Utah Senate President Stuart Adams, R-Layton, anticipates revisions to the state’s LGBTQ anti-discrimination policies, citing what he believes are potential “loopholes” in existing legislation.
Adams previewed a new bill, titled “Privacy Protections in Sex-designated Areas,“ that was introduced and will be debated this session related to where students can live on public college campuses.
Controversy over a transgender resident assistant
In 2015, lawmakers added gender identity to the list of classes protected from discrimination by Utah’s fair housing act, as the Deseret News previously reported. Landlords could not deny housing to individuals based on their gender identity unless they qualified for a religious exemption.
But recent events at Utah State University sparked interest among lawmakers in amending the legislation.
Cheryl Saltzman said she was upset when her daughter was assigned to an all-girls dorm suite with a transgender resident assistant at USU, according to KUTV.
Her Facebook post on the issue went viral.
Changes to transgender anti-discrimination laws
“I think we did a very good job in 2015 finding a way to respect both religious thought and principles, and also find a way to give housing and employment protection to the LGBTQ+ community,” Adams told reporters, then added: “We may have missed some loopholes back then.”
The new bill, HB269, says that private, sex-designated spaces in the public education system may only be accessed by students whose sex corresponds with the space.
If gender identity or a “reasonable fear of bullying” cause a student to request otherwise, the institution must ensure access to unisex or a single-occupant facilities.
If ratified, HB269 would take effect May 7, 2025.
Adams expressed hope that lawmakers would maintain the “spirit of cooperation” through the revision process that characterized the passage of the 2015 legislation.