Gender Ideology

School board in El Paso County moves to restrict transgender athletes, citing safety and fairness

The Colorado Sun, Approved, Local / / , , , , , ,

At an April school board meeting near Colorado Springs, debate raged over a proposed policy to ban transgender students from playing on school sports teams that match their gender identity.

A high school student named Sadie, who spoke against the policy, asked why her district would need a blanket policy when a tiny percentage of student athletes are transgender.

A 60-year-old man who supported the policy and described himself as stronger than any woman in the building claimed a transgender girl could slam a ball into a girl’s head hard enough to put her in the hospital.

School board in El Paso County moves to restrict transgender athletes, citing safety and fairness Read More »

Cole: The hidden risks of gender-affirming care demand Colorado’s restraint

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

Colorado has embraced gender-affirming care for minors, covering treatments like puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones, and, in rare cases, surgeries through Medicaid and other state programs. 

While intended to address gender dysphoria, these interventions pose significant long-term dangers to children, potentially causing irreversible harm, with limited evidence of sustained mental health benefits. The rise in gender identity issues among minors may be fueled by social media influence, mental health challenges, and parental dynamics, raising concerns about premature medical decisions.

Cole: The hidden risks of gender-affirming care demand Colorado’s restraint Read More »

Sturm: Wisdom gained after debating a Pronoun Policy as a theater company board member

Commentary, Approved, State, Substack / / , , , , , ,

What would you do if the state called you an unfit parent — not for hurting your child, but for refusing to pretend your daughter is your son?

That’s the reality Colorado families could soon face under a bill advancing in the state legislature. And in Maryland, the Supreme Court is now weighing whether parents have any say at all over LGBTQ content taught in elementary school.

Policies once dismissed as fringe are ubiquitous. Silence shouldn’t become complicity.

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Backlash ignored: Senate approves HB25-1312 without parental rights protections

State, Approved, Rocky Mountain Voice, Top Stories / / , , , , ,

Proponents hail the bill as a civil rights milestone for transgender youth. But Republicans say it strips parental rights, embeds compelled speech into law and threatens custody in future court cases. After weeks of public backlash, failed compromise efforts, and a marathon Senate floor debate, Colorado lawmakers gave final approval Tuesday to HB25-1312 – a bill that critics say severs parents from decisions about their children’s identities in school.

Backlash ignored: Senate approves HB25-1312 without parental rights protections Read More »

“Parents Last”: Senate Democrats Advance HB25-1312 Despite Mass Opposition, Custody Concerns

Rocky Mountain Voice, Approved, State, Top Stories / / , , , ,

Colorado’s controversial “Kelly Loving Act” is one step away from becoming law, after the state Senate advanced HB25-1312 in a party-line vote Monday night. The bill passed 23-12 following hours of floor debate—nearing an end to a legislative saga that’s drawn over 700 would-be testifiers, more than 17,000 emails from concerned constituents, and ongoing warnings from legal experts, parents, and educators.

The bill started as an expansion of the Colorado Anti-discrimination Act (CADA), aiming to add gender identity and expression as protected categories in schools, courts, and beyond. Even after key changes, Republicans say it still threatens parental rights and opens the door to new legal trouble for those who disagree with progressive gender policies.

“Parents Last”: Senate Democrats Advance HB25-1312 Despite Mass Opposition, Custody Concerns Read More »

Michelle Chandler stopped a predator — and uncovered victims who may never know

Rocky Mountain Voice, Approved, Local, State, Top Stories / / , , , , , ,

On May 11, 2024, at Nordstrom Rack in Lakewood, Colorado, Michelle Chandler caught a man filming her inside a women’s fitting room. She didn’t freeze or panic. Instead, she confronted him, pinned him to the ground and held him until help arrived – or so she thought. 

What happened next wasn’t the swift arrival of justice. It was abandonment: by store employees, by security and later, by a system more concerned with procedure than protection.

Michelle Chandler stopped a predator — and uncovered victims who may never know Read More »

Colorado Springs doctor ends teen’s exam after parents challenge gender identity question

Daily Citizen, Approved, Local / / , , , ,

Multi-state health conglomerate Common Spirit refused to serve a Colorado Springs family after parents objected to a doctor’s inappropriate and ideologically driven questions.

Melissa and her husband, Carlos, are no strangers to the medical system’s disregard for parent’s rights. The devout Christian couple shuttled their four children to doctor’s appointments in several different states during Carlos’ more than 20-year military career.

So, when thirteen-year-old Ricardo needed a physical to play football, the couple gave him a heads up.

“I just asked, ‘Hey, if they ask you if they want us to leave the room, are you comfortable with that?’” Melissa explained.

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“Drawing the line”: School boards warn HB25-1312 oversteps on parental rights, brings policy chaos

Rocky Mountain Voice, Approved, State, Top Stories / / , , , , , , , , ,

More than 70 school board members and education leaders have signed a letter urging lawmakers to reject HB25-1312, also known as the Kelly Loving Act.

Andrea Haitz, president of the District 51 Board of Education, warned that the bill “risks placing schools in an even more precarious legal position, especially when parents disagree on matters like gender identity or preferred names.”

Jason Jorgenson, secretary of the District 11 Board of Education and a lead organizer of the opposition letter, said HB25-1312 “risks encouraging youth to pursue a path of gender transition without appropriate parental involvement.”

“Drawing the line”: School boards warn HB25-1312 oversteps on parental rights, brings policy chaos Read More »

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

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

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.”

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

Lee and Friday: We saved our daughters—HB25-1312 would’ve punished us as child abusers

The Wall Street Journal, Approved, Commentary, National, State, Top Stories / / , , , , , ,

We are both mothers whose daughters went through a phase in which they believed they were boys. We never affirmed that belief, although their schools and much of the broader culture did. Eventually, our daughters recognized their true identities and ceased identifying themselves as “transgender.”

A bill under consideration in Colorado (where Ms. Lee lives) would define parents like us as child abusers.

Lee and Friday: We saved our daughters—HB25-1312 would’ve punished us as child abusers Read More »