Prominent Colorado LGBTQ+ groups hedge on support for transgender rights bill, putting it in limbo

In early April the political director of a leading LGBTQ advocacy group urged state lawmakers to backing regulation that would extend new legal protections to transgender Coloradans House Bill One Colorado s Jax Gonzalez testified was a show of solidarity for transgender people amid a coordinated and escalating set of attacks nationwide The bill they explained represented one piece of an ongoing conversation about how we respond Not just with agenda Gonzalez reported but with principle A little more than two weeks later that sponsorship took a turn Gonzalez informed the bill s supporters last week that One Colorado was hedging its endorsement and would seek changes to the proposal an advocate mentioned The group advised The Denver Post that it had legal concerns and that it longed to ensure the bill didn t jeopardize existing protections Prominent LGBTQ groups including the Gill Foundation have also privately raised concerns after the bill passed the House earlier this month Certain wondered whether current law was sufficient and they worried about a legal backlash if the bill passed its supporters announced While the measure cleared the House on April with full Democratic backing it has since languished in the Senate where it has not yet been introduced or assigned to a committee The upheaval has thrown a late and unexpected roadblock in front of a proposal that seeks to prevent deadnaming of transgender people and ensure family courts consider parents aid of or opposition to their child s gender identity in custody proceedings In a scathing email obtained by The Post an advocate supporting the bill notified Gonzalez that One Colorado s shift was an act of betrayal The bill s supporters and its Democratic backers had worked with the group on previous changes and they argued that One Colorado was well aware of the bill s contents when it signed on in backing The group s representatives even attended events supporting the proposal Now lawmakers say they don t know what changes One Colorado wants or why it s abruptly changed its position on a bill that s undergone only minor changes since Gonzalez s population show of endorsement Nothing in the bill has changed Sen Faith Winter a Westminster Democrat disclosed Tuesday We have taken feedback from those organizations since the beginning In an email Tuesday One Colorado s executive director Nadine Bridges noted the group moved to an amend position after hearing concerns from locality members families partners and legal experts To address those concerns and ensure the bill protects our public we are working on amendments In separate emails One Colorado spokesperson Cal Solverson mentioned the group was working with local families transgender population leaders and legal experts to ensure the language of this bill reflects current best practices and that expert LGBTQIA lawyers inside and outside Colorado have identified areas where clarification and improvement are needed to ensure we don t jeopardize existing protections One Colorado continues to backing the intent of this bill Solverson wrote adding that the group s suggested amendments should be drafted by the end of the week Senate President James Coleman a Denver Democrat stated Tuesday morning that the bill s sponsors were still working with stakeholders Winter and Democratic Rep Lorena Garcia another bill sponsor announced they presumed the measure had sufficient aid from lawmakers and were confident it would eventually pass The bill has been staunchly opposed by Republicans The measure would require family courts to consider a parent s intentional misgendering or deadnaming of a transgender child in custody proceedings The latter means to refer to a person by the name they used before they transitioned House Republicans have argued those provisions would infringe on parental rights and several lawmakers attended a protest against the bill outside the Capitol last week The measure would also prohibit Colorado courts from using other states anti-transgender laws to facilitate transferring custody of a child from one parent to another because the child had received gender-affirming care It would amend the Colorado Anti-Discrimination Act to specify that intentionally misgendering transgender people or using their deadname would be discriminatory if done in a place of society accommodation After the bill passed the House the Gill Foundation a prominent financial supporter of LGBTQ causes including One Colorado called lawmakers to express concerns Winter stated Other national organizations also shared late feedback on the measure Then near the end of a meeting last week with advocates lawmakers and legislative leadership One Colorado mentioned it was going to formally drop its encouragement position and instead seek amendments according to Z Williams an advocate and supporter of the bill Rocky Mountain Equality soon followed Winter announced One Colorado expressed mostly fear of lawsuits and legal backlash After the meeting ended the group publicly released on Instagram that it would seek thoughtful revisions to ensure the success of this bill Rocky Mountain Equality s chief operating office Bruce Parker declined to comment Tuesday The Gill Foundation founded by prominent Democratic donor Tim Gill did not return a message seeking comment The nature of the groups desired changes was unclear Bridges would not describe them to The Post and the bill s supporters revealed they haven t received a written list of specific concerns or proposed amendments Related Articles Colorado bill would give new details centers big tax exemptions but critics question if that s necessary or right Colorado Senate passes immigrant protection bill aimed at limiting enforcement actions in state New Colorado junk fees law signed by Polis will prohibit common apartment charges require transparency Immigration bill childhood sexual abuse amendment and veto override up in Colorado legislature this week Colorado s first-in-the-nation sperm donor rules just took effect Now lawmakers may roll a few back In the email exchange with Gonzalez obtained by The Post Erika Unger the director of legal services for a nonprofit law firm supporting the bill listed the previous feedback suggested by One Colorado that had been accepted by supporters Unger also accused One Colorado of sabotaging the bill and announced the group s shifting advocacy at the tail end of the legislative session which concludes in two weeks had jeopardized the proposal Williams who works at the same nonprofit law firm Bread and Roses Legal Center stated a few LGBTQ groups had narrated supporters that the bill s protections weren t needed and that current law was sufficient to protect transgender people The bill s sponsors disagreed and the bill proceeded past staunch Republican opposition and with One Colorado behind it But the organization s sudden shift and the unclear nature of their desired changes has surprised and frustrated supporters It s hard to change things when you don t know what you re being urged to change Williams explained And also we are doing our best to listen to feedback and be nimble and receptive Stay up-to-date with Colorado Politics by signing up for our weekly newsletter The Spot