A once-expansive bill designed to strengthen protections for transgender Coloradans is moving forward in the Colorado Senate after lawmakers removed several of its strongest provisions. House Bill 25-1312, also known as the Kelly Loving Act, continues to advance, but advocates argue it no longer fully meets its initial goals.
The legislation, named after a transgender woman killed in the 2022 Club Q shooting, initially aimed to expand anti-discrimination protections and support trans individuals in areas such as education, family law, and public life. However, after facing pressure from opponents and legal concerns, sponsors amended the bill to ensure it could progress through the Senate.
One of the key provisions removed would have required judges to consider whether a parent supports their child’s gender identity in custody disputes. Critics of the bill argued that this infringed on parental rights, while advocates viewed it as a necessary step toward protecting transgender youth. During Wednesday’s hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee, several parents testified that misgendering and lack of affirmation continue to harm children during family court proceedings.
Lawmakers also struck a clause that would have explicitly defined misgendering and deadnaming in all public settings as discriminatory under the Colorado Anti-Discrimination Act. The revised bill narrows this language, clarifying that only intentional and repeated acts meant to cause harm can be considered discriminatory. Bill sponsor Sen. Faith Winter emphasized that the legislation targets deliberate misconduct, not isolated mistakes.
“This is about the action and its impact,” Winter said. “Not about accidents or isolated incidents.”
Still, the bill maintains several important protections. Schools would be required to use students’ preferred names if nicknames are allowed, and dress codes must be gender neutral. The bill also simplifies the process for transgender people to change their gender marker or name on state-issued identification, including marriage licenses. For those who have experienced difficulties with nonbinary markers on official documents, the bill removes the requirement of a court order for subsequent changes.
Another section of the bill seeks to protect Colorado families from legal risks if they pursue gender-affirming care for their children, shielding them from enforcement of restrictive laws passed in other states. While some language around out-of-state legal recognition was adjusted to avoid constitutional conflicts, core protections remain intact.
Public testimony was robust. More than 700 people signed up to speak, and passionate voices were heard on all sides. Many who opposed the bill focused on questions around state authority and freedom of speech. Others rejected the existence of transgender identities entirely, denying that gender-affirming care is valid or necessary.
Inside the building, supporters spoke of the real-life stakes facing the transgender community. Z Williams testified that transgender Coloradans continue to face barriers in healthcare, education, and housing. Anaya Robinson, a senior policy strategist with the ACLU of Colorado, called the bill a step in the right direction, even after the changes.
“Does this bill do enough? No. And legislation never will,” Robinson said. “But it does something. It gives trans people more access to protections than we had yesterday.”
The bill passed through the Senate Judiciary Committee on a party-line vote and now heads to the Senate Appropriations Committee. The House will need to approve the Senate’s changes before the measure can be signed into law. Colorado’s legislative session ends May 7.
For many, the bill represents incremental but meaningful progress in a time when transgender rights are increasingly under threat nationwide.
