Transgender rights bill advances at Colorado Capitol
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In the final week of the legislative session, Colorado lawmakers are advancing protections against discrimination for transgender individuals.
Why it matters: The legislation exemplifies Colorado's role as a counterweight to President Trump and several conservative-led states after repeated attacks on the transgender community and efforts to curtail their rights.
Driving the news: The furthest-reaching aspect of Colorado's bill would make purposely and repeatedly deadnaming or misgendering trans people an act of discrimination.
Other protections would:
- Require schools that allow chosen names to accommodate trans students.
- Allow students to abide by either gender-specific dress code at school.
What they're saying: "This is about keeping kids safe, preventing bullying, ensuring our public systems reflect the dignity of all people and sending a message that … even in moments of political noise, Colorado still leads with compassion," bill sponsor Sen. Chris Kolker (D-Littleton) said at a hearing yesterday.
Between the lines: The legislation is named the Kelly Loving Act in honor of a transgender woman killed in the Club Q nightclub shooting in 2022.
Context: Deadnaming refers to using a transgender person's former name, typically assigned at birth, without their consent. Misgendering involves referring to someone with incorrect pronouns or terms that do not reflect their gender identity.
The big picture: The measure builds on Colorado's previous efforts to protect transgender people and dovetails with other legislation this session, including allowing death certificates to reflect a person's gender identity and requiring health insurance companies to cover gender-affirming care.
Zoom in: The debate on the latest trans rights bill is one of the most contentious this session.
- In its first hearing, lawmakers heard 10 hours of public testimony and hundreds of people sought to testify at Wednesday's hearing.
- Even LGBTQ advocates are split, given concerns that the language could jeopardize existing protections in law.
What we're watching: The clock. Democrats need to pass dozens of bills before adjournment next Wednesday, and Republican lawmakers, who are united in opposition, are expected to prolong the process with extended debate in the full Senate.