DENVER — In response to concerns from community members, Denver City Council is considering an ordinance that would reduce what sponsors call unnecessary gender documentation and recordkeeping.
The goal of the bill is to "prevent city resources from being weaponized against trans and gender-expansive people, and prohibit the city and county from sharing information that would advance investigations which target trans and gender-expansive people," Councilwoman Stacie Gilmore said during a presentation about the Sex & Gender Identity Protection Ordinance.
Watch Colette Bordelon's video report below:
The ordinance applies to voluntary collection and disclosure of an individual's actual or perceived sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression data. If that data must be collected, the information could only be retained for 30 days.
Collection of such data that is required by federal, state or city law would be exempt from such requirements.
“There were a number of concerns from that data being available to use in terms of people's employment, that data being available to share among different counties and also being able to be shared with the federal government that has already been targeting trans folks," said Councilwoman Shontel Lewis, who is sponsoring the bill alongside Gilmore. "A lot of states are moving to more regressive and biased policies, and because of that, it's creating a lot of fear in our communities, locally."
The director of Bread and Roses Legal Center, Z Williams, said the idea was a result of a survey conducted while creating the Kelly Loving Act, which was signed into law in 2025 and expanded legal protections for transgender Coloradans.
"We've tried to make it narrowly tailored, tried to make it discreet and specific. So, it's really addressing the issues that we're worried about," said Williams, who has worked closely with councilmembers on the ordinance.
Williams explained that the bill would ensure gender data is collected in a thoughtful manner, deleted when it is no longer needed and would not be shared with other cities, states or the federal government.
"This bill was made to protect trans people specifically," Williams said. "There are states, for example, that have banned all forms of gender-affirming care. This bill could protect their information from the city of Denver.”
While a handful of people spoke in favor of the proposal during a Health and Safety Committee hearing, there were two individuals who spoke against it.
"This is the most ridiculous thing I think I've ever seen this council bring forward, and I've been attending these meetings for over 10 years," one of the opponents of the ordinance said. "You want us to engage in gender dysphoria."
According to Williams, Denver would be the first city in the state to implement such a policy.
"I want every trans kid to know that they are fought for. They are not just cared for. They are not just loved. They are not just important, but they are fought for," Williams said. “We will do whatever it takes to keep them safe, and this moment will pass.”
The bill advanced out of two committee hearings last week and is scheduled for a first reading before Denver City Council on Sept. 28. A second reading of the bill is expected on Oct. 5.
If the ordinance were to become law, it would go into effect on Jan. 1, 2027.
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