Utah
Utah Republicans ignore study supporting gender-affirming care for trans youth. It's research they demanded
Utah’s Republican leaders, who banned access to medically recommended care for trans minors, spent more than two years demanding proof that gender-affirming hormone therapy benefits transgender youth. Now they have it — and they’re still refusing to budge.
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A comprehensive, state-commissioned report released last week shows that gender-affirming care leads to better mental health and lower suicide risk among transgender minors. But instead of lifting the state’s ban, GOP lawmakers are doubling down on a policy that doctors, advocates, and families have long warned is putting lives at risk.
Department of Health and Human Services deletes mental health report on Utah’s transgender children
What is gender-affirming care, who uses it, and do they regret it?
What’s in the report
The more than 1,000-page report, conducted by the University of Utah’s Drug Regimen Review Center and quietly posted online Monday by the Utah Department of Health and Human Services, was required by S.B. 16 — the 2023 law that banned most gender-affirming medical care for minors. At the time, Republican Gov. Spencer Cox called the law a “nuanced” approach and insisted the state needed more data. Now that the data is in, his office has gone silent.
The report eviscerates the claims Republicans used to pass the ban in the first place.
“The conventional wisdom among non-experts has long been that there are limited data on the use of [gender-affirming hormone therapy] in pediatric patients,” the researchers wrote. “However, results from our exhaustive literature searches have led us to the opposite conclusion.” The study found over 230 primary studies involving 28,056 trans youth — “far exceeding” the evidence that typically supports FDA approval for high-risk pediatric treatments, including gene therapy.
“The body of evidence we have uncovered exceeds the amount of evidence that often serves as the basis of FDA approval for many high-risk, new drugs approved in pediatric populations in the U.S.,” the authors added.
The report emphasized that such treatments are not given to prepubertal children, that puberty blockers and hormones are typically initiated only in early or mid-adolescence, and that surgeries — especially bottom surgeries — are not recommended for minors. The review also found no significant long-term safety concerns, and that “regret” associated with treatment is extremely rare. In fact, among the 32 studies examining regret, researchers found it was “virtually nonexistent” — and when present, it was “only a very minor proportion” of treatment discontinuation.
Utah Republicans reject their own commissioned review
The report’s release was met with no public response from Cox or legislative leaders, The Salt Lake Tribune reports.
Republican state Reps. Katy Hall and Bridger Bolinder, who helped pass the law, dismissed the findings outright in a joint statement. “The science isn’t there,” they claimed. “The risks are real, and the public is with us.”
Trump administration announces end to gender-affirming care for transgender veterans
State Senate President Stuart Adams echoed their skepticism. “Utah enacted a law to safeguard the long-term health and well-being of minors while providing time to carefully examine the evolving medical landscape surrounding novel and irreversible procedures for minors,” he said, according to the Tribune.
State Rep. Mike Kennedy, the bill’s lead sponsor and a physician, declined to comment to the paper.
LGBTQ+ rights advocates say the report dismantles GOP’s justification for care bans
Chris Erchull, senior attorney at GLAD Law, told The Advocate that the report’s conclusion is straightforward.“This is the most comprehensive and the most recent review of all of the studies on care that’s been provided to transgender young people over many decades,” Erchull said. “It confirms what many providers and families already knew — that the standards of care for young transgender people provide benefits to their overall health and well-being. All of these attempts to block access to care for transgender young people have been causing harm. And any future attempts will also cause harm.”
But the science is there. The review found that youth who received care before age 18 had better outcomes, especially around depression, anxiety, and suicidality. Hormonal treatments were associated with positive mental health and psychosocial functioning outcomes. “When left untreated, individuals with gender dysphoria may experience psychological and social harms,” the report notes.
Shannon Minter, legal director of the National Center for Lesbian Rights, called the Utah report “by far the most detailed, thorough, and comprehensive review of the medical evidence relating to transgender healthcare.”
“This review shows that when the evidence is viewed objectively, there is no serious question that this care is safe, effective, and medically necessary for some youth,” Minter told The Advocate. “The report also makes clear that if legislators are concerned about this care, they can implement guardrails to ensure that it is being prescribed consistently with the standards of care.”
Minter added that while the report came too late to be submitted in the U.S. Supreme Court’s review of United States v. Skrmetti, it offers “an incredibly helpful counterpoint to the incomplete and distorted coverage of this care that has dominated the mainstream press.”
