Utah University Closes LGBTQ Clinic After 2023 Gender-Affirming Care Ban; 2025 Study Finds Benefits, SB171 Passes 27-15

The University of Utah has closed its health clinic for LGBTQ youth following the Utah Legislature's 2023 ban on gender-affirming care for transgender minors. Despite the ban, a 2025 study commissioned by the Utah Department of Health and Human Services, mandated by the 2023 legislation, found that gender-affirming care benefits transgender youth. The study was presented to lawmakers nearly two and a half years after the ban took effect. In response, Senator James Ohrenschall introduced Senate Bill 171 (SB171), which aims to protect providers of gender-affirming care in Utah from legal actions by other states. The bill passed along party lines with a 27-15 vote, with Republicans opposing the measure. The original 2023 legislation intended the ban as a moratorium, but the recent study's findings have reignited debate over whether the treatment ban should be lifted.