{"id":1400559,"date":"2022-03-25T13:44:36","date_gmt":"2022-03-25T17:44:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=1400559"},"modified":"2022-03-25T13:44:40","modified_gmt":"2022-03-25T17:44:40","slug":"utah-governor-vetoes-transgender-athlete-bill-i-try-to-err-on-side-of-compassion","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/utah-governor-vetoes-transgender-athlete-bill-i-try-to-err-on-side-of-compassion\/","title":{"rendered":"Utah Governor Vetoes Transgender Athlete Bill: &#039;I Try to Err on Side of Compassion&#039;"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">28<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Futah-governor-vetoes-transgender-athlete-bill-i-try-to-err-on-side-of-compassion%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=1400559&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p class=\"subheading\">Utah Gov. Spencer Cox (R)\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/le.utah.gov\/~2022\/bills\/static\/HB0011.html\">vetoed a bill<\/a>\u00a0on Tuesday which would prevent boys who identify as girls from participating on girl\u2019s sports teams.<\/p>\n<p>Cox explained his reasoning for vetoing the bill in a <a href=\"https:\/\/drive.google.com\/file\/d\/1emUTfFEbmNmSdW9UhhsRAseVNr4cPIv9\/view\">lengthy letter<\/a> to the Utah State Legislature, claiming it has \u201cs<span>everal fundamental flaws\u201d\u00a0<\/span>and that \u201cwhen in doubt,\u201d he tries to \u201cerr on the side of kindness, mercy and compassion.\u201d The governor also posted an <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/GovCox\/status\/1506357823923318784?s=20&#038;t=UmCEzCFj9OE14kSk3D4afA\">abbreviated version<\/a> of the letter to Twitter.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"D-ROS-B1\" class=\"a8d\"><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"M-ROS-B1\" class=\"a8d\"><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"gmxrevmore\" class=\"H\"><\/figure>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">[THREAD] I believe in fairness and protecting the integrity of women\u2019s sports. Unfortunately, HB11 has several fundamental flaws which is why I\u2019ve chosen to veto the bill. Here are my reasons why: 1\/<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Utah Gov. Spencer J. Cox (@GovCox) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/GovCox\/status\/1506357823923318784?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">March 22, 2022<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Cox said the bill was \u201csubstantially changed\u201d in the final hours of the legislative session before it was passed \u2014 Republicans removed a provision that Cox claimed was a \u201ccompromise\u201d between the LGBT community and protecting girls\u2019 sports. Rather than outright ban transgender girls from girls\u2019 sports, the provision (with Cox\u2019s approval) would have allowed the creation of a commission of \u201cexperts\u201d who would decide transgender cases on an individual basis.<\/p>\n<p>Cox\u2019s plan would legally establish the transgender ideology in Utah\u2019s K-12 sports system. That establishment would open the legal door for the ideology throughout the state\u2019s K-12 schools \u2014 even as ordinary Americans \u2014 and many GOP politicians \u2014 are fighting to evict the unpopular and destructive ideology from their kids\u2019 schools.\u00a0In Florida, for example, Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) recently signed a law that largely bars the ideology in classes for kids younger than Grade 4.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"M-ROS-B2\" class=\"a8d\"><\/figure>\n<p>\u201cThe concept was fairly simple. For the very small number of transgender kids who are looking to find a sense of connection and community\u2013without posing any threat to women\u2019s sports\u2013the commission would allow participation,\u201d Cox wrote. \u201cHowever, the committee would prohibit participation in the rare circumstance of an outlier who could pose a safety threat or dominate a sport in a way that would eliminate competitive opportunities for biological females.\u201d\u00a0<b><br \/><\/b><\/p>\n<p>According to the governor, the last drafted version of the bill would have implemented an all-out ban on boys who think they are girls from girls\u2019 sports, and a commission would only have been created if a court prohibited the ban.<\/p>\n<p>Cox also said \u201cone of the worst results\u201d of the changes to the bill \u201cwas the inability of legislators to understand the financial impacts that will be forced upon the Utah High School Athletic Association (UHSAA) and local Utah school districts that will inevitably get sued under this bill.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe UHSAA is a private organization and runs the real risk of insolvency and bankruptcy, putting our entire state athletics program in danger. <span>Having just completed a lengthy and very expensive lawsuit, the organization does not have significant reserves on hand,\u201d the governor wrote. \u201cFurthermore,<\/span> the UHSAA has been clear that if the state ever attempted a ban, the state would also need to provide indemnification to hold the organization harmless in the forthcoming lawsuit.