When I moved to Utah in 2006, I was so happy to find such a welcoming environment. This opinion was shared the following year by my family when they joined me here. To this day we feel very fortunate to have such wonderful friends and neighbors in an amazingly welcoming community.
It is a shame that members of our Legislature don’t share the spirit of inclusion for all people who call Utah home. The aggressive legislative actions to restrict the rights of the trans community in this year’s legislative session do not reflect the acceptance all citizens are entitled to.
Now members of the Legislature are upset over a bus wrapped in LBGTQ+ Pride colors. A bus wrap that was paid for with private funds. After pressuring UTA to pull the bus from the LBGTQ+ Pride parade, they now are calling for the wrap to be removed. Do these legislators not understand that this wrap produces revenue that helps pay for UTA services?
It would be wonderful if our legislative members would take the time to meet with the members of this community that they are so quick to vilify. Respectful dialog, listening and speaking can help clear misunderstanding and misrepresentations.
House Speaker Brad Wilson was quoted as saying, “We live in Utah, we shouldn’t have to deal with this stuff. If by “stuff” he means the senseless vilification of any portion of Utah’s community I would have to agree.
John Dunbar, Holladay
