Good job, Utah Governor Spencer Cox.
He is a Republican.
"When in doubt however, I always try to err on the side of kindness, mercy and compassion."
Spencer Cox
I praised Utah's governor once before, in January. He was Utah's top election officer for the 2020 election, and a witness to Utah's election, held by mail. He said publicly it was fair and free. He was elected governor in that election. Vouching for an election conducted by mail made him a target for criticism. Speaking as Utah's new governor, he went on to make the broader point, that claims of widespread fraud elsewhere in the country were false and dangerous. I quoted from his State of the State address:
As a conservative, I believe that we should always work to make constitutional rights more accessible, not less. I am very proud that voter participation has increased since I became lieutenant governor and now governor.
Governor Cox is an outlier. Republicans nationwide remain wary of saying anything positive about the operation of the 2020 election or efforts to make voting more accessible. That includes officeholders who were elected in that very election. Cox surprised me again this week. He expressed empathy for Utah youth dealing with gender dysphoria. The issue of gender transition is one of the talking-point issues we see voiced this week in the Supreme Court confirmation hearings. GOP senators positioning themselves for a 2024 presidential run are trying out accusations about child pornography, GITMO, and gender. "What is a woman?," Ted Cruz asked. It was a "gotcha" question.
Gender is a slam-dunk issue for Republicans, especially this week. There is little political risk for piling on in disapproval or a rush to prohibit something that seems uncomfortably weird to many people. Boys in the girls' locker room! Junk hanging out! ! Unfair advantage! Homosexual agenda! Predator! Deviant! The issue is timely. There is an unusual and difficult case in the news. Swimmer Lia Thomas had been a male varsity college athlete before transitioning to a woman. She then began competing in women's events as a varsity athlete and is breaking swimming records.
In the face of this political opportunity Governor Cox vetoed a bill passed by the Utah legislature that would have banned transgender girls and women from participating in girls and women's sports in Utah. The law treated a problem that didn't exist. It targeted and further stigmatized vulnerable people. His words project a tone that is almost totally absent in today's politics. Compassion.
He explains his veto:
"I must admit, I am not an expert on transgenderism. I struggle to understand so much of it and the science is conflicting. When in doubt however, I always try to err on the side of kindness, mercy and compassion. I also try to get proximate and I am learning so much from our transgender community. They are great kids who face enormous struggles. Here are the numbers that have most impacted my decision: 75,000, 4, 1, 86 and 56.
75,000 high school kids participating in high school sports in Utah. Four transgender kids playing high school sports in Utah. One transgender student playing girls sports. 86% of trans youth reporting suicidality. 56% of trans youth having attempted suicide. Four kids and only one of them playing girls sports. That's what all of this is about. Four kids who aren't dominating or winning trophies or taking scholarships. Four kids who are just trying to find some friends and feel like they are a part of something. Four kids trying to get through each day. Rarely has so much fear and anger been directed at so few.
Women's sports rules have not yet figured out how to deal with the competing interests in a complicated situation. It is a work in progress. The politically smart thing is to join the crowd and denounce trans people in sports. Pick on the oddballs. Cox did the hard thing instead. The compassionate thing.
Good for him.
GOP legislators are preparing today to override his veto.
I agree with Nikki. I have a daughter who is a high school varsity athlete. The boys on the track team are faster than the girls in her event--the 1500 meters--and not by just a little. A lot. Male puberty didn't do all that much for me, but it really bulks up a lot of athletic boys. There should be another division or a separate category. It is complicated. It isolates those athletes. But it also protects women's sports. Both are considerations.
The reality is that within the category of trans athletes there is a continuum. It wouldn't matter, I am guessing, in some sports, e.g. fencing or pool or shooting sports. In some sports, certain attributes are hugely important, e.g. height in basketball. We can never obliterate biological advantage in some places. But preserving an arena for girls and women to compete is important.
"Err on the side of kindness, mercy and compassion." I like this. But as a woman, I also have compassion for the cis women who most likely won't break Lia Thomas' record for decades. And yes, the problem does exist in high school now, as a high school girl in Connecticut came in third behind two formerly male athletes at the state meet. She claims she lost out in scholarships that she would've received as the state champion. It seems like the fair thing for cis women is to have a third division for trans athletes. They can compete with the cis women, but have their own division for wins/records. Common sense and compassion :)