A sweeping new proposal in Colorado is alarming faith leaders, parents, and free speech advocates, who argue it represents a disturbing step toward state control over family life and personal beliefs.
House Bill 1312, which has passed the Colorado House and awaits a vote in the Senate, seeks to criminalize the use of a person’s birth name (“deadnaming”) and biologically accurate pronouns (“misgendering”)—even within the context of a parent-child relationship. Under the bill, courts could view parents who don’t affirm a child’s gender identity as potentially abusive, a move critics say could have chilling implications for custody battles and parental rights.
Supporters of the bill claim it protects transgender individuals from discrimination and emotional harm. But opponents argue it pushes radical gender ideology into law while threatening constitutionally protected freedoms.
“This bill harms children and families. Full stop,” said Brent Leatherwood, president of the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention. “It places the government between parents and their children and elevates a fringe ideology above long-held moral and religious convictions.”
The legislation allows courts to interpret a parent using their child’s given name or biological pronouns as a form of “coercive control”—potentially grounds for removing a child from their custody. Critics warn that this effectively punishes parents for adhering to biological reality and religious teachings.
Meg Kilgannon of the Family Research Council stated, “This bill opens the door to treating loving, concerned parents as criminals simply for refusing to go along with a child’s gender confusion. It’s a frightening abuse of state power.”
Meanwhile, Representative Yara Zokaie, a sponsor of the bill, framed it as a way to protect trans-identifying youth and families from harassment, saying Colorado is becoming a “refuge” for gender-affirming care. But opponents argue the real danger lies in labeling dissent as abuse and using government force to compel ideological conformity.
In a message to Colorado churches, the ERLC warned that if passed, the law would force individuals and religious groups to violate their consciences or risk lawsuits, simply for expressing traditional, biblical views on sex and gender.
Faith leaders rallied at the State Capitol, calling the bill a spiritual threat and a gross abuse of governmental power. Pastor Sean Cole of Emmanuel Baptist Church didn’t mince words: “This bill is demonic. It’s a battle for the soul of our state.”
Pastor Matt Patrick emphasized the broader implications, saying the bill is less about politics and more about silencing biblical truth. “As a pastor, I must stand up for what is right, even when it’s unpopular,” he said. “This law would force us to lie or face punishment. That’s unacceptable.”
With Democrats holding a strong majority in the Colorado Senate and Governor Jared Polis expected to sign the bill, House Bill 1312 is poised to become law, despite serious concerns about its constitutionality and the lasting damage it could do to parental rights, religious freedom, and the fabric of family life in Colorado.
