Utah Gov Issues Pride Proclamation Without “LGBTQ”

Salt Lake City’s Fox affiliate reports:

Governor Spencer Cox issued a proclamation Wednesday, marking June as Pride Month and calling on Utahns to be more welcoming and accepting of the LGBTQ community.  “This should not be controversial,” the governor told FOX 13 News in an interview about the proclamation.

“There should be nothing controversial about supporting a group of people in our state who have historically felt marginalized.”

Cox may be the only Republican governor in the nation to issue such a proclamation recently. He issued a similar one last year, the first Utah governor to officially acknowledge Pride Month. Asked about the message he wanted to send to LGBTQ people, Gov. Cox said: “We love you, we care about you, Utah is an awesome place… for everyone.”

Yes, but there’s also this:

Utah. Gov. Spencer Cox came under fire Thursday after his 2023 Pride Month declaration eliminated all mention of LGBTQ+ people. The omission quickly gained notice as Cox posted the proclamation on social media, calling for “inclusion, belonging and kindness” and praising “numerous organizations” for “cultivating love for all.” Cox’s 2022 and 2021 proclamations referred to LGBTQ+ Utahns multiple times.

As a state, we want a culture of hope, understanding, love, dignity and respect. Happy #PrideMonth, to all who celebrate! pic.twitter.com/l6YhV4pXI2

— Utah Gov. Spencer J. Cox (@GovCox) June 1, 2023

Not including the letters and words that identify the Pride Community – LGBTQIA+ – is an irresponsible coward act of erasure. We believe Gov. Cox can do better. #saylgbtq #saygay #saylesbian #saytrans #saytransgender #sayqueer

— Utah Pride Center (@utahpridecenter) June 1, 2023