“The data show overwhelmingly that the people who need this care benefit significantly from it”
Erchull said the report also rebuts widespread misinformation.
“One of the biggest misconceptions is that this care is easy to access and handed out without oversight,” he said. “But the study tells us something very important: regret rates are exceedingly low. People may hear powerful anecdotes from individuals who felt they were over-prescribed or misdiagnosed, and those are heartbreaking stories. But they don’t represent the whole picture. The data show overwhelmingly that the people who need this care benefit significantly from it — and that medical providers are doing a good job of ensuring the right people are receiving the right medical care.”
Every major medical association in the United States, including the Endocrine Society, the American Medical Association, and the American Academy of Pediatrics, supports gender-affirming care as proven and effective treatment.
Republicans pass ‘Big Beautiful Bill’ banning federally funded gender-affirming care for trans people
“The findings of this report support the existing expert standard of care and do not support the bans enacted thus far in 27 states,” Whitman-Walker Institute executive director Kellan Baker told The Advocate. “I think it says that they’re not actually interested in science or evidence because when they can’t predetermine the outcome of a scientific evidence review based on their political agenda, it finds that the existing standard of care is beneficial. These findings also contradict efforts to smuggle anti-trans provisions into Medicaid for transgender people of all ages via the House reconciliation bill when it was jammed through under cover of darkness last week.”
On Thursday, Republicans in Congress passed a measure forbidding federal funding for gender-affirming care under the Children’s Health Insurance Program and Medicaid. The bill also eliminates coverage for gender-affirming care under essential health benefits, even for adults with private insurance regulated under the Affordable Care Act.
If lawmakers in Utah lift the moratorium, the report recommends that the health department outline strict guardrails: a certified treatment board, licensed experts, interdisciplinary care teams, and an enhanced informed consent process. According to The Salt Lake Tribune, those recommendations are in place, but the political will is not.
Like all medical treatments, gender-affirming care is already overseen by expert physicians and follows best practices established by the World Professional Association for Transgender Health. They note that receiving this kind of care is not fast.
Now, with Utah’s own evidence confirming what trans communities and medical experts have said all along, the question is no longer whether gender-affirming care is safe. It’s whether lawmakers will admit it matters and that transgender youth deserve to live.
The state’s justification that the medications used aren’t FDA-approved specifically for gender dysphoria also doesn’t hold. The report emphasizes that off-label prescribing is both legal and common in pediatric medicine, especially when drugs are already approved for adults but lack industry incentives for further trials in youth.
The law’s impact has been immediate. After the ban was enacted in early 2023, the University of Utah closed its pediatric gender clinic. The Tribune notes that the same year, a state-run survey found that more than 60 percent of trans students in the state had considered suicide, with one-quarter of students having attempted it.
Utah Gov. Signs Bill Banning Most Gender-Affirming Care for Youth
Advocates warned this would happen when the law was enacted. “This is a devastating and dangerous violation of the rights and privacy of transgender Utahns,” said Chase Strangio, deputy director of the American Civil Liberties Union LGBTQ & HIV Project, at the time. “We won’t stop defending your autonomy and freedom until each and every one of you can access the care you need.”
It has been a long time since the Jazz last played a meaningful game I desperately wanted them to win, and it is unhealthy how excited I am for this matchup. After a solid three games in the SLC Summer League, the Jazz head south to Las Vegas, and as hot as the desert sun is sure to be outside, on the court, the Thursday night primetime game featuring the top two picks in the draft will be much hotter.
How to Watch the Las Vegas Summer League?
Who: Utah Jazz vs Washington Wizards
When: Thursday, July 9, 2026 | 7:00 MT
Where: Thomas & Mack Center, Las Vegas, NV
How to watch: ESPN, Jazz+
Darryn Peterson and AJ Dybantsa
Summer league games do not matter in the record books, but this game is a statement-making opportunity for both AJ Dybantsa and Darryn Peterson. Given the historical nature of this draft class, especially at the top, there is some real juice to this game that is atypical of most Summer League games. AJ has the chance to silence the noise that has swelled after Darryn’s remarkable performances in the SLC Summer League. Meanwhile, Darryn has the chance to ratchet up the noise and take the NBA world by storm with another solid performance against the Wizards. Can you imagine the narratives if Darryn were to come out and dominate AJ as he has through high school and college? In the words of the great Charles Barkley, I have two words for you… Darryn Peterson, AJ Dybantsa, must-see TV.
