
'Misgendering' now considered discrimination in this US state: Here's what the law says
Colorado Governor Jared Polis has signed House Bill 1312 into law, marking a significant shift in how the state handles discrimination against transgender individuals. While early drafts of the legislation stirred controversy, its final version still delivers key protections, including restrictions on 'misgendering' and 'deadnaming' in specific contexts.
Tired of too many ads? go ad free now
The bill, named the 'Kelly Loving Act' after a transgender woman killed in the 2022 Club Q shooting, expands Colorado's anti-discrimination laws. It no longer explicitly mentions the terms 'misgendering' or 'deadnaming', but it lays out provisions that indirectly address those actions by mandating inclusive practices across public records, education, and identification documents.
Originally, HB 1312 included far-reaching clauses, including a requirement that courts consider 'deadnaming' and 'misgendering' in child custody disputes as forms of coercive control.
Those sections were ultimately removed after significant public pushback and concerns raised by groups across the political spectrum. Over 700 people signed up to testify at a Senate hearing – the highest number for any bill this session.
Polis, a Democrat and the nation's first openly gay governor, acknowledged the controversy. He said he was 'not comfortable' with the family law provisions in the initial draft, praising the final version for better reflecting public consensus.
'A lot of the controversial parts were removed during the legislative process,' he added. 'What's left are a few provisions that make it easier to reflect the gender identity of folks.
'
Under the law, individuals can now update their marriage or civil union licences with a new name without the revised certificate being marked as amended. The same applies to sex designation changes on a Colorado driver's licence, which may now be made up to three times before a court order is required.
Tired of too many ads? go ad free now
In educational settings, students are allowed to choose names for any reason if a school has a name policy in place. Dress code policies must now permit all students to choose among available options, regardless of gender identity.
The bill also includes a clause that prevents Colorado courts from recognising laws from other states that would penalise parents for supporting a child's access to gender-affirming care.
Despite the removal of some of its original provisions, HB 1312 still marks a landmark moment in LGBTQ+ rights in Colorado. Sponsored by Democrats in both chambers, the bill passed 36-20 in the House and 20-14 in the Senate.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Hindustan Times
2 hours ago
- Hindustan Times
Laura Loomer's snide remark on Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's weight gain backfires
American far-right political activist Laura Loomer's snide remark on Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's supposed weight gain has not gone down well with a large section of the internet. Loomer, on Sunday, shared an Instagram video that shows Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez – also known as AOC – endorsing Zohran Mamdani in the 2025 NYC mayoral primary. The Democrat congresswoman was seen wearing a red dress in the video. 'Yikes. AOC has gained at least 50 pounds since getting into Congress,' Laura Loomer wrote while responding to the video. 'She's getting massive,' Loomer added, tagging AOC in her post. The comment attracted criticism from hundreds of people. Many called out Laura Loomer for body shaming and asked her to confine her criticism to work, rather than appearance. Some of the criticism came from supporters of the Republican party, which Loomer also supports. 'Don't do this. Please. Attack her policies and corruption all day. Leave the body shaming alone,' wrote X user Chrissy Casilio, a Republican. 'I am no Democrat but you attacking another woman's look is very disgusting,' another user added. 'I'm a conservative but let's criticize policies and NOT resort to personal petty attacks but that's just my opinion,' a third wrote. Some of the reactions were less charitable than others. 'You are the last person who should comment on someone's appearance, Looner. You're a walking plastic surgery nightmare,' an X user said. 'This is the sort of petty c**p that makes it hard to take you seriously on anything. Stick to legit criticisms, of that there is plenty, not her weight or figure,' a user said. Alexandria Ocasio‑Cortez is currently serving as the U.S. Representative for New York's 14th Congressional District. Laura Loomer, on the other hand, is a far‑right political activist, conspiracy theorist, and MAGA influencer closely aligned with Donald Trump.


The Hindu
4 hours ago
- The Hindu
Chinese hackers and user lapses turn smartphones into a 'mobile security crisis'
Cybersecurity investigators noticed a highly unusual software crash — it was affecting a small number of smartphones belonging to people who worked in government, politics, tech and journalism. The crashes, which began late last year and carried into 2025, were the tipoff to a sophisticated cyberattack that may have allowed hackers to infiltrate a phone without a single click from the user. The attackers left no clues about their identities, but investigators at the cybersecurity firm iVerify noticed that the victims all had something in common: They worked in fields of interest to China's government and had been targeted by Chinese hackers in the past. Foreign hackers have increasingly identified smartphones, other mobile devices and the apps they use as a weak link in U.S. cyber-defences. Groups linked to China's military and intelligence service have targeted the smartphones of prominent Americans and burrowed deep into telecommunication networks, according to national security and tech experts. It shows how vulnerable mobile devices and apps are and the risk that security failures could expose sensitive information or leave American interests open to cyberattack, those experts say. 'The world is in a mobile security crisis right now,' said Rocky Cole, a former cybersecurity expert at the National Security Agency and Google and now chief operations officer at iVerify. 'No one is watching the phones.' U.S. authorities warned in December of a sprawling Chinese hacking campaign designed to gain access to the texts and phone conversations of an unknown number of Americans. 'They were able to listen in on phone calls in real time and able to read text messages,' said Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi of Illinois. He is a member of the House Intelligence Committee and the senior Democrat on the Committee on the Chinese Communist Party, created to study the geopolitical threat from China. Chinese hackers also sought access to phones used by Donald Trump and running mate JD Vance during the 2024 campaign. The Chinese government has denied allegations of cyberespionage, and accused the U.S. of mounting its own cyberoperations. It says America cites national security as an excuse to issue sanctions against Chinese organisations and keep Chinese technology companies from the global market. 