Proposition 135State law · Citizen initiative
Ban certain surgeries for minors
Explain it like I'm 5
This would stop certain surgeries meant to change a minor's sex characteristics because of the minor's gender identity. It does not ban counseling or every kind of gender-related care.
Yes vote
Health professionals may not perform the covered surgeries on people under 18, and public funds or insurance may not pay for them.
No vote
No new statewide ban takes effect, leaving these decisions to families and medical professionals under current law.
The question to ask yourself
Should the state set a blanket age limit for these surgeries, or should families and medical professionals decide case by case?
The case for
- Supporters say minors may not be ready for permanent, irreversible decisions.
- The measure would establish one age rule instead of leaving the decision entirely to individual providers.
- It does not prohibit counseling or social transition.
Backed by: Protect Kids Colorado, Republican Party of Colorado, Focus on the Family, Colorado Catholic Conference
The case against
- Families, patients, and doctors would lose the ability to make individualized decisions.
- A statewide ban replaces medical judgment with a blanket legal rule.
- The surgeries are already rare, so the measure may restrict care without addressing a widespread practice.
Opposed by: Families Not Politics, Colorado Medical Society, Colorado chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, Colorado Psychiatric Society, ACLU of Colorado
- Money
- No significant direct state cost or savings is estimated; possible administrative or legal costs are not estimated.
- Don't be misled
- It is misleading to say the measure bans all gender-related care for minors, because it addresses specified surgeries and related payment, not counseling or every nonsurgical treatment.