Pro-transgender activists vandalized the home of a Utah senator for his opposition to trans surgeries.
Sen. Mike Kennedy's (R-Utah) garage door was spray painted red with messages reading "fash" — short for fascist — and "These trannies bash back," a phrase that uses a slur for transgender people.
In a statement regarding the incident, Kennedy condemned the attack, saying he would not be intimidated by "cowardly actions."
"To those who seek to use violence, vandalism, and intimidation to deter me from standing up for what is right, let me be clear: you will not succeed. I will not be deterred by your cowardly actions," Kennedy said.
He continued to say that Utah will not stand for violence from extreme Leftists who push the transgender agenda of harming the U.S. and indoctrinating children.
"The recent vandalism to my family's home was not just an attack on me, but on the very principles, our state stands for. We will not let fear and violence control our destiny," Kennedy said. "As Utahns, we will always stand up and push back against radicals who seek to push their agenda in our state. I am more determined than ever to work with the good people of Utah to make our state a better place for all, especially our children, and I won't back down."
Last year, Kennedy sponsored SB16, which bans transgender surgeries, and places an indefinite moratorium on puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones for children and teens. In January, Gov. Spencer Cox (R-Utah) signed the bill into law.
Eleven other states, including Kentucky and West Virginia, have enacted similar bills restricting gender-affirming care for minors under 18. The controversial bills have sparked outrage from the progressive Left, claiming Republicans are putting transgender lives at risk.
Equality Utah, the state's LGBTQ advocacy group that opposed Kennedy's bill, condemned the violence against the senator, saying they would not tolerate hatred towards anyone regarding their views.
"We do not know who participated in this action, but we have been informed this may have been an act of retaliation for his sponsorship of S.B. 16. To the extent this, or any other act of violence or vandalism against our public officials, is related to LGBTQ advocacy, we want to make it clear that Equality Utah condemns these tactics in the absolute strongest terms," the group's statement read. "These heinous acts do not help LGBTQ Utahns. They do not advance a climate of equality,"