Just over a week ago, to comparatively little fanfare, Gov. Jared Polis signed into law a bill that will make discrimination against anyone based on gender identity expression unlawful.
In particular, the bill will protect the rights of transgender Coloradans in the same manner as the law currently protects people based on race, sex or religion. Given the increase in anti-transgender legislation introduced recently across the country, Colorado is among the most equitable states in the nation.
It is a far cry from where our state was just under a decade ago in the LGBTQ equality discussion. The civil unions saga at the state Capitol turned the statehouse chamber into anarchy and chaos. The resultant political ramifications swamped the Colorado GOP in the next election, a drubbing it has never recovered from.
Republicans across the country may want to take note before continuing the current culture war. The short-term gain in engagement from their base could have devastating long-term consequences.
Read the rest of this column in The Colorado Sun.