Colorado lawmakers passed much-amended legislation that would provide new antidiscrimination protections to transgender Coloradans on Tuesday, overcoming late roadblocks to send the measure to Gov. Jared Polis.
passed its last vote in the state Senate on the legislative session’s penultimate day, and late Tuesday it cleared a final procedural hurdle in the House.
Should Polis sign it into law, the bill would amend the state’s antidiscrimination laws to prohibit, in certain settings, intentionally referring to people other than by the name they chose to conform with their gender identity or other personal trait. It would also more explicitly protect against discrimination based on someone’s gender identity.
Those provisions, which include intentionally using the wrong pronouns or “deadnaming” a trans person — by referring to them by the name they used before they transitioned — would apply in places of public accommodation, like schools or workplaces. HB-1312 also would make it easier for people to change their names on legal documents and identification cards, and it would require schools to be more flexible in dress codes and chosen-name policies.
The bill’s supporters said the measure’s explicit protections were needed to prevent discrimination against transgender people, particularly in light of the Trump administration’s anti-trans policies, which have targeted and .
In recent weeks, trans people have testified about the casual misgendering and deadnaming they’ve experienced in their everyday lives.
“We know trans folks are less likely to be employed,” Sen. Faith Winter, a Westminster Democrat backing the bill, said during earlier debate Monday. “They’re less likely to be successful in school. They’re more likely to commit suicide. And you know what one of the easiest ways to correct for that is — (to) actually be affirming and recognize them and use their chosen name.”
The bill was also sponsored by Sen. Chris Kolker and Reps. Lorena Garcia and Rebekah Stewart, all Democrats. The bill passed the Senate on a vote of 20-14.
Shortly after voting for HB-1312, the Senate also passed , which protects access to gender-affirming care in the state.
Tuesday marked the end of HB-1312’s at times difficult journey through the legislature. A more expansive version of the proposal moved swiftly through the House a month ago.
But when it reached the Senate, prominent LGBTQ+ advocacy groups began to hedge their support amid concerns about the bill’s most controversial provisions: One section sought to require family courts to consider a parent’s support for a transgender child’s gender identity, and another provision sought to enact a shield law protecting children from being removed based on other state’s laws.
Those parts of the bill were already opposed by Republican lawmakers. But Polis’ office began to raise alarms, too.
The bill’s sponsors eventually removed both sections, which led One Colorado — a leading advocacy group — to reestablish its support last weekend. In lieu of the shield law provision, lawmakers inserted a legislative declaration stating that people should be able to seek care “without government interference.”
In a statement Monday afternoon, Polis spokeswoman Shelby Wieman said the governor appreciated the changes made to the bill and that he “will review the final version when it reaches his desk.”
Republicans noted the extensive concerns raised by their constituents — albeit primarily with provisions of the bill that have since been removed. Sen. Lisa Frizell, a Castle Rock Republican, said she was approached by district residents at the grocery store.
“Letap preserve the sanctity of the family unit and uphold the rights of Colorado parents to raise their children without fear of state interference,” Sen. Paul Lundeen, the Senate’s minority leader, said.
After the Senate passed the bill, the measure’s House sponsors moved to accept the significant changes made in the other chamber. The bill had been amended so much that the House sponsors handed out flyers describing the various changes before the concurrence debate.
Z Williams, a transgender rights activist whose nonprofit law firm Bread and Roses supported the bill, said HB-1312’s passage was the first burst of good news for transgender people in months.
“This bill tells trans people, first of all, that there is hope and that things are changing,” Williams said. “Second of all, when trans people organize and come together and share ideas and engage in power building, we can change things.”
