It feels like, at least once a week here at OFM, we’re posting another story about another state trying to legislate transgender people out of existence. The news gets depressing after a while, and it’s far past time to start fighting back.
Some have already started, like activists in Florida asking courts to invalidate the state’s transgender bathroom bill. Thankfully, Colorado currently has some great laws in place to protect transgender people, but that’s no reason to get complacent, as that could always change in the future. Even in Colorado, legislators have tried to write transphobia into law; anti-trans groups have tried to move in to influence the state, and a ballot measure to ban gender-affirming healthcare is currently being written. We can’t let bigotry gain even an inch of ground.
It is in that spirit that One Colorado is hosting a rally for gender-affirming care this evening from 5:30-7:30 at the Colorado State Capitol West Steps. According to One Colorado, even our state isn’t free from transphobia, with violence against trans people at an all-time high. In fact, One Colorado reports that over 50% of trans Coloradans having been victims of a hate crime or other bias-motivated incident. Thus, it’s more important than ever that we fight the rhetoric and biased legislation that fuels that violence.
The speakers at the event will include representatives from several different coalition organizations as well as politicians like Sen. Jacquez Lewis (SD-17), Colorado’s first openly trans legislator Rep. Brianna Titone (HD-27), as well as One Colorado’s Health Equity Director, Alex Floyd, and their Health Equity Manager, Sky Patron.
For more information on the rally, check out One Colorado’s Facebook page. To learn more about One Colorado, check out their website and their Instagram and LinkedIn accounts. Spread the word, and make sure to bring a friend or two!
Photo courtesy of social media.
