(CO) Trans protection bill heads to gay governor after contentious Senate debate

[Jessica_Rose]

Huge trans protection bill heads to gay governor after contentious Senate debate

https://www.lgbtqnation.com/2025/05/huge-trans-protection-bill-heads-to-gay-governor-after-contentious-senate-debate/

By Arin Waller (7 May 2025)

Lawmakers in the Colorado state Senate gave final approval to a heavily amended bill providing increased legal protections for transgender people in the state.

House Bill 1312 would amend the state's anti-discrimination laws to classify misgendering and deadnaming — that is, intentionally referring to someone by a name other than the name they chose to conform with their gender identity — as discrimination. These provisions would apply in places of public accommodation, like schools and workplaces.

Other provisions include waiving the requirement to get a court order before changing the gender marker on a driver's license or other forms of identification.

H.B. 1312 is otherwise known as the Kelly Loving Act, after a trans woman who tragically lost her life in the Club Q shooting. Many who knew her described her as authentic, unapologetic, and willing to put herself before others while struggling with her own battles.

"We want to ensure everyone lives their full lives as their best selves with dignity and without discrimination," said one of the bill's main sponsors, State Sen. Faith Winter (D). "We know trans folks are less likely to be employed, 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."