Sometimes we find courage and compassion when and where we least expect it.
Courage in politics is so rare as to be capricious. We’re shocked when we see it.
Yet, earlier this week Spencer J. Cox did something so remarkable that he deserves both respect and reaffirmation. What he did merits the widest possible encouragement because maybe, just possibly, it might inspire more acts of goodness. Even if you vehemently disagree with Cox and his political party and/or take the other side of this issue or any other, you still must respect the man for doing the unexpected, especially since it might come at a political cost to his own future as an elected official.
Here’s what happened: Spencer J. Cox is the Republican governor of Utah. He just vetoed a bill passed by the state legislature that will ban trans children from various school activities, including participating in sports. Everyone plainly sees the motivation for this bill (and similar legislation in other states). Sadly, most bills that single out trans children will pass in many states. It amounts to state-sponsored cruelty.
Gov. Cox wrote an extraordinary letter that explained his decision. It’s one of the most inspiring political statements I’ve read in quite some time. He explained that out of 75,000 kids playing high school sports in Utah, only 4 were transgender, with just one involved in girls sports.
Then, he pointed to a staggering statistic — 56 percent of transgender youth have attempted suicide.
“I am not an expert on transgenderism. I struggle to understand so much of it and the science is conflicting. When in doubt, however, I always try to err on the side of kindness, mercy, and compassion….I want them to live,” Gov. Cox said.
READ PART OF THE LETTER FROM GOV. COX BELOW:
Utah, of course, is one of the most conservative states in the nation. There’s no upside politically speaking for Cox to doing this. And honestly, I don’t know anything about the governor. I presume he’s someone I would strongly disagree with on many issues. He might even be a Trump-supporter, which I find abhorrent, and utterly disqualifying when it comes to holding ANY office. At the same time, sometimes we find courage and compassion when and where we least expect it.
And so, I applaud you, Gov. Cox.
While we should take away some optimism for what happened in Utah, unfortunately, we must also face harsh political realities. Countless memes of a trans swimmer have already tipped the scale and poisoned public opinion. As is so often the case in America, it’s the KIDS who will suffer from the ignorance of ADULTS. Despite Gov. Cox’s veto, Utah’s Republicans voted overwhelmingly to override the governor’s objections and passed the restrictions anyway.
Nonetheless, even a small victory for what’s right deserves to be recognized. Let me stand and applaud and hope for more of the same.