CO Senate Bill 200

Colorado followed the actions of other states when on May 31, 2008 Ritter signed Senate Bill 200 which expands “anti-discrimination” law to cover sexual orientation, meaning not only homosexuality or bisexuality, but also “transgender status or another person’s perception thereof.”

The bill itself seems inocuous on first read (yes I did read the whole bill a couple times). Essentially I can't refuse a person housing, dining, access to pulic places, etc. based on their statement or my percption of their sexual orientation. But this is what disturbs me:

• the wiggle room left in the bill for interpretation;
• the scope of "free speech" that is defined as being prohibited and discriminatory when referencing our thoughts or beliefs on homosexuality, bisexuality, and transgender lifestyle choices;
• the very loose definition of "transgender" identity; and
• lastly, but most importantly, the raising of sexual orientation status to the equality of other basic rights. The belief that men and women are "born that way" instead of choosing the lifestyle is now written into law.

The other area of even greater concern is this clause in the bill:

"Part 6: Discrimination in places of public accomodation. "place of public accommodation" means any place of business engaged in any sales to the public and any place offering services, facilities, privileges, advantages, or accommodations to the public, including but not limited to any business offering wholesale or retail sales to the public; any place to eat, drink, sleep, or rest, or any combination thereof; any sporting or recreational area and facility; any public transportation facility; a barber shop, bathhouse, swimming pool, bath, steam or massage parlor, gymnasium, or other establishment conducted to serve the health, appearance, or physical condition of a person; a campsite or trailer camp; a dispensary, clinic, hospital, convalescent home, or other institution for the sick, ailing, aged, or infirm; a mortuary, undertaking parlor, or cemetery; an educational institution; or any public building, park, arena, theater, hall, auditorium, museum, library, exhibit, or public facility of any kind whether indoor or outdoor."

I can't see anything here that specifically requires restrooms to be available without discrimination--but I also don't see anything that exempts restrooms, locker rooms, or other traditionally single-sex facilities from this law. I don't see any lawful way for a business to tell a cross-dressing man that he can't use the women's restroom, or the women's locker room.

Here are some other articles that might be worth reading:

Colorado Gov. Bill Ritter Signs Transgender Bill
Equal Rights Colorado Website Response to Bill
Ritter signs controversial anti-discrimination bill - Denver Post
Senate Bill 200 and moral sovereignty - Rocky Mountain News