Colorado: Democrats block debate on a bill that seeks to penalize parents who do not recognize the biological gender of their children

Colorado's Democratic lawmakers used a House rule to avoid debate on a controversial bill that seeks to consider the deadnaming (using a transgender person's original name) and misgendering (using pronouns that do not match their gender identity) as forms of child abuse. The bill passed the House by a vote of 40-21, and now heads to the state Senate, also controlled by Democrats, where it will likely pass.

The bill and its implications

Bill 1312 says that if a child is unsure about his or her gender identity and parents are unsupportive of that confusion, they could be considered guilty of child abuse. Parents could even lose custody of their children. In addition, the law considers the use of deadnamingor not using the correct pronouns for a childas abuse.

Republican Rep. Jarvis Caldwell, who was against the bill, said Democrats wanted to "silence" opponents because they knew this issue was getting a lot of negative attention nationally.

Reactions to the bill

This bill continues to be very controversial in Colorado. Many people are concerned about how it will affect parents' rights over the upbringing of their children. Opponents of the bill are asking citizens to contact their senators and the governor to voice their disagreement.

The Denver Gazette, a local newspaper, criticized the law. It said lawmakers should focus on more important problems, such as poor road conditions and rising crime, rather than regulating children's gender identity.

For her part, Democratic Rep. Yara Zokaie defended the law and said there was no need to consult with parent groups that do not support LGBT rights. She compared these groups to the Ku Klux Klan, which was supported by her colleagues.

However, now the final decision on this bill will depend on what the senators decide.