LGBTQ+

Some LGBTQ+ Utahns are tired of big brands at Pride. “It’s not just about resistance,” said one organizer of Pride Without Police. “It’s about spreading queer joy.”

This year’s Pride festival is OK. But as corporate sponsors pull out of donations, the Utah Pride Center expects a $250,000 budget shortfall next fiscal year.

Arguments continued in a second hearing this year in the lawsuit over Utah’s law banning transgender girls from competing in girls' sports. Now, the central issue is how President Donald Trump’s executive order impacts it.

Republicans argued a 2023 law that banned gender-affirming health care for transgender youth was needed to protect vulnerable kids from treatments that could cause long-term harm. The newly released results of a study commissioned under that very law tell a different story.

Today, the sego lily is prominent in Salt Lake City’s efforts towards a sense of belonging and acceptance for its diverse residents. But 150 years ago, it was Latter-day Saints fighting for acceptance in a unified “garland” of states.

“My sincere intent is not to provoke or cause division,” Mayor Erin Mendenhall said. “My intent is to represent our city's values and honor our dear diverse residents who make up this beautiful city and the legacy of pain and progress that they have endured.”

In response to Trump’s February executive order, the Utah High School Activities Association adopted a blanket ban on transgender sports participation. Plaintiffs say this violates a court injunction of the state’s 2022 ban, and the UHSAA could face contempt of court.

Young Adult author Ellen Hopkins is the second-most-banned author statewide in Utah schools. It’s a distinction she’d prefer not to have.

Park City Mayor Nann Worel doesn’t know why Sundance passed on the joint Salt Lake City and Park City bid but acknowledged politics could have inadvertently injected itself into the discussion.

Utah has become the first state to prohibit flying LGBTQ+ pride flags at schools and all government buildings. Republican Gov. Spencer Cox announced late Thursday night he was allowing a ban on unsanctioned flag displays to become law without his signature.

The Sundance Film Festival has always called Utah home, but it could pack up and move out of state after 2027.

Lawmakers tackled issues like immigration, elections and labor unions during its 45-day regular session.