SALT LAKE CITY — The Salt Lake County Council chose to table a discussion Tuesday over a controversial proposal that states which genders can be in certain locker rooms at recreational facilities.
The proposed ordinance would make it so that people could only use the changing room of their assigned sex at birth or use a separate room for individuals.
Candace Duncan brought the matter to the council after she said she was made uncomfortable when someone who she believed was a man was in the same women's changing room as she was.
“This ordinance, for me, is a protection of women from men in female spaces," she said. "I know this is a tricky thing to address... I don’t feel comfortable with men in women’s room.”
Salt Lake County Council member Dea Theodore proposed the ordinance.
“Recently, we unanimously voted to offer free recreation passes to children, so that is another concern for me," the councilwoman said. "That we do not have a policy in place for our changing rooms, I get concerned.”
In front of a packed room, some parents supported the ordinance because they think it will protect children and women.
“As a woman, we’d have to determine when we’re in a state of undress sometimes, is that person someone to be weary of or not," said Duncan, "and I think that puts women in a bad position.”
Others in opposition of the proposal say it sends a harmful message to the transgender community.
“One should use the locker room that looks like them," argued Jeri Brummett. "The trans community has been using these locker rooms for decades without any complaints. And now, we have individuals who on one complaint have decided that there's a problem.”
Brummett believes the ordinance would not fix the problem.
“Trans men look like men, many of them have the anatomy of men, and if they, under this ordinance, are required to use the locker room of their biological sex, then we will have men in the ladies locker room,” she argued.
Those who support the policy say they are not forcing people to use a space they are not comfortable with, because there are individual changing rooms as well.
The county's Parks and Recreation director explained that, like facilities across the country, they are moving toward more individual-style rooms to make everyone feel more comfortable.
Council members added that they will look into other legislative or legal options to help families feel safer, but there was no set timeline explained at the meeting about when we might see those options.
