Utah’s Republican Governor Spencer Cox is allegedly a conservative. In reality, he has been even more enthusiastic than some of his Democratic peers in embracing leftist culture war positions. A video which resurfaced after his veto of a bill that would ban trans athletes from competing against girls in public schools shows the Republican governor cheerfully explaining his preferred pronouns on a Zoom call with Utah students last year.
He/him pronouns
Utah is a solidly red state and home to a large population of socially conservative and politically active Mormons. A real conservative could easily be elected if state Republicans chose to make it happen.
Instead the state has Spencer Cox, a man who feels the need to tell students that he identifies as a man because it apparently isn’t self evident in his mind.
Left-wing pronoun policy is a relatively new development that has only become entrenched in mainstream American society in the last few years, in no small part thanks to the contributions of Republicans like Cox.
The governor has a history of siding with the far left on social issues, but the sight of a supposedly conservative politician happily telling students that he uses “he/him” pronouns is still jarring for many Republicans.
Last month Cox vetoed legislation that would ban transgender competition against girls and women in sports. The state legislature overrode the veto.
He said that his priority was “compassion.” Compassion evidently means surrendering to the far left on all social issues in the governor’s mind.
Utah "republican" Governor Spencer Cox shares his preferred pronouns with students to teach kids leadership with Equity & Inclusion#utpol @GovCox @SpencerJCox #Utah pic.twitter.com/ioLWv7WC4r
— Adam Bartholomew 🗨️ (@lifeisdriving) April 5, 2022
Cox sees backlash
Cox argued that the trans sports issue was not a serious concern for the state, as it would only directly impact a small number of individuals.
What could be the harm then in indulging them and letting them compete against biological females? The harm comes from the left being capable of normalizing these things to the extent that even Republicans feel obligated to explain their preferred pronouns.
Cox will be in office until 2024 but other Republicans who share his inclinations would do well to reconsider their embrace of far-left gender politics as primary season approaches for the 2022 midterm elections.
There is a growing backlash amongst the Republican base against the introduction of this agenda into public school classrooms.
Governor Cox is apparently aware of this as he has now removed the “he/him” label from his official Instagram account.
Despite being such a solidly red state Utah has a history of electing Republicans who enjoy flirting with the left and seek to win their approval. Cox has evidently gone too far for his state legislators this time.
