Happy Saturday, and welcome to Inside Voices, a weekly newsletter that features a collection of ideas, perspectives and solutions from across Utah — without any of the vitriol or yelling that’s become all too common on other platforms. Subscribe here.
Happy Saturday, readers.
This week, one Utahn’s story of divorce and plea for connection resonated deeply. Andrea Whatcott, a Utah single mom of four, shared a deeply personal commentary on the role one’s faith can play in a divorce — and how a lack of support from one’s church can be confusing, isolating and shameful.
“We are good at caring for one another in so many ways,” she writes. “When a child is sick. When a parent dies. When a widow loses a partner to death. We rally for people going through these heartbreaking experiences. But divorce appears to be a different matter. Where is the rallying? It’s just not there.”
Readers across platforms shared their own similar experiences and, in some instances, advice:
“I personally went through this and worse during my divorce,” one reader commented on our Facebook post. “Me and my kids were completely ostracized from most of our congregation and it was clear we weren’t welcome. It made an already heavy hard period so much harder and lonelier.”
“From my own personal experience of being the eldest child of divorced parents, I remember how my family became the pariahs of our close knit LDS neighborhood,” a subscriber commented on our website. “We were ‘different’ and therefore were ignored, shunned and made to feel less than normal because of the divorce. It became very awkward for our neighbors to interact with us and therefore they didn’t. I am not saying this is something that occurs only with the LDS church. It seems that all religions have difficulty dealing with and helping their divorced members. This is something they all need to work on.”
“Keep your faith,” another subscriber advised. “It stays with you wherever you go. Try a church without judgement and ties to ancient dogma that has no place in this day and age. Keep your faith and try another church. I would say try, just once, a Sunday service in the Unitarian Church where friendship and warmth is not dependent on your life’s present situation. Just once.”
I always appreciate when Utahns like Andrea feel comfortable enough to share such a personal — yet somewhat universal — experience. If you’re interested in sharing, please reach out to me at sweber@sltrib.com. (Read further for a timely prompt.)
Utah Voices
(Clarissa Casper | The Salt Lake Tribune) Logan's Planned Parenthood location is shown on Monday, April 21, 2025.
The following excerpts come from op-eds recently published in The Tribune.
Cuts to Planned Parenthood leave Utahns at risk
“For two years, Planned Parenthood not only gave me the health care that I needed while I went to school and prepared myself for adulthood, but they also helped to educate me on my own body and health care needs,” writes Rachel Turk. Read more.
Managing ‘a serious economic and public health threat’
“The wind-blown dust that settles over Moab, Blanding and the greater Four Corners region isn’t just a nuisance — it’s a serious economic and public health threat,” writes ecologist Kristina Young. “And much of what we know about how to manage it comes from the scientists at the U.S. Geological Survey’s Southwest Biological Science Center in Moab. Now, that work — and the foundation it provides for responsible land and water use across Utah — is at risk of disappearing.” Read more.
An ‘environment of unpredictability’ for Utah’s small businesses
“Utah deserves representatives who will stand up for genuine conservative principles even when it’s politically difficult,” writes business owner Alex Thompson. “Our state’s entrepreneurs and business owners depend on consistent application of free market ideals — not fair-weather rhetoric that changes depending on who occupies the White House.” Read more.
Utah’s neurodivergent population is being ‘pushed out’ of the workplace
“Neurodivergent people aren’t broken — we’re brilliant,” writes Tehnyat J. Sohail, an epidemiologist, researcher, social work graduate student and autistic advocate. “When we’re supported, we bring hyperfocus, creative problem-solving and loyalty to our work. But we can’t contribute if we’re pushed out before we’ve even been given a fair shot.” Read more.
The ‘life-saving’ impact of gender-affirming care
“As a young person who has many transgender and cisgender friends who have received GAC, I’ve witnessed the pure joy and confidence it can bring to a person,” writes Mattie Sullivan, who identifies as non-binary. “Banning gender-affirming care will not ‘save kids’ as many claim; rather the suicide rate of transgender youth will continue to rise and joy will be stifled. It’s clear to me that gender-affirming care is vital to the health of both transgender and cisgender individuals.” Read more.
Share Your Perspective
(Bethany Mollenkof for The New York Times) Women Are Having Fewer Babies Because They Have More Choices
You’ve likely seen the news about Utah’s declining fertility rate and a proposed baby bonus. I want to hear from you: Do you want to have kids? If so, is anything preventing you from having kids? If not, why not? Share your perspective.
From Bagley’s Desk
Oh, Brother | Pat Bagley
I’m always looking for unique perspectives, ideas and solutions that move our state forward. Learn more about our guidelines for an op-ed, guest essay, letter to the editor and more here, and drop me a note at voices@sltrib.com.
