Colorado voters to decide whether or not to ban gender-affirming surgeries for minors

COLORADO (KRDO) – Colorado voters will weigh in this November on a controversial new ballot measure that aims to ban gender-affirming surgeries for minors and prevent state and federal funding or insurance from covering those procedures.

On Tuesday, the Colorado Secretary of State's Office announced that supporters of Initiative 110, titled "Prohibit Certain Surgeries on Minors," had submitted over 160,000 signatures, well over the amount required to qualify for the November ballot.

If approved by voters, the proposed initiative would prohibit doctors and health care providers from performing surgeries on anyone under 18 for the purpose of altering biological sex characteristics. It would also bar the use of state or federal funds, Medicaid, or insurance coverage to pay for those types of surgeries.

Supporters say the measure is narrowly focused on surgical procedures and is intended to protect children from making "permanent, life-altering medical decisions" too early in life. However, critics – including state LGBTQ+ advocacy groups – argue that the measure could go beyond surgeries and have a serious impact on broader care.

Notably, the measure includes exceptions for children born with medically verifiable disorders of sex development, and doesn't apply to treatments for unrelated medical conditions. It also does not include male circumcision.

The initiative is backed by Erin Lee, the co-founder of Protect Our Kids, who is also behind another ballot measure aimed at banning transgender girls from competing in girls’ sports by separating athletic teams by biological sex.

READ MORE: Equality or exclusion? New ballot measure seeks to separate school sports teams by sex

Initiative 110 comes amid a broader national debate on prohibiting gender-affirming care for minors, as the Trump administration moves to restrict federal funding for hospitals providing such care – a policy change that's already affecting some providers in Colorado.

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