2023 Legislative Action

The Supreme Court Decision Is Out, And So Are We - Responding to 303 Creative v. Elenis SCOTUS Decision

303 Creative v. Elenis is a Supreme Court case brought by a Colorado-based web designer seeking protections to discriminate against same-sex couples. The US Supreme Court issued a decision in the 303 Creative case and the news isn't good. It doesn't feel right or just or good when the highest court in the land issues such a decision. However, that doesn't mean we're stuck. Let's talk about what we can do to help ourselves, other LGBTQ+ people, allies, other marginalized groups who may be impacted by this decision, and society in general.

Read more in our blog post.

Read the statement from the leadership of Out Boulder County and the Boulder Chamber here: Supreme Court Strikes a Blow to Non-discrimination Protections for LGBTQ+ People and other Protected Classes with 303 Creative Decision

No matter what, Out Boulder County is at the ready to support our LGBTQ+ community and advocate for our rights, today and everyday.

Learn more in this Fact Sheet.

OutSources Interview - SCOTUS Speaks: Jean Dubofsky and Glenda Russell explore 303 Creative v. Elenis, KGNU interview to learn about what the decision really says and get active.

Many Kinds of Courting - actions we can all take

Lessons from Our Own History: A Political Story with a Moral - from LGBTQ+ historian Glenda Russell

Key Legal Highlights from 303 Creative - from legal expert Jean Dubofksy

Press Statement - from Out Boulder County & the Boulder Chamber's leadership

The Supreme Court Decision Is Out, and So Are We - thoughts for community resiliency and action in response to the 303 Creative decision.

Legislative Milestones with OBC & Cobalt

After the 2023 legislative session, we reviewed Colorado's advances in reproductive rights and LGBTQ+ inclusion. This event highlights the successful passage of HB 23-1057: Fair & Family Friendly Restrooms and the Safe Access to Protected Health Care Package (SB23-188, SB23-189, and SB23-190).

Even if you missed the event, you can learn more by viewing the recording and slide deck below.

Video Recording Passcode: KQJd=^8f

Slide Deck

Fair & Family Friendly Restrooms: 2023 Legislation, HB 23-1057

update: Fair & Family Friendly Restrooms is Now State Law!

This year we are put forward HB23-1057, Fair & Family Friendly Restrooms.  Our 2023 legislative effort is a direct response to a basic need that our community has raised over the years: access to appropriate restroom facilities. As many of us in the LGBTQ+ community know too well, not having a safe, appropriate restroom facility poses health risks and creates frustrating and sometimes dangerous situations.  Our proposed legislation, HB23-1057 “Amenities for All Genders in Public Buildings'', is sponsored by Representatives McCormick and Vigil and Senator Jaquez Lewis. 

This bill would require newly constructed and renovated buildings owned by state, county, and local government to 1) Provide diaper changing stations in all restrooms, including gender-specific and non-gendered multi-stall and single-stall restrooms, 2) Have a non-gendered restroom facility on each floor where public restrooms are available, 3) Ensure all single-stall restrooms are non-gendered and are available for use by individuals of any gender, 4) Allow for the use of non-gendered multi-stall restrooms if in compliance with the 2021 International Plumbing code, and 5) Require all buildings owned by state, county or local government to update signage for non-gendered restrooms and changing tables with non-gendered pictograms in all buildings. Our government buildings are meant to be accessible for the people, all people, and we are here to make sure that is the case. Read more about this bill in our blog and FAQ, read the personal testimonies provided by a wide array of constituents, and learn more about the initial committee hearing.

In addition to putting forward HB23-1057, Fair & Family Friendly Restrooms, we are also lent our support to the following bills that directly impact our LGBTQ+ communities:

HB23-188, Protections for Accessing Reproductive Health Care

This bill protects patients, providers, and assisters of reproductive and gender affirming care for both Coloradans and those who come to our state to seek services.  This bill includes several important protections.

Learn more in the Fact Sheet and read the testimonies we provided. 

HB23-1218, The Patient's Right to Know Act

This bill would require healthcare facilities to inform patients as part of the informed consent process of services that the healthcare facility refuses to provide to patients for nonmedical reasons, especially concerning reproductive, gender affirming, and end-of-life services. 

Read our testimony here.

SB23-189, Increasing Access to Reproductive Health Care

This bill:

• Reduces surprise billing and removes patient cost sharing for reproductive health care services including treatment for sexually transmitted infections, sterilization,  and for abortion care; 

• Creates a state fund that providers may bill for patients with confidentiality concerns regarding their shared insurance coverage;

• Ensures that the exemption from step therapy and prior authorization requirements for HIV medications applies to medications prescribed by any authorized provider, not only pharmacists;

• Includes family-planning-related services in the existing state reproductive health care program;

• Clarifies that Medicaid’s non-emergent medical transportation service (Intelliride) can support patient transportation to abortion care;

• Modernizes a 1971 Courts and Court Procedures statute regarding minor access to contraception to align with the Public Health statute specifying that there is no age restriction to access contraception.

Learn more in this Fact Sheet.

SB23-190, Prohibiting Deceptive Practices of Anti-Abortion Centers 

This bill will:

• Prohibit the use of deceptive advertising by anti-abortion centers

• Prohibit advertising for abortion pill reversal as a deceptive trade practice

• Make the prescribing, offering or facilitation of abortion pill reversal unprofessional conduct for licensed, registered or certified health care providers

Learn more in this Fact Sheet.

Oppose: HB23-1098, Women’s Rights in Athletics
Additionally we arranged testimony opposing HB23-1098 that sought to effectively ban transgender individuals from participating in sports.  This bill was successfully killed in committee and no longer poses a threat to our community in Colorado.  Read the testimony here and the bill text here.