Voters in Colorado will decide in November whether schools and colleges should be required to base participation in male and female athletic teams on a student’s biological sex.
Proposition 134, known as the Colorado Sex Requirements for School and College Sports measure, would apply to public, private, and denominational K-12 schools, as well as colleges and universities throughout Colorado. The measure would require school-sponsored and intramural athletic teams to be classified as male, female, or coeducational.
If approved, the measure would change how eligibility for some school athletic teams is determined in Colorado. It would define females as people whose biological reproductive systems are organized around the production of ova, and males as people whose reproductive systems are organized around the production of sperm. Each school's governing body would then be required to adopt a policy implementing the requirements.
What would Proposition 134 do and who's involved?
Proposition 134 requires that all K-12 and collegiate schools have school sports participation be based upon “the participant’s sex as determined by certain aspects of their biological reproductive system.” Therefore, requiring every school, institution of higher education, or athletic association to assign each school or intramural athletic team as male, female, or co-ed. With an exception to allow a “female to participate on a male-designated team or sport if there is no female team available.”
Front Range Community College student Benjamin Maureaux had not heard about Proposition 134 but favored the idea.
“That seems fine to me... With the creation of the third one [coed teams], I think it’s pretty good,” Maureaux said. “It doesn't matter that you're transitioning... biologically you still have an advantage.”
The only concern Maureaux presented was a desire for non-invasive tests or procedures when identifying biological sex.
The main supporters of Proposition 134 are Protect Kids Colorado. The group’s public mission statement says that they are “a broad coalition of parents, grandparents and concerned citizens coming together to protect kids and strengthen families in Colorado. We are advocating for policies that promote children’s well-being and support the responsibility of loving parents. Our initiatives were designed for the safety of children and to ensure parents are a fundamental part of their child’s development.”
The main opposition to Proposition 134 is Families Not Politics, which publicly states that they “believe families — not politicians — should have the freedom to decide what is best for them and their kids. That's why we're opposing Anti-transgender Propositions 134 & 135.”
How could this affect Colorado students and schools?
Proposition 134 would require schools to allocate extra administrative workloads to update each of these policies. This workload would increase the operational overhead for Colorado school districts, collegiate athletic departments, and school-sponsored athletic associations.
The student athletes themselves would be required to participate in sports based on their assigned sex at birth and would be barred from participating in sports based on their gender identity. The language in Proposition 134 doesn't specify a single statewide method of verifying biological sex, opting to shift that responsibility to the schools, collegiate athletic departments, and school-sponsored athletic associations.
Chris Ortiz, a student at FRCC, stated that this issue is difficult because he sees concerns on both sides of the debate.
“That’s really difficult, right? Because you don’t want to take away people’s identities,” Ortiz said. “That’s part of who they are and who they believe themselves to be.”
Fellow FRCC student Brooklyn Santos said she had heard about Proposition 134 before but was not familiar with the measure's details. When it comes to college athletics, Santos said she believes there needs to be a distinction between biological differences and gender identity, while also supporting opportunities for people to participate in sports.
“I do think people should have that ability to choose what sports they want to get into, and I think that should be open for everyone,” Santos said.
At the same time, she said biological differences should be considered when determining how athletes participate in certain sports. Santos, who said she is registered and plans to vote, also emphasized the importance of learning about ballot measures before Election Day.
“Being aware of it and learning of the measures that are going to be going into place is so, so important,” Santos said.
She encouraged other eligible voters to participate as well.
“Having the service to use your voice and use your vote is so important,” Santos said.