I want to start by wishing everyone a happy Pride! We should celebrate our progress but acknowledge that we still have so much further to go.
Having lived in Utah my whole life, I have learned to coexist with apprehension during the 45 days when the state Legislature is in session. For that month and a half, after the joy of the holidays has worn off, I’m on alert in case yet another measure is put forward that limits, harms or attacks me and my loved ones.
It happens every year. As the partner of a transgender woman, we grieved with the passage of HB11, and again when the draft of a possible Roe v. Wade decision was leaked.
One of the things that has helped is knowing that I am not alone in these feelings. Though it is small, the Democratic contingency on Capitol Hill is fierce. When my rights are yet again being attacked, I know that there are people who will step up and defend them.
However, as a queer woman, while there are many people that I can count on to stand up to fight for my rights there is little direct representation in the Legislature. State Sen. Derek Kitchen is the sole member of the state’s Queer Caucus, and he has been fighting this fight, actively and alone, for years. As a House District’s Democratic nominee, when I am elected in November, the Queer Caucus will double its membership.
Next year, at the beginning of those 45 days of session, I want to remind the Republican supermajority that the LGBTQ+ community are more than faceless political scapegoats. We are not some “other” to be demonized because it’s easy to punch down. We are colleagues, and I want them to have to look me in the eyes when they push policies designed to harm me, my family and this community. And it is a comfort to know that, while I am in the House, Kitchen will be in the Senate, fighting the same fight.
I can’t speak for the entire queer community, but I can promise to advocate for it with the ferocity and empathy of someone with a similar lived experience. For everyone else who has been afraid during the legislative session, I hope that they can know that we are up there, fighting our hardest to make this a safe and equitable state for everyone who calls it home. The Queer Caucus is growing, and we will never stop advocating for you.
Sahara Hayes
Sahara Hayes is the Democratic nominee for House District 32 in the Utah Legislature. She currently serves on the Millcreek Community Council and on the board of the Utah Cultural Celebration Center Foundation. She lives in Millcreek with her partner, Lily.