Senate Resolution 25-008

SENATE RESOLUTION 25-008

BY SENATOR(S) Cutter and Wallace, Amabile, Ball, Bridges, Danielson, Daugherty, Exum, Gonzales J., Hinrichsen, Kipp, Kolker, Marchman, Michaelson Jenet, Mullica, Roberts, Rodriguez, Snyder, Sullivan, Weissman, Winter F., Coleman.

CONCERNING THE DESIGNATION OF MARCH 31, 2025, AS "TRANSGENDER DAY OF VISIBILITY" IN COLORADO, AND, IN CONNECTION THEREWITH, ACKNOWLEDGING THE COUNTLESS CONTRIBUTIONS THAT TRANSGENDER PEOPLE HAVE MADE IN HISTORY AND TO CONTEMPORARY SOCIETY, AND COMMITTING TO DEFEND THE RIGHTS OF TRANSGENDER PEOPLE.

WHEREAS, Transgender Day of Visibility is observed annually on March 31 to celebrate the lives, resilience, and contributions of transgender people and to uplift their ongoing struggle for dignity, safety, and equity; and

WHEREAS, The day was founded in 2009 by transgender advocate Rachel Crandall-Crocker to honor living members of the transgender community and create space for celebration, not just remembrance; and

WHEREAS, In recent years, transgender people in Colorado and across the country have faced an alarming increase in attacks on their rights, health care, safety, and visibility, including coordinated political efforts that seek to erase transgender existence from public life; and

WHEREAS, These attacks have increasingly targeted transgender youth and their families, banned access to life-saving medical care, undermined inclusive education, and incited dangerous levels of misinformation, mob mentalities, and violence; and

WHEREAS, The same harmful mentalities and policy tactics are being used to target immigrant communities, reproductive rights, and marginalized groups--fueled by fear, disinformation, and a need to dehumanize others; and

WHEREAS, The interconnected struggles of communities under attack reaffirm the solidarity between transgender people and immigrants, who are both being scapegoated and silenced by efforts that attempt to divide us and weaken their shared power; and

WHEREAS, Transgender people have existed across cultures and history, including in Indigenous traditions that recognize gender-diverse and Two-Spirit people as integral to the community; and

WHEREAS, In Colorado, transgender people serve as educators, caregivers, organizers, artists, entrepreneurs, faith leaders, public servants, and more, contributing to the success, and well-being of our state in every sector; and

WHEREAS, Colorado holds a unique place in the history of gender-affirming care in the United States, with the town of Trinidad serving as a critical access point from 1969 to 2010, where Dr. Stanley Biber provided gender-affirming surgeries to thousands of transgender people when few options for this care existed elsewhere; and

WHEREAS, This legacy--rooted in rural southern Colorado--underscores the long-standing resilience of transgender communities in Colorado and the urgent, ongoing need for compassionate, affirming, and accessible health care; and

WHEREAS, Colorado has led the nation in affirming LGBTQ+ rights, expanding access to gender-affirming care, and protecting the autonomy and privacy of transgender individuals and their families; and

WHEREAS, Visibility alone cannot guarantee safety or freedom, but it is a powerful tool to affirm humanity, resist erasure, and inspire collective action--and while not all transgender people can or wish to be visible, all deserve safety, dignity, and respect; and

WHEREAS, The Colorado General Assembly is committed to ensuring that transgender Coloradans--especially transgender Black, Indigenous, disabled, undocumented, and youth--can live, work, thrive, and lead with joy and without fear; now, therefore,

Be It Resolved by the Senate of the Seventy-fifth General Assembly of the State of Colorado:

(1)  That we, the Colorado Senate, hereby designate March 31 of each year as "Transgender Day of Visibility" in Colorado to honor the strength, brilliance, and contributions of transgender people in our communities;

(2)  That we stand in active solidarity with transgender people and all communities targeted by efforts to undermine human rights and bodily autonomy, including immigrants, people of color, and those living at the intersections of systemic oppression;

(3)  That we affirm our commitment to defending the rights of transgender people in all aspects of life, including health care, education, employment, housing, civic participation, and freedom of expression;

(4)  That we acknowledge Colorado's legacy as a historic leader in access to gender-affirming care and reaffirm our commitment to continue leading the nation in equitable, accessible, and affirming health care for all transgender people; and

(5)  That we encourage all Coloradans to recognize and uplift transgender people, and to build a state where everyone--no matter their gender identity or expression--can thrive, be visible on their own terms, and be fully free.

Be It Further Resolved, That copies of this Resolution be sent to Representative Brianna Titone, Representative Lorena Garcia, and Jax Gonzalez, political director at One-Colorado.