Over the past several years, Utah has seen a sharp increase in anti-LGBTQ legislation—particularly targeting transgender youth.
These laws aren’t coming out of nowhere. They’re part of a broader national movement to roll back civil rights and enforce rigid social norms under the guise of “protecting children” and “preserving traditional values.”
But make no mistake: these laws are not about safety or fairness. They are about control, fear, and distraction. And while LGBTQ Utahns are the immediate targets, the consequences ripple far beyond any one community.
How Did We Get Here? Utah’s Anti-LGBTQ Turn
In just the past few legislative sessions, Utah lawmakers have introduced and passed laws that would have been unthinkable a decade ago.
2022: Restrictions in Social Activities/Athletics
In 2022, the Utah Legislature overrode Governor Spencer Cox’s veto to enact a ban on transgender girls participating in school sports.
2023: Controlling What Healthcare People Choose
In 2023, lawmakers passed a ban on gender-affirming healthcare for transgender minors—blocking young people from receiving medically recommended care that has been shown to improve mental health and well-being.
2024: Encouraging Toilet Police & Censoring Libraries
In 2024, lawmakers targeted transgender Utahns by attempting to ban their use of public restrooms and locker rooms that align with their gender. We also saw efforts to restrict discussions of LGBTQ topics in schools and public libraries, and proposals to “review” books for so-called “sensitive content”—language that often just means “any story that acknowledges LGBTQ people exist.”
2025: Restricting Free Speech
In 2025, lawmakers passed a ban on the display of flags in public schools, universities, and government buildings, specifically targeting the flying of the Pride flag. They also continued the effort of policing intimate spaces by prohibiting transgender students from living in dorm rooms that align with their gender.
All of this is happening despite polling showing that most Utahns support nondiscrimination protections for LGBTQ people and believe in treating everyone with dignity and respect. So why is the Legislature marching in the opposite direction?
Why Is This Happening? Political Extremism Is Driving This
Let’s be blunt: the increase in anti-LGBTQ legislation in Utah aligns with the far-right’s playbook across the country. Politicians and interest groups—often backed by national organizations with deep pockets—have identified LGBTQ rights, and especially transgender rights, as an effective wedge issue to rile up their base. It’s cynical, it’s cruel, and unfortunately, it works.
We’re witnessing the normalization of political extremism in Utah. Lawmakers increasingly propose bills not based on evidence, community need, or expert guidance, but based on what’s trending in the Fox News outrage cycle or what earns them points at the next Republican state convention. It’s the same dynamic that fuels book bans, whitewashed school curriculums, anti-immigrant rhetoric, and attacks on reproductive rights.
This shift has been years in the making. The Utah Republican Party, once dominated by more traditional conservatives and moderate voices, has been steadily overtaken by a hardline, ideological faction. It’s not just about LGBTQ issues—it’s a worldview that distrusts public education, dismisses science, demonizes “outsiders,” and frames any attempt at inclusion or diversity as a threat.
Why Does This Matter? The Broader Harm
If you don’t identify as LGBTQ, you might wonder why this matters to you. Here’s the truth: when we allow the state to target one group, we normalize policies and politics that make all of us less free and less safe.
1. It Harms Our Kids
These laws hurt kids. Study after study shows that anti-LGBTQ legislation directly correlates with spikes in mental health crises among LGBTQ youth. In Utah, where suicide is already the leading cause of death for young people, this is unconscionable. By banning medically necessary care and erasing affirming education, lawmakers are sending a clear message to LGBTQ kids: “You don’t belong here.” That’s a message no child should ever hear. No parent should have to bury their child because they felt unwelcome in the world.
2. It Threatens Teachers, Doctors & Librarians
Second, this legislation puts teachers, doctors, and public employees in impossible positions. Educators are being told to stay silent about LGBTQ history and issues, or even report students who come out to them. Health care providers are threatened with professional consequences for following best practices. Libraries are seeing organized efforts to remove books by and about LGBTQ authors. The chilling effect is real—and it makes schools and public institutions worse for everyone.
3. It Endangers Our Economy
Third, these laws damage our economy and reputation. Utah has long branded itself as a business-friendly, family-oriented state with strong communities. But when lawmakers push discriminatory policies, we risk driving away talented professionals, students, and companies who don’t want to live or invest in a place where civil rights are up for debate.
4. It’s a Slippery Slope For Our Freedoms
Finally—and perhaps most importantly—these laws erode our democracy. They’re part of a larger strategy that thrives on disinformation, manufactured panic, and political bullying. By turning marginalized people into scapegoats, politicians distract from real issues like affordable housing, underfunded schools, climate change, and health care access.
We all lose when fear wins.
A National Playbook, a Local Fight
If this sounds familiar, that’s because Utah isn’t alone. Since 2021, we’ve seen a tidal wave of anti-LGBTQ bills in states across the country. Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” law. Texas’s efforts to classify gender-affirming care as child abuse. Missouri’s restrictions on trans athletes and drag performances. It’s a coordinated campaign—and Utah lawmakers are willingly importing it.
Groups like the Alliance Defending Freedom and the Heritage Foundation have been instrumental in crafting model legislation and pushing lawmakers to adopt it at the state level. Their goal isn’t just to pass laws—they want to reshape American culture in their image, and they’re using the machinery of government to do it.
But local resistance matters. Utahns are organizing. Parents, students, educators, and faith leaders are speaking out. LGBTQ advocacy groups are showing up at the Capitol. Some lawmakers, though too few, are beginning to push back. That momentum must grow.
What You Can Do
This moment calls for more than just passive support. Here’s what you can do to fight back:
- Stay informed. Sign up for daily updates from trusted local organizations (like us!) that track these issues and explain what’s happening in plain language.
- Show up. Attend rallies, school board meetings, and legislative hearings. Public pressure works.
- Call your lawmakers. Even if they usually vote the wrong way, they need to hear from constituents who care about inclusion and equality.
- Support LGBTQ youth. Make your support visible—in your workplace, your schools, your congregations, and your family.
- Vote. Vote. Vote. Extremism thrives when turnout is low. Mobilize your networks and vote in every election—especially local ones.
We All Deserve Better
At the end of the day, this is about the kind of Utah we want to live in. Do we want a state where people live in fear, or one where everyone can thrive? Do we want a government that bullies kids and censors books, or one that builds a better future for all?
The anti-LGBTQ agenda may be gaining ground in the Legislature, but it doesn’t reflect who we are. Utahns believe in fairness. We believe in compassion. And we believe that everyone—everyone—deserves to be treated with dignity.
Let’s prove it.
