And, Yes…More Reality

Colorado Confidential - on that state enacting a trans-inclusive civil rights statute less than 15 years after the state’s electorate approved of a state constitutional referendum that, had it taken effect, would have made the state’s gays, lesbians and bisexuals all but non-persons:

The passage of the bill was a long time coming. It was the seventh time Sen. Jennifer Veiga (D-Denver) had introduced such a bill. Twice before it had passed both chambers before being vetoed by former Republican Gov. Bill Owens. Over the years, opponents said the bill would lead to a rash of lawsuits or that it would be bad for business, but rarely did anyone object to the inclusion of transgender people.

“This is a very interesting state in many ways,” says Jeffrey Shaw, chair of the Colorado Stonewall Democrats. “It’s somewhat a conservative state, but it’s also a libertarian state, and it’s definitely a Western state. This is a fairly good state for things like this to pass.”

University of Mississippi Prof. Paul Secunda agrees. Secunda, who teaches workplace discrimination law, says Colorado has come a long way since voters passed the anti-gay rights Amendment 2 in 1992.

“To some sense, you have conservatives in Colorado, but you’re not Mississippi,” he says.

The state didn’t object to trans stuff in 1992 either.  Had Amendment 2 been upheld, it would not have prohibited trans-based anti-discrimination law - and, also missing from the incrementalists’ pseudo-historical palette, the state had enacted a pro-transsexual statute (identity recognition, not anti-discrimination) eight years prior to Amendment 2.