This was intended by God, and this is my cross to bear - Miranda Gohn
UPDATE: One of the measures dealing with transgender people is dead in the state legislature.
House Bill 12-09 requires the state and other entities to recognize a person's gender only as the biological sex registered at birth. Opponents call the measure an attack on the civil rights of transgender people. They note gender can be changed even on federal passports.
Representative Jim Bolin sponsored House Bill 1209. He moved to table the bill - which means he withdrew his own measure. House members agreed and voted 61 to 2 to kill the legislation.
Another measure House Bill 10-08... also known as the transgender bathroom bill... passed the full legislature and is on the Governor’s desk.
Original Story:
The House State Affairs Committee passed a bill that requires the state to recognize the gender of someone on their birth certificate and not the gender they identify with. Proponents say gender is not different than biological sex determined at birth.
Opponents call it an outright attack on transgender people that threatens civil rights. The bill comes on top of legislation now on the governor’s desk that deals with transgender access to school bathrooms and locker rooms.
Those backing House Bill 1209 say the state should only recognize the gender of someone's biological sex registered at birth. Representative Jim Bolin is a prime sponsor of the legislation.
"The question before us comes about as a result of an effort by some over a number of years to promote the concept that sex is different than gender. The reason this controversy faces us today is that, is that specific philosophical claim and it’s acceptance by influential segments of society that seek to promote non-traditional views of life and society,” says Bolin.
Opponents call this bill an attack on the rights of transgender people. They say it has unintended consequences, including name changes for adoption. They point out that sex is changeable on federal passports. Miranda Gohn testified before the committee on the difficulty and ridicule she faced in her own transition. She says her faith and the support of her family helped her through.
“For some they say, 'You were born this way this is how you should be,' " says Gohn. "For me, I look it as this was intended by God, and this is my cross to bear and this something that kind of equalizes all of us, it humbles us and puts things in perspective,” Gohn adds.
The House State Affairs Committee passed House Bill 1209 by a vote of 8 to 4, it heads next for consideration in the full house.