1. United States
2. Utah
3. Letter

I am writing to urge you to vote no on House Bill 196, legislation that represents both a dangerous assault on local governance and a deliberate attempt to erase LGBTQ representation from public spaces in Utah. This bill would force Salt Lake City to rename Harvey Milk Boulevard after Charlie Kirk, overriding a unanimous 2016 decision by the Salt Lake City Council. Harvey Milk was the first openly gay elected official in California, serving as a San Francisco city supervisor after his election in 1977 before being assassinated alongside Mayor George Moscone in 1978. Stan Penfold, Salt Lake City's first openly gay council member, authored the original measure specifically to address perceptions of what Salt Lake City is and is not. That decision reflected the community's values and was made through proper democratic process. Representative Lee's district does not even include Salt Lake City. Under current state law, cities have jurisdiction to change the names of their streets. Yet he seeks to override the will of Salt Lake City residents and their elected representatives, continuing a troubling pattern of the Utah Legislature targeting Salt Lake City's local authority. The motivation behind this bill is transparent. Representative Lee expressed interest in this renaming after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth ordered the U.S. Navy to rename the USNS Harvey Milk. He also co-sponsored legislation this session to ban unsanctioned flags including pride flags in schools and government buildings. This is not about local governance or honoring historical figures. This is a coordinated effort to remove LGBTQ people from public recognition. House Bill 196 sets a dangerous precedent where the Legislature can reach into any city and erase decisions made by local elected officials whenever those decisions acknowledge LGBTQ contributions to society. This is government overreach at its worst, weaponized against a vulnerable community. I ask you to vote no on House Bill 196 and to stand against this discriminatory legislation that undermines both local control and the dignity of LGBTQ Utahns.