Staff Reports
A firestorm has erupted in Colorado as House Bill 25-1312, known as the “Kelly Loving Act,” advances through the state legislature. This bill, if enacted, would classify “misgendering” and “deadnaming” as discriminatory acts under state law, and—most alarmingly—require courts to consider these actions as “coercive control” when determining child custody. In effect, parents who refuse to use their child’s preferred pronouns or chosen name could be deemed abusive and risk losing custody of their children. This is not just another policy debate—it’s a direct assault on the rights of parents to raise their children according to their values and beliefs.
At the heart of the conservative backlash is the sacred principle of parental rights. For generations, American families have operated under the assumption that parents, not bureaucrats or activist judges, know what’s best for their children. This bill flips that on its head, placing the heavy hand of government squarely in the middle of the family home. Critics, including the House Minority Leader and parent advocates like Erin Lee, are sounding the alarm that this legislation would criminalize traditional parenting and force families to conform to a radical gender ideology under threat of losing their children.
The bill’s implications stretch far beyond the family living room. By codifying “misgendering” and “deadnaming” as discriminatory, Colorado would be trampling on First Amendment rights, compelling speech and punishing dissent. Attorney and mother Erin Friday has warned that this measure would not only silence parents but also threaten journalists, teachers, and anyone else who refuses to toe the line on state-approved language. Free speech and religious liberty are on the chopping block, sacrificed at the altar of political correctness.
Supporters of the bill claim it is necessary to protect transgender individuals from harm and discrimination, but in reality, it opens the door to unprecedented government overreach. The state would be empowered to dictate how parents communicate with their children, undermining the very foundation of the family unit. This is a slippery slope that leads to a society where government, not parents, decides what is “acceptable” belief and behavior. The chilling effect on dissent and religious conviction cannot be overstated.
Conservatives across Colorado and the nation are mobilizing to oppose this dangerous legislation. The fight is not just about one bill, but about defending the fundamental liberties that have made America a beacon of freedom. If the state can seize children from loving homes simply because parents refuse to participate in compelled speech, then no family is safe from ideological intrusion. The Kelly Loving Act is a wake-up call—a reminder that eternal vigilance is the price of liberty, and that the defense of parental rights and free speech must remain at the forefront of our national conscience.
