SALT LAKE CITY — A bill that bans gender affirming care for minors in Utah is one step closing to becoming law, after passing in a senate committee Wednesday evening.
House Bill 174, according to its sponsor, Cedar City Representative Rex Shipp (R), it permanently extends the pause placed by Senate Bill 16.
"That we can protect these minors where they have a mental health condition, gender dysphoria, its real, it's something to not ignore.. but to damage a body when its a mental health issue is not right," he said. "Hormone treatments and body-altering surgery cannot change a child with gender dysphoria into the opposite sex."
Many people weighed in and shared how they feel about the bill, including Senate Minority Leader Luz Escamilla (D) Salt Lake City.
"From a medical perspective, when do you think governmentt should draw the line on intervening on someone's medical care?" She asked during the Senate committee meeting.
This bill, if it becomes law, will go into effect in January 2028.
LGBTQ+ advocacy group, Project Rainbow Utah, shared this statement with FOX13 News after the vote:
“We are deeply troubled by the outcome of today's vote. After the study from the legislature’s commissioned report showed that the benefits of gender affirming care for youth far outweigh the associated risks, we know that GAC is life-saving medicine. Transgender Utahns deserve access to the care they need to live their most authentic lives.
We hoped the legislature would learn from their own study in good faith and protect our youth instead of moving to restrict life, liberty, and health care for an already marginalized group.
While we feel the relief that the affected families who are grandfathered in must feel, we are heartbroken to know that many transgender youth in our state won’t have access to the care they need in the place they call home.
This ban singles out trans people for unwarranted scrutiny and creates suffering, while putting legislators between patients and medical providers. We encourage Governor Cox to veto this legislation and stand up for the rights and dignity of trans Utahns.”