'The U.S. has long been using all kinds of despicable methods to steal other countries' secrets,' Lin Jian, a spokesman for China's foreign ministry, said at a recent press conference in response to questions about a CIA push to recruit Chinese informants. U.S. intelligence officials have said China poses a significant, persistent threat to U.S. economic and political interests, and it has harnessed the tools of digital conflict: online propaganda and disinformation, artificial intelligence and cyber surveillance and espionage designed to deliver a significant advantage in any military conflict. Mobile networks are a top concern. The U.S. and many of its closest allies have banned Chinese telecom companies from their networks. Other countries, including Germany, are phasing out Chinese involvement because of security concerns. But Chinese tech firms remain a big part of the systems in many nations, giving state-controlled companies a global footprint they could exploit for cyberattacks, experts say. Chinese telecom firms still maintain some routing and cloud storage systems in the U.S. — a growing concern to lawmakers. 'The American people deserve to know if Beijing is quietly using state-owned firms to infiltrate our critical infrastructure,' U.S. Rep. John Moolenaar, R-Mich. and chairman of the China committee, which in April issued subpoenas to Chinese telecom companies seeking information about their U.S. operations. Mobile devices can buy stocks, launch drones and run power plants. Their proliferation has often outpaced their security. The phones of top government officials are especially valuable, containing sensitive government information, passwords and an insider's glimpse into policy discussions and decision-making. The White House said last week that someone impersonating Susie Wiles, Trump's chief of staff, reached out to governors, senators and business leaders with texts and phone calls. It's unclear how the person obtained Wiles' connections, but they apparently gained access to the contacts in her personal cellphone, The Wall Street Journal reported. The messages and calls were not coming from Wiles' number, the newspaper reported. While most smartphones and tablets come with robust security, apps and connected devices often lack these protections or the regular software updates needed to stay ahead of new threats. That makes every fitness tracker, baby monitor or smart appliance another potential foothold for hackers looking to penetrate networks, retrieve information or infect systems with malware. Federal officials launched a program this year creating a 'cyber trust mark' for connected devices that meet federal security standards. But consumers and officials shouldn't lower their guard, said Snehal Antani, former chief technology officer for the Pentagon's Joint Special Operations Command. 'They're finding backdoors in Barbie dolls,' said Antani, now CEO of a cybersecurity firm, referring to concerns from researchers who successfully hacked the microphone of a digitally connected version of the toy. It doesn't matter how secure a mobile device is if the user doesn't follow basic security precautions, especially if their device contains classified or sensitive information, experts say. Mike Waltz, who departed as Trump's national security adviser, inadvertently added The Atlantic's editor-in-chief to a Signal chat used to discuss military plans with other top officials. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth had an internet connection that bypassed the Pentagon's security protocols set up in his office so he could use the Signal messaging app on a personal computer, the AP has reported. Hegseth has rejected assertions that he shared classified information on Signal, a popular encrypted messaging app not approved for the use of communicating classified information. China and other nations will try to take advantage of such lapses, and national security officials must take steps to prevent them from recurring, said Michael Williams, a national security expert at Syracuse University. 'They all have access to a variety of secure communications platforms,' Williams said. 'We just can't share things willy-nilly.'


News18
5 hours ago
- News18
'Tired, Stressed': Errol Musk Blames ‘PTSD' For His Son's Public Fallout With Donald Trump
Last Updated: According to Errol Musk, the two individuals have been under stress for the past five months, with the bill serving as the breaking point that escalated their tensions. Tech billionaire Elon Musk's father, Errol Musk has claimed that his son's outburst against US President Donald Trump was a result of 'PTSD' incurred during his time in the White House, adding that his son erred by confronting Trump, who he believed was ultimately going to win their contentious dispute. The senior Musk made the remark in Moscow, where he is expected to address a forum organised by Vladimir Putin's closest aides. The Tesla CEO and the Republican leader had a bitter, public fall out after the former criticised the Trump administration's recent 'Big, Beautiful Bill." 'So they had an argument about that [bill], and as they are all suffering from a bit of PTSD, a post-traumatic stress disorder over the last few months, they started hitting out at each other," Errol Said as reported by Metro. 'But unfortunately, he doesn't realise that in order to get their votes in the Senate and the Congress, Trump has to do that," he added. According to Musk Sr, the two prominent figures had been under considerable stress for the past five months, with the bill serving as the breaking point that escalated their tensions. 'They are the only two people left in the arena, Trump and Elon, and all they were used to was fighting with the opposition. They've been under a lot of stress for five months. And it gives them a break. You know, they've had to get rid of all the opposition, try and put the country back on track, and do normal things and so forth," Errol said. Musk-Trump Feud Once close allies, Donald Trump and Elon Musk are now locked in a public feud that has rapidly escalated. The fallout began after Musk strongly criticised Trump's sweeping tax and domestic policy bill, calling it a 'disgusting abomination". What began as a policy disagreement quickly became personal, with both sides exchanging insults online and in private meetings. Musk even resurfaced old quotes from Trump and GOP leaders about spending and deficits, further fuelling tensions. In response, Trump suggested severing federal ties with Musk's companies. Just weeks ago, Musk was still being honoured as a trusted advisor to the administration; now, the relationship appears to have completely broken down. First Published: June 09, 2025, 07:44 IST