Colorado voters are now receiving ballots that will let them decide the future of two controversial measures involving transgender minors. Proposition 134 would restrict which school sports teams transgender students can join, while Proposition 135 would prohibit certain surgeries on minors related to sex or gender.
The proposals have drawn opposition from LGBTQ+ advocates and medical organizations, while supporters argue the measures would protect female athletics and prevent minors from making permanent medical decisions.
Proposition 134 would require K-12 schools and colleges to classify athletic teams as male, female, or coeducational. Students generally would only be allowed to compete on teams matching their sex as defined by the measure, although female students could join a male team if their school doesn’t offer a corresponding female team.
One of the biggest questions is how schools would determine a student’s sex. The proposition doesn’t specify a verification method, leaving individual schools to develop their own policies.
That uncertainty has fueled concerns that students who are transgender, intersex, or simply questioned about their sex could face additional scrutiny. Erin Lee, co-founder of Protect Kids Colorado, which supports the measure, told Chalkbeat that schools could potentially use a doctor’s note. She also pointed to DNA cheek swabs as another possible option.
Lee argued that requiring everyone to prove their sex would prevent individual athletes from being singled out, while opponents argue the lack of specific safeguards could lead to invasive verification procedures.
Proposition 135 would prohibit healthcare professionals from knowingly performing certain surgeries on minors for the purpose of altering biological sex characteristics. It would also prevent government funding, Medicaid reimbursements, and private health insurance from paying for prohibited procedures.
The Colorado Medical Society’s board has formally opposed the measure, arguing that medical decisions should remain between physicians, patients, and families. Supporters argue it would protect minors from making permanent medical decisions before adulthood.
Colorado Reddit Users Debate Propositions 134 and 135
Residents on r/Colorado were angered by the proposals, and many indicated they intended to vote against them.
One user wrote: “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.”
Another raised concerns about how Proposition 134 could affect other students: “It ALSO would apply to cis girls, if there’s any suspicion they might be trans or intersex… This would be the opposite of protecting girls sports, it puts all athletes at risk.”
The number of transgender students who would actually be affected is unclear. No Colorado agency tracks how many transgender students participate in school athletics, although available reporting indicates they represent a very small share of student athletes.
Gender-affirming surgeries involving minors are also rare. Colorado’s official voter guide cites research estimating that about 2.1 out of every 100,000 transgender or gender-diverse youths ages 15 to 17 received at least one gender-affirming surgery in the data studied.
The debate is no longer hypothetical. With ballots being mailed ahead of the November 3 election, Colorado voters will now decide whether either change becomes state law.
