Colorado voters have approved Proposition 135, a ballot measure prohibiting certain surgeries for people under 18 when the purpose is to alter the minor's biological sex characteristics in response to the minor's perception of sex or gender.
With 95 percent of precincts reporting, the measure led 52.03 percent to 47.97 percent — 1,338,255 votes to 1,233,751 — according to Ballotpedia. The results are unofficial until certified; Colorado's secretary of state must certify statewide results by November 30.
The measure also bars the use of state or federal funds, Medicaid reimbursements or insurance coverage to pay for the prohibited procedures. It includes exceptions for male circumcision, treatment of medically verifiable disorders of sex development, and treatment for acquired physical or chemical abnormalities.
Proposition 135 does not restrict nonsurgical care such as puberty blockers, hormone treatments or counseling, and it does not list specific procedures — the ban depends on the purpose of an operation, according to the state's official ballot analysis.
Voters also approved Proposition 134, which requires participation in school sports based on a student's sex assigned at birth, by about 53 percent. Both measures are scheduled to take effect January 1, 2027.
The outcome is a significant political twist: the same ballot that passed both measures elected Democrat Phil Weiser governor by 27 points and handed Democrats two-thirds control of both legislative chambers for the first time in 89 years. Weiser, who publicly opposed both propositions, said on November 4 that lawmakers should take another look at the measures.
Because both are statutes rather than constitutional amendments, the legislature seated on January 11 can rewrite or erase either one with a simple majority. Weiser takes office the next day.
