CO Democrats roll out bill to consider ‘misgendering’ a ‘discriminatory’ act

[Jessica_Rose]

Colorado Democrats roll out bill to consider 'misgendering' a 'discriminatory' act

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/colorado-democrats-roll-out-bill-to-consider-misgendering-a-discriminatory-act/ar-AA1C6pYB?ocid=hpmsn&cvid=7504c45a696a43d9e50209bc8b5bd144&ei=97

Story by Jack Birle, Washington Examiner (1 April 2025)

A group of Colorado Democrats in the state legislature have introduced legislation to require courts to consider "deadnaming" and "misgendering" in court battles regarding child custody.

As President Donald Trump has signed executive orders affirming only two genders, male and female, and keeping women's sports reserved for biological females, some Democrat-led states are renewing efforts to sign transgender-focused legislation. In Colorado, Democratic state Sens. Faith Winter and Chris Kolker and state Reps. Lorena Garcia and Rebekah Stewart introduced HB25-1312 on Friday.

The legislation claims to strengthen legal protections for transgender people, including adding to prior laws that it is "discriminatory practice and unlawful to, with specific intent to discriminate, publish materials that deadname or misgender an individual" in places of public accommodation. "Deadnaming" is a term referring to the birth name of a person who identifies as transgender and uses a different name.

The bill would also instruct courts to consider "deadnaming, misgendering, or threatening to publish material related to an individual's gender-affirming health-care services as types of coercive control," according to the bill's summary.

If passed, the legislation would prevent courts from "applying or giving any force or effect to another state's law that authorizes a state agency to remove a child from the child's parent or guardian because the parent or guardian allowed the child to receive gender-affirming health-care services."

[Lori Dee]