One of the most contentious issues in Utah today is LGBTQIA+ rights. Too often, the debate gets framed as a false conflict between religious freedom and queer existence. This circular argument distracts from the truth: freedom of religion does not include the right to deny another person’s life, liberty, or pursuit of happiness. Yet, Utah’s conservative leadership has passed and defended legislation that systemically discriminates against LGBTQIA+ residents.
The most fundamental right is the right to life. Shockingly, Utah remains one of at least 18 states where defendants can invoke the so-called “gay/trans panic defense.” This archaic argument suggests that merely discovering someone’s LGBTQIA+ identity could justify a violent reaction. While rarely used, its very existence sends a chilling message: queer lives are legally disposable.
Life is also endangered when access to basic needs is restricted. Cuts to programs like Medicaid and SNAP hit LGBTQIA+ Utahns hardest. Studies show that 21% of transgender individuals and 40% of people living with HIV rely on Medicaid for healthcare. Without these supports, more Utahns face hunger, untreated illness, and preventable death. Everyone eats. Everyone needs medical care. Denying these essentials disproportionately harms LGBTQIA+ people — citizens who are promised equal protection under the law.
Economic fairness is also under siege. Recent tax policies have sought to exclude coverage for gender-affirming care, creating unnecessary barriers for low-income and disabled LGBTQIA+ people, especially queer people of color. Yet gender-affirming care is not new, nor is it exclusive to transgender people. Hormone replacement, breast augmentation, and other treatments are widely used by cisgender people — and rarely questioned. Singling out transgender communities for restrictions is unconstitutional and cruel.
Meanwhile, the stakes for young people could not be higher. Transgender teens are among the highest risk groups for suicide in the United States. While all children deserve access to mental health resources, bullying, hostile laws, and family rejection push many trans youth to the edge. When lawmakers restrict their rights, they increase risks to young lives.
At the end of the day, LGBTQIA+ people have always existed and will always exist. No law can erase who we are or who we love. Democracy does not require agreement with another person’s worldview — only respect for their equal rights. Rights are not granted by governments to a chosen majority; they are inalienable.
Restricting access to food, healthcare, tax equity, or basic expression is not only cruel — it’s unconstitutional. Queer people are not asking for special treatment. We are asking for the same chance as everyone else: to live long enough to die of old age. Utahns deserve leadership that upholds that simple, human promise.
