In a recent post on X, Utah Governor Spencer Cox applauded the decision of the Southern Utah University and Utah State women’s volleyball teams to forego playing against San Jose, who allow a biological male to play on their team. This comes just over two years after Cox’s hot-button veto on Utah’s proposed statewide ban against transgender participation in sports.
The proposed legislation, HB11, was a hard-fought compromise regarding transgender students’ eligibility to play on sport’s teams in Utah middle and high schools. At the last minute, the bill was revised to become a total ban against this participation, much to the disappointment of Governor Cox, who immediately vetoed the bill, stating: “Rarely has so much fear and anger been directed at so few.” Cox also claimed that Utah, at this time, only had a single transgender student who wanted to play on a girls athletic team, which should be trivial to the young biological women on teams across the state.
Fast-forward two years, and we see Governor Cox praising Utah collegiate women’s teams for boycotting a game against a team with a transgender player. In his recent tweet, he states, “It is essential that we preserve a space for women to compete fairly and safely. Our female athletes are left grappling with this difficult issue because the NCAA has failed in its responsibility to protect female athletes and women’s sports. It’s time for the NCAA to take this seriously and protect our female student athletes.”
The question many are so curious to ask is: Where was this attitude two years ago, when the safety and fairness of teenage girls was at stake? While it is a breath of fresh air to see him support the dignity of women at all, it would have been much more encouraging to see him do this on behalf of young girls who rely on the adults around them to protect and uplift them. This change of tune is certainly a welcome one, but it is nothing short of suspicious to see him making this stand a mere month away from re-election on the table. If nothing else, it would greatly benefit Governor Cox to know that his potential next term in office will be one that comes with far greater scrutiny than his current term.
Written by: Emma Wilson
Contributor at the Cougar Chronicle
The Cougar Chronicle is an independent student-run newspaper and is not affiliated with Brigham Young University or The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Cover Photo Source: https://www.sltrib.com/opinion/editorial/2022/01/09/it-is-time-utah-gov/
As A religious Jew, I’ve always admired the LDS Church and its members for their moral stances and dedicated way of life. Not so much anymore, as your leaders (and mine) have embraced popularism over moralism. I applaud the Cougar Chronicle for it’s strong and difficult stances.
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