Why Colorado's Anti-Trans Ballot Initiative Is More Important Than You Might Think

You've may have heard about Colorado’s most recent trans athlete ban initiative. #109 is a ballot measure that would ban trans girls and women from school sports in Colorado. You might think it's just another sports bill, or a way to protect women in sports. It's not. 

Here's why this one matters more than it looks.

1. It's not actually about sports.

The measure doesn't just set eligibility rules. It opens the door to gender checks of girls who are "too fast," "too good," or don't look "girly" enough. There are no clear protections in the text. No enforcement guidelines, just a mandate that schools figure it out. That means girls could be questioned, inspected, or challenged just to play; not because of anything they did, but because of how they look.

2. It strips local control from schools.

Colorado already has an eligibility system through CHSAA. It works because decisions stay with the people closest to the athletes. Initiative 109 replaces that with a blanket state mandate. Rural schools with fewer than 500 students would be hit hardest. They already struggle to field teams; this takes away the flexibility that keeps those teams alive.

3. It solves a problem that doesn't exist.

There is no statewide data showing a widespread transgender athlete crisis in Colorado. None. Meanwhile, girls still have about 1.19 million fewer high school sports opportunities than boys. SafeSport received nearly 9,700 reports of abuse in 2025 alone. Those are real problems, this measure doesn't touch them, it creates new ones.

4. It's a government overreach question.

The polling is clear: politicians shouldn't be making these calls. Voters care about privacy, parental judgment, and local control. This isn't a left-right issue. It's a "keep government out of our schools and our kids' bodies" issue.

These implications give us clear reasons to say no: 

No to invasive policies. 

No to politicians deciding who gets to play. 

No to making school sports about policing bodies instead of coaching athletes.

This measure is beatable, but only if people understand what it really does.

We urge Coloradans to vote NO on Initiative 109 to help keep every athlete safe and in the game.