The Utah House Minority Caucus Leadership released the following statement after a new study found gender-affirming care benefits trans youth:
“More than two years after the Utah Legislature banned gender-affirming care for transgender youth, we are encouraged that Utah healthcare experts have found strong evidence of positive mental health and psychosocial outcomes resulting from this care. Originally, the harmful, dangerous, and insensitive ban was described as a moratorium while the Legislature evaluated the treatment’s impacts. Now that the Legislature-commissioned study has found overwhelmingly positive health outcomes, we must act to lift the ban.
Despite the clarity of the findings, some policymakers who originally supported the legislation have already attempted to discredit, dismiss, or ignore the evidence. This kind of rhetoric endangers the health of Utah’s children and directly contradicts the values of our state. Based on these results, children’s healthcare decisions must be returned to the hands of their families and doctors, not dictated by the whims of politicians.”
