In addition to endangering the custody rights of a parent who "misgenders" or "deadnames"
his or her own child, the so-called "Kelly Loving Act" says that "threatening to publish material related to an individual's gender-affirming health-care services" is a type of "coercive control."
According to attorney Erin Friday, that means HB25-1312 goes further than most people realize.
"This bill affects the press and its Freedom of the Press," she recently told Fox News. "It will require the press to use the chosen name of a child."
That is unconstitutional.
"It's a massive First Amendment violation," Friday asserted. "We need to fight this in the courts, in the public domain, and, of course, standing up at these legislative hearings."
The measure also requires dress-coded public schools to allow children of either sex to choose between following the boys or girls dress code without their parent's consent or guidance.
The attorney noted the importance of remembering exactly what a transgender child is: a child who has acute distress about their natural body.
This bill, she said, would add to that distress by telling them their parents "who look at them and love them as their natural selves are bigots and horrible people and hateful people and don't deserve to be their parent."
Parents and their Republican advocates take issue with the measure's disregard for parental rights, but the Colorado House of Representatives approved the bill earlier this month. It is now pending a vote in the Democratic-majority Senate before proceeding to Governor Jared Polis' (D) desk.