Ace Bailey looked really impressive in his 2.5 quarters of play in Salt Lake before missing games with back spasms. It is unknown whether or not he will be ready to go for the Vegas opener, but if he is available, he will probably be the one checking AJ Dybantsa on defense. His combination of length and athleticism could not only make things difficult for AJ on the defensive end but also expose his lackadaisical defense on the offensive end. If Ace is able to go, he will be looking to show the Jazz and the NBA that he is ready to take a leap in year two.
Which Jazz Big Man Will Stand Out?
Which big man will step up this game? In Game 1, we saw a lot of Kylor Kelley, who was a little less than impressive. Against Memphis, Jaxon Kohler, the Utah native, showed up and showed out against Cam Boozer. In game three, although the number of NBA-level players was few and far between, Jonas Aidoo stole the show with his rebounding and ability to play his role. Will we see one of those same three guys seize their opportunity, or will another guy like Micah Handlogten or Eric Dixon steal the show? We saw how vital a big that can roll and catch passes is for Darryn Peterson as a lead guard, playmaking-wise. It will be interesting to see who steps up to the plate to relieve pressure when he is blitzed and double-teamed.
SIDE NOTE: Adam Silver is LAME
No one should ASPIRE to be as boring as Adam Silver. After much excitement was made about Keyonte George making his unofficial coaching debut on Thursday night, according to Sarah Todd, the league has nixed that excitement and won’t allow Keyonte to be coaching on the sideline because who knows why…? I guess they were worried about the Jazz circumventing the salary cap to pay Keyonte or something. Anyways, I guess Will Hardy’s coaching TREE will have to wait for more branches to grow. Adam Silver remains evil in my book.
SALT LAKE CITY, UT (Good Things Utah) – A Park City charitable foundation is challenging outdoor athletes to turn their miles into meals for hungry kids. Terrence Moorehead is the co-founder of the non-profit RipLine Foundation. He says the RipLine Foundation seeks to channel the energy of Utah’s outdoor athletes, adventurers, and enthusiasts into the fight against childhood hunger. RipLine’s mission: Fight Hunger Feed the Future. It’s delivered through three peer‑to‑peer leader challenges across the year that turn movement into meals for children in need. 100% of funds raised go directly to vetted giving partners, including No Kid Hungry, Feeding America, Feed the Children, and Vitamin Angels.
The challenge is to turn every mile walked, run, biked, or hiked, and every hole of golf played into meals for kids facing food insecurity. Terrence says ‘Outdoor athletes are the most generous, motivated, and passionate community in the state and we’re done pretending we can’t do something to help our kids. Every mile is a meal. Every climb is a meal. Every round of golf is a meal. If you’re already moving, you’re already qualified.’
He says this summer they have Miles in the Wild™ – walking, running, biking, and hiking – which currently runs through September, and Balls Out™ which is our summer golf challenge. They are encouraging athletes in their preferred sport to rally networks of family, friends, coworkers, and crews to sponsor their effort.
Terrence says ‘Childhood hunger is unacceptable in a country this abundant — and it’s an area where we can have a real and meaningful impact. What’s been missing is a model that scales — that turns individual effort into measurable, repeatable impact. RipLine is built to do exactly that. Every Leader brings a network. Every dollar reaches a child. The math works. The Foundation has committed to providing one million meals in 2026 alone — its first year of fundraising — with a 2030 target of four million meals and one million children nourished.’
To sign up go to riplinefoundation.org
SALT LAKE CITY — Rep. Mike Kennedy, R-Utah, views liberty as a driving force in American history, which is why he’s thrilled about a 60-foot-long and 36-foot-tall arch planned for a space near the Utah Capitol.
The Grand Liberty Arch, designed by renowned artist Sabin Howard, is expected to become one of the largest bronze sculptures in the West by the time it’s completed over the next seven years. Kennedy believes it will highlight the effort to gain liberty over the past 250 years.
“For two and a half centuries, liberty has been an active ingredient in the background of American history, and the driving engine of our national progress,” he said on Monday, as a 6-foot model of Howard’s piece rotated within the Utah Capitol rotunda next to him. “It is the vital spark that transformed a collection of colonies into a beacon of global innovation and human potential.”
