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SALT LAKE CITY — The Salt Lake City Council sent some love to the transgender community in the wake of passage of Utah's controversial transgender bathroom bill and ahead of International Transgender Day of Visibility.
In a unanimous voice vote on Tuesday, the City Council approved a resolution of support that "commends the bravery and perseverance of the transgender community in their ongoing struggle for equal rights and recognition." The resolution noted recent legislative efforts in Utah and across the nation "targeting transgender youth" and referenced Nex Benedict, a nonbinary teen from Oklahoma who died under cloudy circumstances on Feb. 8.
Salt Lake City "strives to be a place that is welcoming for you and that celebrates you and that appreciates all that you contribute to our community," said Chris Wharton, vice chairman of the City Council.
The resolution is more a symbolic message of support. But it comes in the wake of moves by conservative lawmakers across the country aimed variously at limiting the sort of medical treatment transgender youth may get and limiting the transgender community's access to public bathrooms.
HB257, signed into law by Gov. Spencer Cox in January, allows transgender people to use public restrooms matching their gender identity only if they have undergone gender-related surgery and changed the sex on their birth certificates. HB11, approved by Utah lawmakers 2022, prohibits transgender girls from competing on girls high school sports teams.
Jacey Thornton, executive director of Project Rainbow Utah, an LGBTQ advocacy group, thanked the City Council for the measure.
"We fear that youth and adults are being criminalized for our identities," she told the council. She also lamented the "transgender-to-prison pipeline," the concern that bias and discrimination targeted at the transgender community result in their disproportionate incarceration.
Aside from legislative moves decried by the transgender community, the City Council measure comes amid debate surrounding the death of Benedict, who had been in a fight with fellow students a day before dying. Benedict's passing has prompted an outcry from LGBTQ advocates while NBC reported on Wednesday that a preliminary medical examiner's report cited "combined toxicity" from two drugs as the probable cause of death.
Given legislative efforts impacting transgender people and incidents like Benedict's death, the Salt Lake City Council resolution states that it is "imperative" that the city "stand in solidarity" with the community. It further says the city commits to policy initiatives to counter discrimination the transgender community faces and safeguard their rights and safety.
Equality Utah is sponsoring a rally on Saturday at the state Capitol in Salt Lake City to mark Transgender Day of Visibility, meant to raise awareness about transgender people. It starts at 4 p.m.
