This story was produced as part of the Colorado Capitol News Alliance. It first appeared at cpr.org.
Colorado voters will decide on two initiatives focused on transgender youth.
Both measures were validated by the Colorado Secretary of State’s Office this week and are backed by Protect Kids Colorado, a conservative advocacy group based out of Colorado Springs.
The first measure, Initiative 109, would require school teams to be designated by biological sex and require school children to compete on teams that match their sex assigned at birth, preventing athletes from competing on sports teams that align with their gender identity. The initiative received 169,000 signatures, roughly 44,000 more than required to qualify for the ballot.
If approved, the measure would require all school-sponsored athletic teams, including K–12 and college programs, to be officially designated as male, female, or co-ed based on students’ sex assigned at birth. It would prohibit transgender girls from competing on girls’ teams and instead require participation to align with their biological sex.
The proposal would effectively override current policies that allow students to play on teams consistent with their gender identity — setting a statewide standard for how schools and athletic programs classify and regulate participation.
The second measure, Initiative 110, was approved on Tuesday by the Colorado Secretary of State’s Office, which would prohibit certain gender-affirming surgical procedures for minors in Colorado. It received 165,000 signatures.
If approved, the initiative would make it illegal for healthcare providers to perform these surgeries on anyone under the age of 18 — establishing a statewide ban regardless of current medical guidelines of parental consent.
CPR News reached out to proponents and likely opponents of the ballot questions, but did not hear back by press time.
