Ganahl: From Superior Elementary to sex camps — Colorado parental rights under attack

By / / Rocky Mountain Voice, Commentary, State, Top Stories

By Heidi Ganahl | Guest Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice

In 2018, as a mom of four with three of my children in first and third grade at Superior Elementary, I was shocked to learn that our young students were being exposed to confusing gender identity discussions without parental knowledge. 

This was done through a program called Queer Endeavor at CU Boulder, which trained thousands of teachers in the metro area to integrate “queering the curriculum” around “problematic parents.”

As a statewide elected University of Colorado Regent at the time, I felt a responsibility to speak out, warning that this was the start of a dangerous trend. 

I was called a fearmonger and mocked. 

But today, that warning has become a chilling reality. Colorado schools and universities are promoting “Sex Ed Summer Camps” for kids as young as 10, teaching explicit sexual content, “porn literacy,” and gender transition planning — while a new bill, HB25-1312, threatens to strip parents of their rights if they don’t comply with this radical agenda.

This crisis stems from legislation that Democrats and Jared Polis have driven intentionally that has betrayed families.

The seeds were planted in the legislature in 2018 with laws like House Bill 19-1032, which mandated “comprehensive sexual education” covering gender identity and sexual orientation, often without allowing parents to opt out. 

New rules soon followed, requiring schools to affirm a child’s “gender identity” without telling parents — silencing families who questioned the agenda. 

That same year, Boulder Valley School District (BVSD) rejected our charter application for Ascent Classical Academy Flatirons, because it didn’t align with the district’s progressive priorities.

The message was clear: parental input and traditional values were no longer welcome. 

By 2019, these laws were reshaping classrooms. Six-year-olds were taught “gender fluidity” through tools like the Gender Unicorn, confusing them about their biology at an age when they should be mastering reading and math. 

In Boulder, schools began socially transitioning students behind parents’ backs. A 2020 lawsuit revealed a school encouraged a girl to transition without her parents’ knowledge, forcing the family to fight for their religious beliefs and their daughter’s well-being. The district later settled quietly, avoiding accountability.

During my 2022 gubernatorial campaign, as a “Mom on a Mission,” I warned that these laws were eroding parental rights and exposing kids to harmful ideologies. At the time, Colorado Public Radio ran a story on my campaign’s focus on parental rights and LGBTQ issues in schools — a warning that today looks more prescient than ever.

The media ridiculed me, and activists called me all kinds of names. 

But as a mom who saw this unfolding in my own kids’ school before it went mainstream, I knew the truth: Colorado’s education system was being weaponized against our children.

Today, the situation is even more alarming. 

The Boulder Valley Health Center, partnered with CU Boulder’s Renée Crown Wellness Institute, has been promoting Sex Ed Summer Camps for 5th through 8th graders — kids as young as 10.

The flyers encourage youth to sign up for a program advertised as covering “everything related to sex, bodies, sexuality, sexy feelings, media, power, and justice,” including “pleasure (in all sorts of ways),” “consent & communication,” “bodies beyond the binary,” and “porn literacy.”

Developed by instructors trained in queer theory, the curriculum includes condom and dental dam demonstrations and gender transition planning – framed as “social justice” education.

Public outrage worked — it looks like the Sex Ed Summer Camp has been shut down.

One victory doesn’t mean the battle is over — the gender activists are more entrenched than ever.

Case in point? Another recent flyer promotes “gender-affirming hormonal therapy” for teens as young as 16, with appointments available in days, encouraging life-altering decisions with minimal parental involvement. 

A Boulder County mom called it “indoctrination, not education,” lamenting that “they’re experimenting on kids with our tax money.” 

This is the fruit of laws that empowered activists, legislators and a progressive Governor, with programs like CU Boulder’s “Queer Endeavor” training teachers to embed gender ideology.

In this powerful video segment, a parent voices a stark warning: “We’re not consenting to our children being transformed,” a candid moment that exposes the urgent stakes at play.

After years of quietly reshaping our schools, activists are moving to make their agenda permanent through new laws.

Worse yet, current proposed legislation, HB25-1312, the “Kelly Loving Act,” now threatens to classify parents as abusive if they don’t affirm their child’s gender confusion. It deems “misgendering” and “deadnaming” as “coercive control,” allowing courts to revoke custody from parents who prioritize their child’s biological reality. 

As Colorado State Rep. Jarvis Caldwell warns, this bill aims to “make it impossible for a parent to get their child help when the child is gender confused.” 

This is a direct assault on parental rights and religious freedom, building on laws that continue to sideline families.

What started at Superior Elementary back in 2018, where my own children were in the classroom, has evolved into Sex Camps and an alarming affront to parental rights. 

Our kids are being sexualized, confused, and pushed toward irreversible decisions. 

But we can STILL fight back. On April 30, at 1:30 PM in the Old Supreme Court, the Senate Judiciary Committee will hold a hearing on HB25-1312. 

I urge every concerned Coloradan to sign up to testify in person or remotely against this unconstitutional bill. And you can do so through the General Assembly portal here: https://www.leg.state.co.us/clics/clics2025A/commsumm.nsf/NewSignIn.xsp 

Supporters will also be gathering at 10:30 AM on the West Steps of the Colorado State Capitol for a press conference and rally hosted by Erin4Parents.

We must repeal these dangerous laws and do all we can to stop bills like HB25-1312 from moving forward – to restore parental rights and protect our children’s innocence. 

If we don’t act now, the damage will be irreparable. 

Testify on April 30, call your state senators now, and demand an end to this betrayal of Colorado’s kids and families.

Editor’s note: Opinions expressed in commentary pieces are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the management of the Rocky Mountain Voice, but even so we support the constitutional right of the author to express those opinions.