2 right-wing groups score anti-trans ballot measures states to "stop the transgender plague" - LGBTQ Nation

"A 2023 study in the adolescent health journal JAMA Pediatrics put forth that anti-trans sports bans can harm trans kids' mental health. Additionally, a recent major analysis published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine found that, after one to three years of hormone therapy, trans and cis women have comparable levels of athletic fitness."

"Surgical interventions, however, are already almost never performed on minors. Trans minors virtually never receive bottom surgery, though some teenagers ultimately do get top surgery or facial procedures."

"Former state Senator Kevin Lundberg (R), a leader of the group behind the initiatives, Protect Kids Colorado, has said he is fighting to 'stop the transgender plague in Colorado.' But in an appearance on the right-wing and evangelical Lance Wallnau Show, Lundberg also admitted that the ballot measures 'will change the conversation in 2026 for the elections overall in this state.'"

Colorado voters will decide on two ballot initiatives targeting transgender youth. Initiative 109 would ban trans youth from sports teams aligned with their gender identity, including at collegiate levels. Initiative 110 would prohibit gender-affirming surgery for minors and ban state insurance coverage for such procedures. However, bottom surgery is virtually never performed on minors, while research shows anti-trans sports bans harm trans youth mental health. Studies demonstrate that after one to three years of hormone therapy, trans and cisgender women have comparable athletic fitness levels. GOP leaders have acknowledged using these measures to influence broader political conversations, employing fearmongering tactics despite limited scientific support for the restrictions.

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