ST. GEORGE — Three siblings held up colorful, hand-written signs in support of Utah’s transgender youth last week at the corner of Main Street and St. George Boulevard.
Sean Malone Gordon and his two siblings raised their arms and cheered as passing cars honked. His sister’s sign said, “Honk to show support.”
The siblings staged a protest against the Student Eligibility in Interscholastic Activities bill, designated HB 11 in the 2022 Utah Legislature, which includes a provision disallowing transgender athletes from participating in girls’ sports.
Gov. Spencer Cox vetoed the bill, March 22 for various reasons, including misunderstandings of rules regarding transgender athletes who wish to participate in sports and concerns for young people who are negatively affected by the bill, he said in a statement on Twitter.
“Unfortunately, HB 11 has several fundamental flaws and should be reconsidered,” Cox said.
The veto was overridden by Utah’s Legislature, 21-8 in the Senate and 56-18 in the House, March 25, according to the Utah Senate website.
Representative Kera Birkeland, who was the house sponsor of HB 11, was quoted on the Senate website saying her goal is to protect and preserve girls’ sports.
“I am proud to stand up and fight for girls to have the opportunity to compete on an even playing field,” she said. “Good policy is made by considering a variety of viewpoints and working to find the right solution.”
At the protest on Thursday, Gordon said the group wanted to support transgender youth and show that not all Utahns support the bill.
“We basically think the bill can be very harmful to trans kids, especially a lot of these kids that haven’t even gone through puberty yet,” he said. “And so we think trans kids should be able to play just like any other kid.”
Citizens showed support for the protest by bringing water and honking as they drove by. One protester said a man flipped them off but noted the overall response was mostly positive.
One citizen brought kombucha, fruit and a sage stick, which she said would be used to bless the protest and clear the energy in the area. She let the smoke drift over the protesters and passersby while offering positive comments.
Gordon said one reason the protest was personally important is that he’s transgender and knows what it’s like to be a trans person in middle school and high school.
“It’s very tough and like just the littlest bits of support from your community can really help a trans person,” he said.
Gordon said statistics show high suicide, self-harm, and depression rates among trans youth but those rates go down with community and family support. According to a 2020 study, 86% of trans youth have considered suicide and 56% reported a suicide attempt.
Trans children are like any other children, Gordon said.
“They like to play. They like to play sports. They like to have a community and those are all things that trans kids deserve.”
Photo Gallery
Sean Malone Gordon and his siblings protesting in support of transgender youth, St. George, Utah, April 14, 2022 | Photo by Alysha Lundgren, St. George News
Sean Malone Gordon and his siblings protesting in support of transgender youth, St. George, Utah, April 14, 2022 | Photo by Alysha Lundgren, St. George News
Sean Malone Gordon and his siblings protesting in support of transgender youth, St. George, Utah, April 14, 2022 | Photo by Alysha Lundgren, St. George News
A sage stick used by a citizen who said she wanted to bless the protest, St. George, Utah, April 14, 2022 | Photo by Alysha Lundgren, St. George News
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