Scoop: UTA to skip Utah Pride and all 2025 festivals during review
For the first time since 2022, the Utah Transit Authority will skip the Utah Pride Festival, following a pause on all festival and parade participation for the remainder of the year.
Why it matters: Utah GOP lawmakers have previously expressed concerns over UTA's participation in the state's largest annual LGBTQ+ celebration.
In 2023, text messages revealed some of them urged UTA to pull a rainbow-decorated bus that was set to appear in the parade.
State of play: UTA spokesperson Gavin Gustafson told Axios that sitting out this year's events is necessary to "conduct a comprehensive review of our fare agreements, ensuring consistency and responsible stewardship of public funds."
Gustafson said UTA board members and administrators made the decision in April and that it's centered on Ticket as Fare agreements, which allow tickets to approved events to serve as UTA passes.
Zoom in: Axios obtained an April 2 email sent to senior leadership by executive director Jay Fox calling for the immediate cancellation of "all current agreements, plans, purchases, or discussions related to any UTA festival and parade participation this year."
The email said the agency plans to provide a report in October to state lawmakers detailing the agreements and "their value."
It also included talking points and guidance for responding to questions around the directive because it "may raise questions and concerns," and it told management to expect employee disappointment over the decision.
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