However, those who live near its planned location are less excited by the state’s plan, not by the sculpture as much as the spot the state has in mind and the process by which it was selected. They believe it will drastically alter a longstanding open space, and question why the project was voted on quickly without much public feedback.
The Grand Liberty Arch
The Capitol Preservation Board signed off on the project in May, with the expectation that the estimated $55 million cost will be raised privately. Former Zions Bank CEO Scott Anderson was working with JLL Salt Lake City Real Estate to raise the funds, meeting with family foundations and large corporations, officials said during the meeting.
Utah Gov. Spencer Cox penned a letter in support of the project in February, saying that he believes in the “significance of this legacy piece.” Howard, who recently completed a World War I memorial in Washington, D.C., had his latest vision on display at the Utah Capitol over Fourth of July weekend, so people could better view his vision.
The sculpture depicts many elements of the past 250 years in the U.S., from the Revolutionary War and the signing of the Declaration of Independence to the building of the country and its westward expansion. An unveiling ceremony was held Monday, where Howard and others were able to describe it and its importance for now and the next 250 years.
“America is dynamic. … Americans do not stand still,” he said. “The Grand Liberty Arch is a celebration of liberty that has transformed our nation.”
It’s expected to be built in phases over the next seven years, completed in time for the 2034 Winter Olympics and Paralympics. Over 100 people showed up for the ceremony, making sure to snag a photo of the model by the end of it.
A neighborhood’s concern
The sculpture is to be located at 17 W. 500 North, on a parcel across the street from the Utah Capitol, informally known by some as the Capitol triangle. Utah owns the land, but it’s also not considered part of the primary Capitol Complex, meaning it’s not subject to some of the same Capitol grounds rules, Cox said.
Utah House Speaker Mike Schultz, R-Hooper, called it the “perfect location” during the board’s May meeting. Renderings show a plan to remove some of the park’s longstanding trees, replacing them with cherry trees around the arch that essentially adds to the Capitol’s walkway.
The location has also created a stir within its neighborhood. The Capitol Hill Neighborhood Council ended a June 17 meeting by debating several options to respond to the state’s decision.
There were some concerns raised about some of the depictions, but most are concerned about potential impacts to the current open space, which is used for an annual gathering, but also smaller park space since it’s located right next to homes, said Jonathan Bruns, chairman of the Capitol Hill Neighborhood Council.
“It’s off the main (path), so it’s a little … removed from the main grounds. It’s usually a quieter spot,” he explained.
With thousands of people projected to cross the street to view the piece, they said it could snarl traffic along Capitol and Columbus streets. Others were concerned by the size and scale of the project and the quick process to select a design, which appeared to include little to no public feedback.
Salt Lake City Councilman Chris Wharton, whose district includes the area, pointed out that the state is exempt from local processes, meaning there’s nothing the city or county could do to intervene. As a resident and lawyer, he suggested a formal complaint to the Capitol Preservation Board over the monument process around the Capitol complex, which the neighborhood council plans to do.
The council agreed to submit a formal complaint to the board and Utah Attorney General’s Office to make sure that the board followed Utah’s Open and Public Meetings Act and normal processes for a monument. It also agreed to submit a public records request on the project for a “comprehensive report of community feedback.”
Part of the complaint centers around a discussion of a 100-year monument project for which there were two options discussed in May, separate from the arch. One celebrated the golden spike, while the other highlighted women’s suffrage in Utah, but the project was placed on hold over logistics.
Board members didn’t abandon the project, but said the arch could ultimately serve as the selection. That made the neighborhood question if it followed the correct process for monuments, Bruns explained.
“It kind of seems like this went around the rules in an odd way. … We are obviously doing work to make sure it was done by the right processes,” he said.
The attorney general’s complaint has since been filed, while the rest are in the works, he told KSL. He’s unsure if the council would file a lawsuit over the time and money that would strain a volunteer group of residents.
Bruns credited Howard for being responsive, adding that he’s hopeful the state can also be understanding of the neighborhood’s concerns, whether that’s project adjustments or a new location.
The Key Takeaways for this article were generated with the assistance of large language models and reviewed by our editorial team. The article, itself, is solely human-written.
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