Legislation targeting trans athletes defeated

Rep. Marshall applauds result

BY MCKENNA HARFORD MHARFORD@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

A number of trans and non-binary athletes rallied to defeat legislation that would have required athletes to participate in sports based on sex assigned at birth.

On Feb. 13, the State, Civic, Veterans and Military A airs Committee killed HB23-1098, or the Women’s Rights in Athletics bill, in an 8-3 vote. e bill would have required Colorado sports organizations to o er male, female and coeducational teams, restricting athletes to the team that matches their sex assigned at birth.

Speaking against the bill, Brayden Parsons, a Douglas County student, said he felt it would hurt athletes of all identities by introducing unnecessary obstacles.

“I’ve learned that a team is a place for everyone to come together, a place for people to push each other and a place where everybody makes themselves both a better athlete and a better person,” Parsons said. “I can tell you from experience that a team is not a place for barriers and it is not a place for hate. A team is not a place for discrimination, homophobia or transphobia.”

Sponsored by Douglas County Representatives Brandi Bradley and Lisa Frizell, the Women’s Rights in Ath- letics bill claimed to protect female students’ rights in athletics.

Frizell and Bradley said the intent is to support Title IX and insisted the bill wasn’t discriminatory.

“ is is a bill about fairness and women being able to compete in sports on a level playing eld safely and successfully,” Frizell said. “I worry that in many sports the physical and physiological di erences of post-puberty trans women give them an unfair advantage over biologicallyborn women.”

Bradley said she brought the bill forward because of biological di er- ences between sexes, asserting that “sex determines win-share.”

If approved, the bill would have prohibited a governmental entity from investigating or taking action on complaints of discrimination against trans or nonbinary athletes. It would also allow athletes to sue organizations that allow trans and nonbinary athletes to compete on gendered teams.

A handful of people spoke in support of the bill, including Riley Gaines, an NCAA swimmer who competed and tied against Lia omas, a trans athlete, in the 200-meter race last year.

“Although the NCAA claims it acted in the name of inclusion, its policies in fact excluded female athletes,” Gaines said.

After two hours of testimony, a majority of legislators opposed the bill. Rep. Kyle Brown, D-Boulder, said it would further stigmatize and discriminate against trans and non-binary athletes.

A recent survey done by the Trevor Project found that 85% of trans and non-binary youth say legislation targeting their rights has negatively impacted mental health.

In a public statement, Douglas County’s only Democratic representative, Rep. Bob Marshall, D-Highlands Ranch, said the bill was misnamed as it had no legitimate purpose and it addressed no real issue or problem regarding women’s rights in athletics.

He said that the primary sponsors could not provide a case where the bill would apply in Colorado, calling it a solution searching for a problem.

“It’s disappointing that the entire Douglas County GOP State House delegation sponsored a messaging bill meant to attack transgender kids’ right to exist,” Marshall said in a press release.

Marshall added that the bill was a distraction from the necessary work that needs to be done such as increasing teacher compensation, improving water quality and ensuring equal treatment for disabled veterans.