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Advocacy

Our work is to achieve full legal equality for LGBTQ Utahns under state civil law.

  • Securing LGBTQ Rights

    Securing LGBTQ Rights

  • Finding Common Ground

    Finding Common Ground

  • Year-Round Engagement

    Year-Round Engagement

Our Role in Utahā€™s Political Landscape

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Advocacy isnā€™t just part of our mission, it’s the essence of who we are. Throughout our history, we have championed legislative victories that have changed lives. From passing a landmark LGBTQ non-discrimination law in housing and employment to banning conversion therapy for minors, our work has helped make Utah a place where progress is possible.

But our work doesn’t end with celebrating these successes. When harmful bills are introduced that threaten the rights of LGBTQ Utahns, we are at the table. We protect our community through ongoing negotiations with lawmakers, while our year-round engagement with legislators helps identify shared values and build common ground. This creates opportunities to open hearts, change minds, and secure lasting progress. We work to ensure that all LGBTQ Utahns and their families belong in the state we call home.

2025 Legislative Session

LGBTQ Bills

The 2025 Utah Legislative Session has concluded. Throughout the session, our team was at the Utah State Capitol every day, advocating for the rights and liberties of LGBTQ Utahns and their families.

Filter year:
  • Failed
    HB 566

    Sex Education Instruction Amendments

    This bill removes “human sexuality” from the definition of sex education instruction in Utah schools. While seemingly minor, this change has significant implications. By removing “human sexuality” from the list of topics requiring parental consent, the bill creates confusion about what can be taught and whether LGBTQ identities can be discussed in educational settings. This bill was introduced so late in the session that it was clear it would not advance.

    Status: Introduced in 2025

  • Failed
    HB 487

    Women Veterans Day Observance

    This bill would create a Womenā€™s Veteran Day in Utah, but would specifically exclude from recognition transgender women who serve or have served in the military. We lobbied key lawmakers to ensure this bill did not move forward through the legislative process.

    Status: Introduced in 2025

  • Failed
    HB 521

    Transgender Medical Procedures Amendments

    This bill would ban the use of any public funds for gender affirming health care. This bill would have serious consequences for transgender Utahns who are on Medicaid, and for transgender individuals who are housed in Utahā€™s prisons and jails, among others. The bill could also impact transgender health services provided by Utahā€™s public university health providers. We lobbied key lawmakers and other governmental stakeholders to ensure this bill did not move forward.

    Status: Introduced in 2025

  • Failed
    HB 413

    Child Custody Proceedings Amendments

    This bill would prevent law enforcement and child welfare professionals from protecting transgender youth when parents refuse to acknowledge their gender identity. The bill also shields parents from consideration of such refusal during custody proceedings, potentially leaving children without vital support during critical developmental periods. We raised concerns during the consideration of the bill and were able to block it from advancing during a senate committee hearing.

    Status: Died in Senate Health and Human Services Committee

  • Failed
    SB 320

    Physician Practice Amendments

    This bill would permit physicians to deny medical services based solely on their personal, medical, moral, religious, or ethical beliefsā€”potentially creating dangerous barriers to healthcare access for all Utahns, including LGBTQ Utahns. Along with other community stakeholders we brought our concerns to the sponsor who pulled the bill from the agenda before it was ever heard. The bill therefore did not advance.

    Status: Introduced in 2025

  • Failed
    SB 205

    Student Privacy Amendments

    Defines ā€œmultiuser unisex restroom” as a restroom that is designated for the use of both sexes; or is not sex-designated at all; allows the inclusion of a multiuser unisex restroom to satisfy a middle or high schoolā€™s obligation to meet the privacy needs of certain students; and allows government entities to construct new multiuser unisex restrooms to preserve individual privacy. This bill was introduced but never received a hearing and did not advance through the legislature.