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Most notably, Cox seemed to express more sympathy for boys who identify as girls rather than actual girls, saying he is \u201clearning so much\u201d from the transgender community and that they are \u201cgreat kids who face enormous struggles.\u201d He also cited \u201ctrans youth suicide rates,\u201d adding that those numbers \u201cmost impacted\u201d his decision to veto the bill. He then painted transgender children as\u00a0 \u201ckids who are just trying to find some friends.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure id=\"M-ROS-B3\" class=\"a8d adSo\"><\/figure>\n<p>\u201cRarely has so much fear and anger been directed at so few. I don\u2019t understand what they are going through or why they feel the way they do. But I want them to live. And all the research shows that even a little acceptance and connection can reduce suicidality significantly,\u201d he said<\/p>\n<p>\u201cFor that reason, as much as any other, I have taken this action in the hope that we can continue to work together and find a better way. If a veto override occurs, I hope we can work to find ways to show these four kids that we love them and they have a place in our state,\u201d he continued.<\/p>\n<p>Cox did mention transgender University of Pennsylvania swimmer Lia Thomas, \u201cwho has recently dominated women\u2019s swimming.\u201d He called Thomas an \u201cegregious example\u201d but said the bill would not address that kind of situation because HB11 applies only to high school and middle school sports. He also claimed the \u201cexpert\u201d commission would prevent a Lia Thomas-like situation from happening in the state.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_20289323\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/media.breitbart.com\/media\/2022\/03\/AP22078501055146.png\"><\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-caption-text\">University of Pennsylvania transgender athlete Lia Thomas competes in the 200 freestyle finals at the NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships Friday, March 18, 2022, at Georgia Tech in Atlanta. (AP Photo\/John Bazemore)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>\u201cI believe this is terrible for women\u2019s sports. There are natural advantages that come from our birth sex, which is the very reason that we have men\u2019s and women\u2019s sports in the first place. Setting records and taking scholarships away from biological gendered women should give everyone pause,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s bad for women and it is bad for the LGBTQ community, as it turns allies and reasonable people into opponents. I don\u2019t believe that this type of participation is compelled by the Constitution, but that decision will be left to the courts in the months and years to come.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Despite Cox\u2019s disapproval, Republican legislators said they <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/JStuartAdams\/status\/1506359893434920962\/photo\/1\">plan to override<\/a> the veto on Friday. Cox, who is up for reelection in 2024, is the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.breitbart.com\/sports\/2022\/03\/21\/republican-indiana-gov-eric-holcomb-vetoes-bill-banning-transgenders-from-womens-sports\/\">second Republican governor<\/a> within a few days to veto a bill aimed at keeping transgender girls out of girls\u2019 sports. More than ten other states have passed similar laws, especially in recent years, as more and more men who identify as women crush women\u2019s records in various athletics.<\/p>\n<p><em>Katherine Hamilton is a political reporter for Breitbart News. You can follow her on\u00a0<a class=\"x5l\" title=\"This external link will open in a new window\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/katherineeeeee2\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Twitter<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Utah Gov. Spencer Cox (R)\u00a0vetoed a bill\u00a0on Tuesday which would prevent boys who identify as girls from participating on girl\u2019s sports teams. Cox explained his reasoning for vetoing the bill<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12,"featured_media":2315279,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1400559","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1400559","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/12"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1400559"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1400559\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2315279"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1400559"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1400559"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1400559"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}