{"id":47920,"date":"2023-01-28T13:10:56","date_gmt":"2023-01-28T13:10:56","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.brandon.ddtest.info\/multisite-test\/gop-bill-would-regulate-what-teams-transgender-student-athletes-can-play-on-in-colorado\/"},"modified":"2023-01-28T13:10:56","modified_gmt":"2023-01-28T13:10:56","slug":"gop-bill-would-regulate-what-teams-transgender-student-athletes-can-play-on-in-colorado","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.brandon.ddtest.info\/multisite-test\/gop-bill-would-regulate-what-teams-transgender-student-athletes-can-play-on-in-colorado\/","title":{"rendered":"GOP bill would regulate what teams transgender student-athletes can play on in Colorado"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Two gender-related bills, including Republican-sponsored legislation that would regulate what teams transgender student-athletes can play on, were introduced in the Democratic-controlled Colorado legislature this week.<\/p>\n

The sponsors of the Women\u2019s Rights in Athletics bill, HB23-1098<\/a>, said it was a measure designed to be compassionate, but LGBTQ advocacy groups immediately decried it as discriminatory and part of a nationwide effort to introduce anti-transgender legislation.<\/p>\n

The second piece of legislation, the\u00a0Amenities for all Genders in Public Buildings bill, HB23-1057<\/a>, is sponsored by Democrats and would require newly constructed or renovated public buildings to make non-gendered restrooms available.<\/p>\n

The athletics bill<\/a>, sponsored by Rep. Lisa Frizell, R-Castle Rock, Rep. Brandi Bradley, R-Littleton, and Sen. Byron Pelton, R-Sterling,\u00a0would require any intercollegiate, interscholastic, intramural or club athletic team to only allow transgender athletes to play on sports teams with people of the gender they were assigned at birth.<\/p>\n

This means trans women would not be allowed to play on a women\u2019s sports team and trans men couldn\u2019t play with men.<\/p>\n

The bill would prohibit the government from investigating a complaint or taking any adverse action against a public school, school district, activities association, higher education institution, employee or governing board member for complying with the bill.<\/p>\n

Reps. Frazell and Bradley said the bill was proactive \u2014 they could not, when asked, name an instance in Colorado where transgender athletes posed a problem.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe must be compassionate toward these young people who have found themselves born male and identifying as female and the difficulty that this causes them,\u201d Frazell said. \u201cWe have got to be compassionate and figure out a way that we can include trans women without hurting biologically born women. This bill is simply the beginning of that conversation.\u201d<\/p>\n

Bradley said it\u2019s important to protect Colorado\u2019s women and make sure they\u2019re safe.<\/p>\n

\u201cA number of our constituents are worried about our daughters playing against males that were biologically identified as males at birth,\u201d Bradley said. \u201cIt\u2019s about fairness. We all know differences of muscle capacities, lung capacities, things that are different between girls and boys.\u201d<\/p>\n

Gillian Ford, communications director for LGBTQ advocacy organization One Colorado, released a statement saying One Colorado was strongly opposed to the anti-transgender bill.<\/p>\n

\u201cTransgender, nonbinary and gender expansive youth and young adults play sports for the same reason others do: to gain a sense of belonging, and take care of both their physical and mental health,\u201d One Colorado executive director Nadine Bridges said in a statement.<\/p>\n

\u201cHB23-1098 discriminates against trans, nonbinary and gender-expansive people in Colorado,\u201d Bridges said. \u201cLet\u2019s be clear: this bill is not about protecting youth or setting a fair playing ground for women to participate in sports. This bill joins the larger wave of anti-transgender legislation sweeping the nation in an attempt to gain political points by attacking our most vulnerable populations. We are appalled by any effort to harm our community instead of working to ensure all Coloradans are protected and can thrive.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Amenities for all Genders in Public Buildings bill is sponsored by Rep. Karen McCormick, D-Boulder, Rep. Stephanie Vigil, D-El Paso County, and Sen. Sonya Jaquez Lewis, D-Boulder County.<\/p>\n

The bill<\/a> would require all newly constructed public buildings and each public building wholly or partly owned by the state, county or local municipality where restroom renovations are expected to cost $10,000 or more to:<\/p>\n