People rally in support of transgender rights at the Capitol in Salt Lake City on the first day of the legislative session, Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025. (Photo by Spenser Heaps for Utah News Dispatch)
The Utah House passed HB269, a bill that would require public universities that provide on-campus housing to only rent sex-designated rooms to biological females and biological males, as Democrats made an emotional appeal against making LGBTQ+ Utahns fearful to live in the state.
The bill passed along party lines, 59-13, with three people absent or not voting.
Rep. Stephanie Gricius, R-Eagle Mountain, ahead of Tuesday’s vote reaffirmed her bill “provides greater privacy for students living in on-campus housing.”
The legislation came following a viral social media post from a mother of a Utah State University student complaining to the school because her daughter was sharing a common space with a transgender resident assistant, who had been randomly assigned to live in the dorm.
In an emotional speech on the House floor, Rep. Sahara Hayes, D-Millcreek, said she finds it “disingenuous” that people say the bill is about privacy and the safety of students, especially because the resident assistant has been doxxed online.
“The LGBTQ community is so tired,” she said. “We are so tired of being scared every year when this body meets because we don’t know how we’re going to be targeted. We don’t know how our loved ones and our families are going to be targeted, but it’s starting to feel inevitable that it will happen.”
Hayes said she wants every student to feel safe on their campuses, but there has to be respect for different beliefs, values and identities.
“It behooves us to remember that this is the fourth year in a row that this body has deliberately singled out transgender students for exclusionary practices.” she said.
Last week, protesters gathered on the first day of the legislative session at the Capitol to protest legislation restricting the lives of the trans community.
In a statement, Utah House Democrats said they were heartbroken that yet another bill targeting transgender individuals had passed out of the House.
“We stand firmly against legislation rooted in fear and harmful rhetoric,” the statement said. “To Utah’s trans community: this is your home. You belong here. You have a community that loves and supports you, and we will continue fighting for your rights, dignity and inclusion.”
Opponents of the bill also challenged its constitutionality. Rep. Doug Owens, D-Millcreek, said because the courts are still trying to outline the meaning of the Equal Protection Clause in the Constitution, it might be best to wait on a bill like this one.
“Where the courts are very active, we’re very likely signing the state up for extensive litigation over this kind of issue, and I think it would be prudent of us to wait,” he said. “I don’t think there’s a pressing need that this bill addresses. People can address the situation right on the ground by a roommate requesting a change of a dorm room.”
USU’s current housing policy allows students in single housing units to request a room change at any time if there are available rooms.
“There’s a fairly simple solution if there’s discomfort on the part of any person that doesn’t require legislation by this body,” Owens added.
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