Proposition 134 and the Battle Over School Sports
Proposition 134 would require school and college athletic teams to be designated male, female, or coeducational.
The proposal applies to K-12 and college teams, but not private clubs or leagues. It would also bar female students from joining a boys team if an equivalent girls team exists.
Similar proposals from Republican lawmakers have previously failed in the Democratic-controlled legislature.
Transgender people make up a small share of the state’s population, with fewer than 1% of Coloradans over 18 identifying as transgender.
Colorado Voters Weigh Ban on Minor Gender-Affirming Surgeries
It would also prohibit government funding, Medicaid reimbursement, and insurance coverage for those procedures, though the measure includes exceptions for certain medical conditions and excludes male circumcision.
If approved, it would change Colorado’s approach to transgender health care.
The state has become a destination for families seeking care. Yet, providers have faced mounting pressure from the Trump administration.
The hospital subsequently reinstated the care, although some providers still decline to prescribe treatment.
Lessons from Utah and the Intermountain West
The debate in Colorado is unfolding as other states have adopted restrictions of their own. Utah offers an example of how policies can play out in schools and doctors’ offices. In 2022, Utah lawmakers passed a law similar to Proposition 134 barring transgender students from competing on school sports teams corresponding to their gender identity. After years of legal challenges, Utah established a state commission in 2024 to review athletes’ eligibility, utilizing the School Activity Eligibility Commission to handle those cases.
By contrast, Colorado’s Proposition 134 does not spell out how schools should verify students’ biological sex.
In February 2024, a member of the Utah State Board of Education posted a photo of a high school girls’ basketball team on Facebook, questioning whether a player was a girl. The student was not transgender, but the post prompted harassment and threats.
A year after enacting sports restrictions, Utah lawmakers moved on to medical care, banning certain surgeries and pausing puberty blockers and hormone treatments. In 2025, the University of Utah Health Clinic closed its clinic serving LGBTQ+ youth, leaving families looking outside the state for care.
Transgender rights advocates argue the measures in Colorado could begin to roll back years of legal protections.
