Utah Democrats Stand With Transgender Utahns Against Discriminatory Political Attacks

SALT LAKE CITY, January 19, 2024 — Following the passage by the Utah House of Representatives of Rep. Kera Birkeland’s House Bill 257, Utah Democratic Party Chair Diane Lewis released the following statement:

 “The latest anti-transgender bill passed by the House, which bans members of the transgender community from using public restrooms corresponding with their gender identity, is a shameful, discriminatory attack on a community that is already extremely marginalized and vulnerable. Unfortunately, despite trans people making up just 1% of our state’s population, Republican legislators have spent a massively disproportionate amount of time legislating their basic human rights. 

“Not only does House Bill 257 perpetuate harmful and dangerous stereotypes about transgender Utahns, it is also not based on any facts or data, which the sponsor herself admitted. Repeatedly using vulnerable communities as a political punching bag, as the supermajority has done, is shameful and self-serving, and Utahns will hold extreme Republicans accountable for their votes in November.”

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“Organize Utah” is the Utah Democratic Party’s 2024 coordinated campaign, bringing together candidates, county parties, and other organizations in a unified effort to defeat Republican extremism and elect Democrats up and down the ballot.

For more information, please contact Ben Anderson at press@utdem.org or 801-860-0645.