Over 80 Colorado school leaders sign letter urging lawmakers to vote against transgender rights bill
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) – More than 80 school board members and administrators from across Colorado signed off on a letter delivered to the Colorado State Senate, urging lawmakers to vote no on the Kelly Loving Act.
The Kelly Loving Act, also called the "Legal Protections for Transgender Individuals" bill, aims to establish new protections for transgender Coloradoans. It's named after a transgender woman who was one of five people killed in the 2022 shooting at Club Q, an LGTBQ+ club in Colorado Springs.
READ MORE: Colorado bill honoring Club Q shooting victim seeks to expand protections for transgender people
The legislation would expand the Colorado Anti-Discriminatory Act to classify "deadnaming" and "misgendering" as acts of discrimination, and as a form of "coercive control" in child custody hearings. It would also require schools to establish clear guidelines on respecting chosen names and create inclusive dress code policies.
Advocates of the bill say it would help protect transgender Coloradoans – particularly children and students – from discrimination and harassment.
However, in a letter penned by Colorado Springs School District 11's Board of Education Secretary Jason Jorgenson, a group of school leaders shared their concerns with the proposal, saying it could undermine parental rights and local control and create compliance issues for schools.
In the letter, Jorgenson said that the bill's requirements for schools regarding chosen name and dress code policies "undermine our districts' ability to create policies that align with the needs and values of the communities we serve and represent."
The letter also says these new requirements would provide operational challenges for the state's schools and could conflict with existing record-keeping procedures and student attire standards.
"We remain committed to ensuring safe and supportive learning environments for all. We believe HB 25-1312, by placing schools at the center of contentious legal and social debates, poses an obstacle to that goal rather than a help to it," the letter read in part.
The letter was signed by over 80 school leaders serving districts across the state, including Colorado Springs School Board District 11, School District 49, Pueblo District 70, Widefield District 3 and more. You can find a full list of individuals that signed the letter here.
The act already passed the Colorado House and is scheduled to be heard by the Senate Judiciary Committee today, April 30.
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