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Sam Cypert (she/her) joined the ACLU of Utah as a Paralegal in July 2024, although she has been eagerly waiting for an opening since moving to Utah in 2022. A lifelong Illinois resident, Sam graduated from Knox College in 2022 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Environmental Studies and a minor in Africana Studies. Before working at the ACLU of Utah, Sam worked for the State of Utah’s Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force as a Paralegal and as a Mobile Response Advocate at the Rape Recovery Center. In both of these positions, Sam further developed her passion for advocacy and victim support. Sam's lifelong dream has been working for the ACLU and contributing to an organization that has been a pioneer of the civil rights and liberties movement for over 100 years. In her free time, Sam enjoys reading, spending time with her cats and wiener dog, attending concerts, and watching the same three TV shows on repeat.

Originally from Wyoming (Sioux, Arapaho, Lipan Apache, and Cheyenne ancestral lands), Sarah has lived in Northern Utah (Eastern Shoshone, Ute, Timpanogos, and Goshute ancestral lands) for nearly 20 years. She joined the ACLU-UT in 2023. Sarah's institutionally-recognized education includes a Masters in Public Administration and a Bachelors of Arts in Sociocultural Anthropology and Gender & Ethnic Studies. Sarah loves tending to and learning from the Land, dancing, film, comic books, writing, music, thunderstorms, and spending quality time with family and non-human relations.

The undersigned disability and civil rights organizations write to express our grave concerns about S.B. 199, “Guardianship Amendments” and urge the House to vote no on this expansive and harmful bill.

Navin Kariyawasam, a trans physician, explains why trans adolescents must have the autonomy and power to make decisions about their bodies without political interference and with the support of family and their health care providers.