Colorado's Betrayal of Parents

Colorado is increasingly unhinged when it comes to gender, by Laureen Boll

Parents in Colorado marching against the Kelly-Loving Act under which courts may consider removing custody is a parent misgenders their identified child

Imagine the nightmare: You learn that your 17-year-old daughter, with whom you’ve always shared a deep, loving bond, has embarked upon an intimate relationship with her female teacher—a deeply inappropriate situation under any circumstances. But instead of acting to safeguard your child, school officials secretly label her “homeless” to allow her to move in with the teacher, withholding the truth from you. Unfortunately, this is the harsh reality for one Jefferson County, Colorado, family. When the parent uncovered the deception and confronted the high school principal, they were met with a shocking defense: the teacher was simply “helping kids explore their sexual identity.”

Some 330 miles southwest, in Durango, Colorado, an LGBTQ activist teacher allegedly abducted a 17-year-old girl earlier this year, claiming she needed support to transition to a boy. Law enforcement backed the teacher, and the daughter, now 18, remains living with her. In a Daily Mail interview, the devastated mother said, “Smotherman, exploited my child, inserting herself into our family. I’m stunned she’s faced no consequences, and I’m powerless to fix this or hold her accountable.”

Tragically, numerous stories are emerging in Colorado of parents losing custody of their children for allegedly failing to support their child’s sexual or gender identity. Colorado’s laws and political climate are enabling those who promote an ideology claiming that children expressing their “true selves” are oppressed by their parents, with the state intervening to “protect” them.

What’s Happened to Colorado?

I’ve lived in Colorado most of my life, ever since my family arrived in the 1970s. For most of that time, the state was animated by a spirit of rugged individualism and a “live and let live” vibe. It was an easy place to make friends and attracted people who felt the same way. When I landed my first job in downtown Denver, I was one of the few “natives” in a lively office with a vibrant atmosphere, unburdened by entrenched class-based or political cliques.

Raising my children in the early 2000s, I felt secure in Colorado’s respect for my fundamental right as a parent to, as the Supreme Court stated, “direct the upbringing and education” of my children. Other states might overreach, but Colorado, with its deep-rooted respect for individual liberty, seemed different. By 2010, however, the tide began to shift. The state’s political landscape transformed, driven partly by the concerted efforts of wealthy, left-leaning business figures like Tim Gill, Pat Stryker, Rutt Bridges, and Jared Polis (later Governor Polis) who funneled millions into political committees and nonprofit organizations to steer Colorado from staunchly conservative to firmly progressive — a California in the Rockies.

These organizations spent millions to elect progressive Democrats in low profile races, such as for school boards and the state legislature, to advance their social agenda. This was no organic, grassroots movement but a deliberate, strategic effort that culminated in Democrats gaining full control of Colorado’s state government in 2018. Following this shift, as if to consolidate their gains, ideologically driven foundations began funding local media outlets, many of which had recently changed ownership.

A New Climate

The first signs of trouble appeared in 2013 when the state took an energetic interest in children’s well-being. The Colorado Departments of Education, Public Health and Environment, and Human Services launched the Healthy Kids Colorado Survey, offered free to school districts to “better understand youth health and factors supporting healthy choices.” The survey asked middle and high school students deeply personal questions—unrelated to academics—covering gender identity, sexual orientation, suicidal thoughts, sense of belonging at school, and parental involvement in personal issues. School districts used these results to expand on-site mental health counselors, implement Social Emotional Learning curricula that shape children’s emotions and behaviors toward collective goals, and promote close relationships between students and adult school staff as “trusted adults,” disturbingly echoing Mao’s youth indoctrination programs. In effect, the state began systematically undermining parents’ roles in guiding their children’s moral development.

Since Governor Jared Polis’s election in 2018, when Colorado Democrats secured full control of the state government for the first time since 1938, the state’s interference in child-rearing has intensified. The 2019 legislative session produced bills that: permit children over 12 to access mental health care without parental consent or knowledge; prohibit therapists from using exploratory therapy for gender-confused youth; and mandate that teachers introduce sexual orientation and gender identity to children as young as first grade in social studies classes. Unlike sex education, parents cannot opt their children out of these social studies lessons.

In 2024, Colorado’s legislature advanced its progressive agenda with the “Non-Legal Name Change” law, compelling teachers to socially transition students or face discrimination charges. The pinnacle came with HB25-1312, the “Kelly Loving Act,” which initially proposed that a parent’s refusal to use their child’s preferred pronouns or chosen name could be deemed “coercive control” in custody disputes. Supporters claimed that failing to affirm a child’s gender identity constitutes abuse. Parents and their allies argued the real harm lies in rushing vulnerable children into irreversible treatments without addressing underlying distress. Although the bill was heavily amended, with the “coercive control” definition removed before being signed into law, parents across Colorado and beyond remain shocked that such an erosion of parental authority was even considered by the State House of Representatives.

