New legislation targeting transgender children and teenagers will appear on the ballot in Colorado this year, potentially affecting the rights of many young people, reports indicate. Propositions 134 and 135 will be voted on this year, and if they pass, they could restrict some transgender rights in the state, with one measure requiring Colorado schools to verify students’ sex before allowing them to participate in sports.
As reported by Advocate, Proposition 134 aims to restrict how transgender students can participate in sports, requiring them to join teams that match their biological sex rather than their gender identity. While the measure does not explicitly require physical examinations, opponents have criticized it for leaving too much discretion to schools in deciding how to verify students’ sex.
Proof of biological sex could arguably be obtained through a birth certificate, but the measure does not require this method to be used. This has sparked concerns that even cisgender children could be subjected to physical verification procedures.
Proposition 135 would ban gender-affirming surgeries for anyone under 18, and it will be voted on at the same time.
Colorado Residents Complain About Ballot Measure
Residents on r/Colorado were angered by the proposals, and many indicated that they intended to vote against them in the election. One of them wrote: “Initiatives like this all over the country. Washington has one on the ballot too. If you had a dollar for every trans woman trying to play women’s sports in this country, you couldn’t fill your car up with diesel.”
Others highlighted how the issue could affect young women: “It ALSO would apply to cis girls, if there’s any suspicion they might be trans or intersex, or a creepy school admin that claims there is suspicion. This would be the opposite of protecting girls sports, it puts all athletes at risk.”
To multiple users, this was just part of a fearmongering agenda: “Their whole playbook is to obfuscate from the real issues. They want us stuck fighting a culture war so that we don’t notice them endlessly lining their own pockets.”
Some even accused the Republican Party of having ulterior motives for proposing these measures, although they did not provide evidence to support the accusation: “Republicans are salivating at the opportunity to look at kids.”
Ultimately, Colorado voters will decide the fate of these propositions, but questions remain about how the proposed changes would affect transgender students and other young people.
