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JACKSON THOMPSON: Colorado Gov-elect Phil Weiser signals possible changes to girls’ sports ballot measure
Colorado Governor-elect Phil Weiser has said lawmakers may review and adjust Proposition 134, a proposed law restricting access to girls’ and women’s school sports teams by biological sex. The measure was ahead in unofficial returns, and Weiser raised concerns about how athletes’ sex might be verified, although the proposal does not require full-body examinations.
Proposition 134 would require school teams from elementary through college level to be designated male, female or co-educational; male students could not join female teams, while female students could join male teams if no equivalent female team existed. Unofficial returns showed 52.66% support and 47.34% opposition, but the result was too close to call. The state voter guide says schools would set verification procedures and notes uncertainty over how the proposal would interact with existing protections for gender identity; Democrats’ legislative supermajorities could influence any revisions.
In short
- Weiser says lawmakers may adjust Proposition 134.
- The measure led narrowly in unofficial returns.
- Schools would decide how to verify athletes’ sex.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Supporters can argue that sex-separated teams help preserve fair competition and meaningful opportunities for girls and women, particularly where physical differences may affect performance. They may see clear, consistently applied eligibility rules as necessary to make the measure workable, while favouring school-set procedures over a single statewide verification method.
The case against
Opponents can argue that restricting participation by biological sex may exclude transgender students from teams that reflect their gender, harming their inclusion and wellbeing. They may also see verification procedures as intrusive or inconsistently applied, and favour rules that protect fair competition without imposing unnecessary scrutiny or weakening existing gender-identity protections.