to bar trans girls and women from female sports, while Utah's would set up a commission to determine trans athletes' eligibility.
It's not just Florida -- Alabama, Tennessee, South Dakota, Utah, and Indiana have anti-LGBTQ+ laws coming into force now.