    Status: Died in Senate Education Committee

  • Failed
    HB 401

    Adult-oriented Performance Amendments

    This bill is another attempt to target First Amendment protected expressive conduct. Last year, the legislature introduced and passed legislation targeting lewd behavior towards minors. That legislation has only been in effect since May 2024, and yet now HB 401 is being advanced to expand upon that prior legislation. This year’s bill includes vague language that is constitutionally problematic and could target protected First Amendment activity. The bill language is borrowed from a Tennessee statute that was introduced to prohibit drag performances. We lobbied key lawmakers to ensure this bill did not move through the legislative process.

    Status: Died in House Government Operations Committee

  • Passed
    HB 424

    School Activity Eligibility Commission Amendments

    This bill makes various technical changes to Utah’s School Activity Eligibility Commission, which is the body created by statute to determine whether trans kids can participate in school sports and activities. These changes include scheduling meetings, filling vacancies on the commission, and other procedural aspects. We worked closely with the bill sponsor to make sure only process-related changes were included in the bill language.

    Status: Passed

  • Passed
    HB 300

    Amendments to Election Law

    While Equality Utah primarily focuses our resources on bills directly impacting the LGBTQ community, occasionally bills so aggressively impinge on the broader principles of democracy that it becomes important for us to unite with other community partners to voice collective opposition. HB 300 presents one of those circumstances. As first introduced, the bill essentially ended vote-by-mail in Utah. The bill was amended to largely preserve vote by mail, although as passed it still contains various unnecessary barriers to voter participation. Because the bill has a delayed implementation date of 2029, there is still time for future positive amendments in upcoming legislative sessions.Ā 

    Status: Passed

  • Passed
    SB 86

    Workplace Protection Amendments

    This bill initially expanded the reach of state anti-discrimination protections by reducing the minimum employee threshold from 15 to 5 workers. Under current law, only businesses with 15 or more employees must comply with state anti-discrimination regulations. By lowering this threshold to 5 employees, the bill would extend these important workplace protections to employees of smaller businesses. In the Senate committee hearing, language regarding sexual harassment was added, but the committee members failed to lower the threshold of employees below 15.Ā Ā 

    Status: Passed

  • Passed
    HB 283

    Child and Family Services Amendments

    This bill addresses various aspects of foster care placement. Importantly, the bill prevents a child from being placed with a family who is not supportive of a childā€™s gender identity or sexual orientation; does not allow support or lack of support of a childā€™s LGBTQ status from being determinative in custody or reunification decisions, unless potential for harm to a child exists. We worked closely with the sponsor to ensure these protections remained in the bill.

    Status: Passed

  • Passed
    HB 269

    Privacy Protections in Sex-designated Areas

    The bill modifies HB 257 from the 2024 Legislative Session, which restricted access to privacy spaces such as restrooms and locker rooms, by adding higher education student housing as a privacy space. Under the substitute bill adopted in committee, sex-segregated student housing on Utahā€™s public college campuses is now restricted based on birth-sex, with the original exceptions (birth certificate changes and primary sex characteristic surgery) being eliminated. The bill maintains provisions allowing universities to offer co-ed, multigender dorm facilities.Ā 

    Status: Passed

  • Passed
    HB 252

    Transgender State Custody Amendments

    Prohibits the Department of Corrections from allowing an inmate to initiate gender transition by means of cross-sex hormones, primary or secondary sex characteristic surgical procedures or puberty blockers. This bill does not prevent inmates currently receiving gender-affirming care from continuing the care. The bill also restricts placement in secure care and youth rooms by gender assigned at birth. However, we understand the current practice in the youth criminal justice system is to provide individual rooms to youth offenders.Ā 

    Status: Passed

  • Failed
    HB 250

    Public Employee Gender-specific Language Requirements

    This bill prevents disciplinary action from being taken against a Utah public school teacher for using a name or pronoun other than that requested by the student, so long as done in good faith, or at the request of the studentā€™s parents. The bill also limits disciplinary action from being taken against a government employee for using a name or pronoun other than that requested by another employee, so long as done in good faith or because of a sincerely held religious or moral belief. We worked closely with lawmakers in the House to amend the bill to incorporate anti-discrimination language from the Utah Compromise. We continued to assert that even the amended bill was unnecessary and worked with lawmakers to kill the bill in a Senate committee hearing.Ā 

