No one ever said leadership was easy.
Sometimes, there is no right answer and leaders are forced to make tough calls. Occasionally, they make the wrong decision, fully aware of the harm they will cause.
Over 1,000 miles away, we can see a perfect example of a man who made the wrong call and is reviled for it.
Lilburn Boggs, a veteran of the War of 1812, became the sixth governor of Missouri. In that role, he worked on several critical projects, including chartering the Bank of the State of Missouri and building a new state Capitol.
But Boggs, rightfully so, is remembered for only one thing — his October 1838 extermination order against the Mormons.
Almost 200 years later, Utah’s Gov. Spencer Cox is headed for a similarly dismal legacy.
In 2023, Cox signed SB16, which told trans youth they would have to leave Utah if they wanted access to vital health care and dignity. In 2024, he attempted to ban our trans neighbors from public spaces by signing a vile and unnecessary bathroom bill.
By signing these laws, Cox effectively signed his own extermination order against transgender youth. And like Boggs, his legacy will reflect the harm he caused.
Within a few years of leaving office, Cox won’t be remembered for his tacky “Disagree Better” campaign — the idea that hateful action and legislation is fine as long as it is wrapped up in kind words.
Within a decade, he won’t be known for his attempts to limit access to social media. He will be remembered for bullying, harassing and terrorizing the queer youth of Utah.
Like Lilburn Boggs, history won’t be kind to Cox. His legacy will be of a small man selling out trans youth in a desperate attempt to hold onto power.
Billy Clouse, Salt Lake City
Stephen Otterstrom, Salt Lake City