Apparel Company Challenges Colorado’s New Anti-Discrimination Law
Amidst ongoing debates over gender identity and sports, XX-XY Athletics, led by former gymnastics champion Jennifer Sey, is taking a legal stand against Colorado’s recent amendment to its Anti-Discrimination Act. This move highlights the tension between gender rights and freedom of speech as shaped by new legislation.
XX-XY Athletics, an organization dedicated to keeping men’s participation out of women’s sports, has filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado. The suit challenges recent changes to the Colorado Anti-Discrimination Act, which now includes protections for “gender identity” and mandates the use of chosen names and pronouns in public accommodations and advertising.
The amendment, passed as part of House Bill 25-1312, or the Kelly Loving Act, extends anti-discrimination protections to cover gender expression, including how one chooses to be addressed. The legislation aims to ensure fair access to employment, housing, and public services free from discrimination, according to the law’s text.
However, XX-XY Athletics argues that the law infringes upon free speech rights. The company’s lawsuit states, “This expresses the legislature’s intent that it be illegal for public accommodations like XX-XY Athletics, in their advertising, customer interactions, and elsewhere, to refer to transgender-identifying individuals with their given names or with biologically accurate language.”
The Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), representing XX-XY Athletics, claims the amendment threatens businesses with penalties for refusing to comply. ADF Senior Counsel Hal Frampton remarked, “Colorado continues to place itself on the wrong side of the law by forcing Coloradans to speak against their conscience.” Frampton further emphasized the importance of protecting open expression of beliefs regarding gender differences.
In response, Democratic state Sen. Faith Winter, a sponsor of the bill, has defended it as a measure against genuine discrimination. She clarified in a statement that the law targets intentional actions causing harm, rather than accidental misnaming or misgendering.
The lawsuit from XX-XY Athletics is not the only challenge facing the law. A coalition of conservative groups, under representation by the Virginia-based Defending Education, also filed a legal complaint. They argue the definition of “gender expression” in the bill is too broad and punishes speech that doesn’t align with the law’s viewpoint on sex and gender.
This article was originally written by www.christianpost.com