    Status: Died in Senate Government Operations Committee

  • Passed
    HB 77

    Flag Display Amendments

    This bill prohibits cities, counties, and public schools from displaying Pride and other community flags. We worked with the bill’s sponsor to secure amendments that protect the First Amendment rights of teachers and students, ensuring they can continue to wear rainbow stickers, pins, and patches in the classroom. Additionally, we advocated for language that safeguards students, including LGBTQ youth, from discrimination. We also successfully pushed for the removal of a provision that would have allowed parents to sue teachers over flags displayed in classrooms. However, the bill still includes restrictions on state and local governments flying certain flags, which raises concerns about its constitutional limitations.

     

    Status: Passed

Legislative Highlights

This is a timeline outlining featured years. Navigate using the arrow buttons or timeline dots.

2015 Made Non-Discrimination the Law

We secured landmark protections for LGBTQ Utahns through SB 296, ‘The Utah Compromise,’ ensuring no one could be fired or evicted based on their sexual orientation, gender identity, or religious beliefs.

A large crowd gathers inside the capitol, clapping as a lifts up a document to them.

2016 Established Harvey Milk Blvd

Through collaboration with the Salt Lake City Council and Mayor, we dedicated 20 blocks of downtown’s 900 South as Harvey Milk Boulevard, honoring the pioneering gay rights leader.

A group of people clap and cheer under a street sign 'Harvey Milk Blvd'
Street sign that reads 'Harvey Milk Blvd' as a gold sequin fabric unveils it.

2017 Repealed “No Promo Homo”

We overturned Utah’s ‘No Promo Homo’ law with SB 196, which had prohibited discussions of LGBTQ people in public schools, at times preventing teachers from intervening when LGBTQ students face bullying.

Three individuals raise their arms together on a blue stage

2019 Passed Hate Crimes Protections

We worked to secure passage of SB 103, Utah’s first comprehensive hate crimes law protecting LGBTQ people, minority communities, and religious groups under state law.

A large crowd watches a man sign a bill
A large crowd inside of the Utah Capitol onlooking a panel of men signing a bill

2020 Banned Conversion Therapy

We secured a ban on conversion therapy, working with state regulators to protect LGBTQ minors from the harmful discredited practices aimed at changing a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity.

An individual stands behind a podium at a press conference with an Equality Utah backdrop behind them. There is a group of people standing with them.

2023 Codified Conversion Therapy Protections

We secured the unanimous passage of HB 228 both in the Utah House and Senate, transforming Utah’s regulatory ban on conversion therapy into permanent state law.

A man sits at a table signing a bill with a group of people behind him smiling

2024 Secured LGBTQ Protections in Religious Freedom Law

We secured LGBTQ protections within Utah’s Religious Freedom (RFRA) bill, making Utah one of the few states to ensure RFRA legislation safeguards rather than undermines LGBTQ rights.

Capitol building for the state of Utah.
A professional photo of a woman standing indoors, wearing a beige blazer over a white top. She is looking upward with a slight smile. The background is blurred, showing other people in the casual attire.
Clapping happy people under a street sign: Harvey Milk Blvd

Protections

While our work continues, Utah stands out as the conservative state with the strongest protections for the LGBTQ community.

Equality Utah team sit in balcony sitting inside of the Capitol Building.
A large crowd gathers inside the Capitol watching a panel sign a bill into law.

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Upcoming Events

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  • performer singing on colorfully-lit stage
    Event
    10.11.2025

    Allies Gala

    Join thousands at our signature event, where we celebrate our achievements, honor our champions, and build momentum for positive change.
  • Man standing on stage in front of a blue backdrop with Equality Utah Logos, holds a microphone and points at audience.
    Event
    02.08.2025

    PAC Brunch

    Brunch with a mission! Join us and master storyteller Dustin Lance Black as we rewrite the future, one mimosa and pro-equality candidate at a time.
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