The Colorado Senate commemorated Transgender Day of Visibility Monday with a resolution on the chamber floor, but Democrats want to do more than just talk. They鈥檙e also proposing new protections for trans people.
鈥淭ransgender Coloradans are part of the fabric of our communities. They are parents, students, care givers, faith leaders and neighbors,鈥� said the resolution鈥檚 sponsor, Sen. Lisa Cutter, a Jefferson County Democrat. 鈥淭hey experience elevated levels of poverty, discrimination and violence.鈥�
All Senate Republicans refused to support the resolution, staying seated as it was presented on the chamber floor while other lawmakers stood in recognition. But their steadfast opposition isn鈥檛 deterring the legislature鈥檚 Democrats, who introduced two bills on Friday aimed at further protecting trans rights under state law.
One of the proposals, , would make it illegal for health insurance companies to deny or limit coverage for gender-affirming care, when it is considered medically necessary by a patient鈥檚 doctor. Colorado public health policy already directs insurers to provide the coverage, but the measure would codify the requirement. Proponents say that would make it harder to reverse or undermine by interests on the local or national level.
鈥淲hile this isn't a reactionary bill to the change in leadership at the federal level, it is going to continue to insulate Colorado against attacks on LGBTQ people,鈥� said Jax Gonzalez, political director for the LGBTQ advocacy group One Colorado.
Democrats鈥� other proposal, , would implement a slew of protections for trans people in schools and the courts.
The measure is named after Kelly Loving, a transgender woman who was killed in the 2022 mass shooting at LGBTQ+ nightclub Club Q in Colorado Springs.
Under the bill, school dress codes could not be based on gender and would have to allow students to dress according to any version of the dress code. The measure would also create new requirements for school policies around students鈥� chosen names.
When it comes to the courts, the bill would provide protections during child custody hearings. It would prohibit using a transgender parent鈥檚 identity against them and would shield parents who allow their kids to get gender-affirming care.
It would also make it a violation of the Colorado Anti-Discrimination Act to purposefully misgender someone.
Both measures build on laws passed in recent years that expanded protections for transgender people. Some of the most significant laws shield patients who come to Colorado for gender-affirming care, and their in-state providers, from out-of-state investigation or prosecution.
Republican lawmakers have strongly opposed trans-rights bills in the past and are expected to do the same this year. But the Democrats have the numbers to pass this year鈥檚 measures without any Republican votes, just like they have in recent years.
No Republicans spoke against Monday's resolution, even as they made their opposition known. Senate Democrats moved forward without bipartisan support. Gonzalez from One Colorado said the resolution may seem like empty words, but it set an example.
鈥淲e need to make sure that trans and LGBTQ adults are visible to young people so that they understand there's a future life for them,鈥� Gonzalez said. 鈥淚t's not about young people becoming transgender, but about young people seeing that all sorts of different people get to have positive, healthy lives.鈥�
That鈥檚 especially important given the high rates of suicide in transgender youth, Gonzalez said. As of October, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that in the United States had attempted suicide in the past year.
Colorado may have some of the most robust protections for transgender people of any U.S. state, Gonzalez said, but more needs to be done to make Colorado truly safe for transgender people.
That鈥檚 because there are both national and local interests working to roll them back, including an effort to put a measure on the Colorado ballot next year that would ban certain transgender youth from participating in girls鈥� sports.
