A top Republican from Utah had his home vandalized after he introduced legislation that would ban life-changing transgender medical treatments for minors, according to Fox News. Senator Mike Kennedy posted a photo of the vandalism on Facebook. The red spray-painted messages read, “These trannies bash back” and “fash” for “fascist.”
The vandalism comes months after Kennedy introduced SB 16 “Transgender Medical Treatments and Procedures Amendments,” making Utah the first state in the union to fully ban “gender-affirming care” for minors, according to American Pigeon. The bill was then signed into law by Governor Spencer Cox.
Kennedy wrote that he would not be intimidated by “cowardly actions.” He added that the vandalism represented an attack on his state’s values and reaffirmed his commitment to protecting children. But the vandalism was condemned by Equality Utah, an LGBTQ group. The group said that violence of any kind does not help establish equality in the state.
Utah’s bill has been similar to other forms of legislation throughout at least 11 other states as part of a growing movement to prevent minors from undergoing life-altering surgeries in an attempt to change their gender. These efforts have been met with resistance by LGBTQ+ advocacy groups that claim that lack of access to “gender-affirming care” will result in the deaths of children.
Tennessee enacted similar legislation with SB 0001, which bans healthcare professionals and hospitals from “enabling a child” to live with a gender that is mismatched with their anatomy. Treatments are defined as both hormones and surgery. “Gender-affirming care” procedures will be allowed a grace period until they take effect in July 2023.
Virginia has also pushed forward legislation banning these procedures for minors. But the “SB 960 Youth Health Protection Act” was signed indefinitely, which means that it will not get picked up until it is specifically called for again.
