1. United States
2. Utah
3. Letter

There is endless research regarding trans and LQBTQ youth and the harmful effects legislation aimed at harming them has on their mental health and suicidality. On a federal level, the president is talking about removing the third option from the suicide hotline (988), which is aimed specifically at helping queer youth. At a state level, Utah has been passing increasingly hateful laws indicating they are not welcome here, including the bathroom ban and the flag ban. We have a 15-year-old who didn't use the bathroom at school for months because she looks like a girl, feels like a girl, and dresses like a girl, but legally she's required to use the boy's bathroom and she was afraid. The state has just scrubbed mental health information and data regarding trans children in Utah from the website, and that shows a clear knowledge of wrongdoing and intent to harm. Please stand aside and let SLC update their official city flags. Let the children know it's okay to be here.