How Colorado Parents Are Coping

What is it like to be a parent raising children in Colorado now? Are they fearful of having their family’s values overridden by the government? Or has that already happened? I interviewed three mothers from different parts of the state to understand their experiences.

Amber

Drawn to Denver 25 years ago by its weather and outdoor lifestyle, Amber settled with her husband in a neighborhood with top-rated public schools to raise their now 13-year-old son and 16-year-old daughter. All seemed well until her then-13-year-old daughter wanted to attend a school-sponsored overnight camp. Aware of Colorado’s evolving laws and the school’s heightened focus on gender identity, Amber contacted the school, concerned about biological males potentially bunking with biological females. “They confirmed it could happen,” she said. “I wasn’t okay with my young, menstruating daughter sharing a room with a male at a school camp.” Fortunately, the school allowed Amber to review and approve her daughter’s roommates. Meanwhile, a boy at her children’s elementary school was socially transitioned to a girl by the school, sparking tough dinner-table talks. “As a parent, I saw it as abuse, but I had to model tolerance for my kids, teaching them to use their classmate’s new name and be kind. Elementary school is far too young for these concepts.”

Danielle

Danielle and her husband, who met in the Peace Corps in Zambia, moved to Colorado 20 years ago, settling in Frisco in 2018 on her husband’s recommendation. They didn’t expect Summit County’s public schools, where their 10-year-old daughter and 13-year-old son are enrolled, to prioritize certain identity groups over others. Yet, in October 2022, the Summit School District Board of Education unanimously passed a resolution declaring, “the Summit School District Board of Education officially reaffirms its commitment to policies that support and represent the diverse people and families in our communities and opposes any action by the Colorado State Board of Education to remove or limit the representation of LGBTQ+ and BIPOC people in K-3 grade-level standards.” This triggered widespread parental backlash, with many questioning why the school board emphasized immutable traits like race or presumed sexual orientation when teaching young children about historical figures.

Danielle rallied her community to challenge the resolution at school board meetings, and parents circulated a petition to repeal it. She ran for the Summit District school board in 2023, but progressive candidates championing equity, social-emotional well-being, and belonging overwhelmingly defeated those, like Danielle, focused on academic excellence. The election results stifled efforts to prioritize academics in public schools. Some families turned to homeschooling or left Colorado, but Danielle feels stuck—her husband’s job ties them to Frisco, where charter schools are absent, and private schools are unaffordable. To protect her children from the state’s emphasis on gender ideology, she opts them out of the Healthy Kids Colorado survey, fifth-grade “puberty week,” and Social Emotional Learning assessments. She fears her empathetic daughter is vulnerable to these narratives, as the school portrays social justice involvement as “kind.” “Fighting the system is hard to do,” says Danielle.

Phoebe

Phoebe (a pseudonym), a metro-Denver native now raising a two-year-old in Fort Collins with another baby due later this year, senses a shift in Colorado’s family-friendly reputation, though she’s unfamiliar with specific laws eroding parental roles. “Even though our local public school earns high marks for academics, many families in our neighborhood opt for charter or private schools, fearing public school teachers might tell kids they’re not who they’re meant to be,” she says. Nearly half of her friends with children in Colorado have chosen homeschooling. Phoebe anticipates tough decisions ahead: when should she shield her children from certain influences or let them grow through challenging experiences? For instance, if the public library displays a “Hate Is Not Welcome Here” banner when her kids can read, should she skip storytime or attend after discussing it with them? “How will I know when I’ve reached that point? I think about this all the time,” says Phoebe.

An Emergency for Parents

Colorado’s regulatory framework permits public schools to facilitate a minor’s gender identity transition without parental knowledge or consent, leaving no room for passive parenting. Parents are embracing “courageous parenting” by:

• Engaging in candid conversations with their children about social contagions and their risks;

• Teaching discernment by distinguishing between predatory behaviors and those of trustworthy adults;

• Challenging school policies, practices, and teacher actions that conflict with their values;

• Removing smartphones and access to social media, including video game chat rooms;

• Making tough, financially significant choices about schooling;

• Connecting with like-minded parents for support.

Colorado’s legislature may aspire to reshape the state in California’s image, but Coloradans—both newcomers and longtime residents—cling fiercely to their rugged individualism. I’m confident that this independent spirit will prevail, as most Colorado children mature into adults with keen skepticism, unyielding resilience, and the support of devoted, courageous parents.

Laureen is a mom, retired healthcare executive, active champion of classical liberalism, and is committed to saving the soul of her beloved home state Colorado.

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Genspect is excited to welcome Jennifer Sey, founder of XX-XY Athletics, to The Bigger Picture Conference. The Colorado-based athletic brand, established by Sey to advocate for women’s sports, is suing the state of Colorado over HB25-1312, also known as the Kelly Loving Act. This recent state law restricts the company’s ability to refer to transgender individuals by their birth names or biologically accurate language, a core component of its marketing message.