Joint Statement in Support of Gender Affirming Care in Colorado

As elected leaders, advocates, and organizations committed to the dignity, freedom, and well-being of all Coloradans, we affirm a simple and deeply held belief: everyone deserves access to the health care they need, without fear, stigma, or political interference.

We stand together to reject efforts that seek to restrict gender affirming care and to intimidate the families and providers who offer love, support, and medically appropriate care to transgender people, including transgender youth. These efforts undermine the dignity and privacy of families and represent a troubling expansion of government overreach into deeply personal decisions.

Health care decisions belong with transgender people, their families, and trusted medical professionals. They do not belong with politicians in Washington who are attempting to use federal power to control private medical care, override state protections, and impose one-size-fits-all mandates on families across the country.

Coloradans value freedom, privacy, and local decision making. We believe that families know their children best, doctors know how to provide appropriate care, and the government should stay out of exam rooms and family conversations. Using federal authority to threaten providers or cut off access to care is not leadership. It is reckless interference.

These attacks do not happen in isolation. Across the country, we are seeing coordinated efforts to roll back hard-won protections, erode trust in public health systems, and substitute political agendas for medical expertise. This kind of federal intrusion comes at a time when families are already navigating uncertainty around health care access, affordability, and stability. Congress and this administration are instead once again using their platform to come after vulnerable communities.

The facts are clear. Gender affirming care is supported by every major medical association in the United States and is recognized as essential, evidence-based care. Beyond the science, this care is affirmed by the lived experiences of transgender Coloradans who are our children, our students, our coworkers, our neighbors, and our loved ones.

To families with transgender youth, we want to be clear: you deserve dignity, privacy, and the freedom to make health care decisions for your child in consultation with medical professionals you trust, without interference from politicians who do not know your family or your needs. Colorado stands with you.

To transgender youth and transgender adults who are feeling afraid, exhausted, or unseen, know this: you belong here. You are valued. You deserve care, safety, and respect.

Together, our offices and organizations are committed to standing with families, providers, and communities to protect access to essential health care and to ensure Colorado remains a place where freedom, dignity, and privacy are not just words, but lived realities for all of us.

Forward, together.

One Colorado & Attorney General Phil Weiser

Councilmember and Mayor Pro Tem Alison Coombs, Colorado Aurora City Council 

Representative Alex Valdez, Colorado House District 5

Representative Brianna Titone, Colorado House District 27

Representative Cecelia Espenoza, Colorado House District 4

Representative Elizabeth Velasco, Colorado House District 57

Representative Jenny Willford, Colorado House District 34

Representative Junie Joseph, Colorado House District 10

Representative Junie Joseph, Colorado House District 10 

Representative Karen McCormick, Colorado House District 11

Representative Katie Stewart, Colorado House District 59

Representative Kyle Brown, Colorado House District 12

Representative Lesley Smith, Colorado House District 49

Representative Lindsay Gilchrist, Colorado House District 8

Representative Mandy Lindsay, Colorado House District 42

Representative Meg Froelich, Colorado House District 3

Representative Meghan Lukens, Colorado House District 26

Representative Rebekah Stewart, Colorado House District 30

Representative Sean Camacho, Colorado House District 6

Representative Sheila Lieder, Colorado House District 28

Representative Tammy Story, Colorado House District 25

Representative Tisha Mauro, Colorado House District 46

Senator and President of the Senate James Coleman, Colorado Senate District 33

Senator and President Pro Tempore Dafna Michaelson Jenet, Colorado Senate District 21 

Senator Ater Lisa Cutter, Colorado Senate District 20

Senator Cathy Kipp, Colorado Senate District 14

Senator Chris Kolker, Colorado Senate District 16

Senator Iman Jodeh, Colorado Senate District 29

Senator Jeff Bridges, Colorado Senate District 26

Senator Jessie Danielson, Colorado Senate District 22

Senator Judy Amabile, Colorado Senate Distict 18

Senator Julie Gonzales, Colorado Senate District 34

Senator Katie Wallace, Colorado Senate District 17

Senator Marc Snyder, Colorado Senate District 12

Senator Matt Ball, Colorado Senate District 31

Senator Mike Weissman, Colorado Senate District 28

Senator Nick Hinrichsen, Colorado Senate District 3

Senator Robert Rodriguez, Colorado Senate District 32

Senator Tom Sullivan, Colorado Senate District 27

Speaker Julie McCluskie, Colorado House District 13

Brandon Beston, Beston Homes Team

Adry Santiago

Andromeda D'Angelo Stanfield, Director of Logistics, the JEDI Advocacy Council of Greeley 

Angela Hampton

Ann Lowry

Anna Lansdon 

Anna-Lisa Munson, MD, MPH

April Bajza

Aspen Rawson

Becki Logsdon

Ben Cramer

Birch Cue, Intern Minister, First Universalist Church of Denver

Boulder County Board of County Commissioners

Brad Turner 

Brittany De Los Santos, Trans Youth Community Advocate 

Cameron Hays

Carol Krum

Carol Miller

Cecilia Bassham, Public Educator

Charlie Lunaris 

Christie Stuive

Ciara Cooper

Cori Redford, Denver, Colorado 

Dani G.

