Colorado Faces Federal Lawsuit Over Transgender Rights Law

Colorado’s newly enacted House Bill 1312, which expands anti-discrimination protections to include transgender individuals' chosen names and pronouns, faces multiple legal challenges from conservative groups and individuals claiming it violates First Amendment rights. These plaintiffs argue the law compels speech by forcing people to use preferred pronouns and names, which they contend infringes on free speech and religious liberties. The lawsuit targets both the law’s provisions related to schools and public accommodations, affecting policies on dress codes, bullying, and identity documents, and seeks to prevent enforcement of what they describe as compelled affirmation of transgender identities. The law, named after a transgender woman killed in a mass shooting, was signed by Governor Jared Polis but is now under threat of prolonged litigation, including potential involvement by the Southern Baptist Convention’s Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission, which objects to the law on grounds of parental rights and religious freedom. While the legislation originally contained a provision classifying use of birth names and pronouns as coercive control in custody cases, this was removed before enactment. Supporters of the law view it as a significant protection for transgender people’s rights in Colorado, while opponents frame it as government overreach and an infringement on constitutional freedoms.