Colo. GOP committee to form 2024 ballot initiative banning “child gender re-assignment procedures”
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) - As of August 30th, a committee titled "Let Kids Be Kids" was registered with the Colorado Secretary of State to pass a ballot measure to prevent minors from getting "gender reassignment procedures."
The language of this bill has not been submitted to the Colorado Title Board yet. Colorado GOP Dave Williams, the registered agent for the committee, has not responded to KRDO's request for comment.
This is mere months after Bill SB23-188 was passed, protecting reproductive health care and gender-affirming care in Colorado.
The bill prevents malpractice insurers, insurers or separate entities and individuals from terminating health care contracts or paying for services on the basis of the provision of reproductive health care or gender-affirming care. It also has many other sections that legally protect healthcare providers that provide these services and ensure a person's ability to gain access to an abortion while incarcerated, among other things.
"This is an important topic, you know because we worked really hard to get this into law to help make sure people have this right," Titone said. "And we just did that. And we do not want this to be reversed because this is the right direction for the people of Colorado."
OneColorado, a LGBTQ+ organization issued a statement in response to the formation of the "Let Kids Be Kids" committee.
"One Colorado strongly opposes this proposed measure as it would take life-saving medical care away from transgender kids,” said Nadine Bridges, MSW (she, her, hers), One Colorado Executive Director. “Colorado is better than this. Transgender youth should not be used for political gain or feeble attempts to seek attention, and we are confident voters will reject this cynical proposal if it even makes it to the ballot.”
State Representative Brianna Titone raised concerns about protecting parental rights if this bill makes it to the 2024 ballot.
"What's troubling about that is for the longest time ever since I've been there and even before that, Republicans have always beat the drum that parents have the right to do what they want to do with their kids," Titone said.