Dawn Hempel, Aurora, Colorado 

Dawn Kirk

Deb Sprague, LPC

Deja Moore, Doctoral Public Health Student 

Delsie Johnson

Dr Tim Kubik

Elisabeth Quirk

Elizabeth Falkenberg 

Elizabeth J Meyer, Ph.D., author, scholar & educator

Ella Johnson

Emily Qualls

Ian Haines 

Jeffrey Rings, Ph.D, Licensed Psychologist, State of CO

Jenna Linan, CO Special Education Teacher 

Jenny Hutson

Jessica Whitehall

Jim Crowe

Joann Johnson

Justice Hardman, Northern Colorado

K. Stallings, Loveland, CO

K. T.

Katrina Puente, LCSW

Kelli Doyle

Kelly Hobbs-Perry

Kimberly Skeers

Kristen Draper 

L.J. Perry

Leah Hromatka

Lily Cooke

Linda Breen

Lisa V

Lucy Murphy

Maddie Seper

Marc DiGeronimo

Missy Curler, MA, LPC

Monica VanBuskirk, CEO, MEAPTA Inc.

Mrs. Amy Maiberger

Rev. Sean Neil-Barron, Foothills Unitarian Church

Rev. Tamara Torres McGovern, Minister, United Church of Christ

Rev. Wendy Williams, Senior Minister, Jefferson Unitarian Church

RJ Quirk, Editor and Host, Trans Embodiment Podcast

Roger Stallings

Ronny Hofer 

Shawana Quirk

Sonja Lara

Susan Gegan

Susan Meeker 

TJ McAlonan, Fort Collins

Traci Mumm

Tucker Richardson

Valerie Velasquez 

Rev John Case

Rev. Ben Konecny

Rev. Randy Spaulding, Boulder Mennonite Church

ABSD DeLoach, Founder & Facilitator of Change, A Better Standard Direction

Ashley Stahl, Executive Director, PFLAG of the Roaring Fork Valley 

Brandon Rattiner, Senior Director, Jewish Community Relations Council

Claire Witt, owner of Prism Counseling 

Colorado Black Women for Political Action

Colorado Center on Law and Policy

Colorado Common Cause

Colorado Consumer Health Initiative

Colorado Fiscal Institute

Colorado Organization for Latina Opportunity and Reproductive Rights

Colorado PTA

Conservation Colorado

Dana Kennedy, Co-Executive Director, Center for Health Progress

Denver Classroom Teachers Association

Emmanuel Cisneros, Deputy Director, Loving Beyond Understanding

First Universalist Church of Denver 

Great Education Colorado

Inside Out Youth Services

Interfaith Alliance of Colorado

Jack Teter, Vice President of Government Affairs, Planned Parenthood of the Rocky Mountains 

Jade Kelly President CWA Local 7799

Janet Wright, Vice-President PFLAG Northern Colorado/Fort Collins 

Jeri Shepherd, Chair, Weld County Democratic Party

Jimmy Sellars, Director of Policy & Programming, PfCA

Jordan T. Garcia, Program Director, American Friends Service Committee, Colorado and Colorado Trans Immigrant Fund

Julia Pierce, Board Member, PFLAG Denver

Kim Salvaggio, CEO The Center on Colfax

Kurt Weaver, Executive Director, You Can Play

Kyle Rojas Legleiter, Senior Director of Public Policy, The Colorado Health Foundation 

Laura MacWaters, Director, Eclectic of Northern Colorado 

League of Women Voters of Colorado 

Lexi Nolen, Boulder County Public Health

Lynn Kutner, Board of Directors, PFLAG Denver

Motus Theater

Natalie Patterson, Director of Resources and Education, PFLAG Fort Collins

Peter Simonson, Interim Executive Director, ACLU of Colorado

PFLAG Greeley

Reggie Johnson, President, PFLAG Fort Collins

Rocky Mountain Equality

Sandra Parker-Murray

Sara Loflin, Executive Director, ProgressNow Colorado 

Shan Lagard, Black Civic Engagement & Policy Coordinator, Soul 2 Soul Sisters

SPLASH Youth

The Bell Policy Center

The Women's Foundation of Colorado

Unified Workforce

Working Families Party

Zach Ducharme, Director of Volunteers, PFLAG Fort Collins

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