Representative Junie Joseph: Colorado Will Not Let Washington Interfere in Care for LGBTQIA+

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 18, 2025
Boulder, CO

Colorado Will Not Let Washington Interfere in Care for Our LGBTQIA+ Communities

As a legislator, a member of this community, and someone who believes every young person deserves safety and dignity, I am deeply alarmed by the federal government’s latest attempts to interfere in private medical decisions. Today’s announcement by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) seeks to restrict gender-affirming care for minors, but its message reaches far beyond that, targeting LGBTQIA+ people of all ages, across incomes, neighborhoods, and social classes.

These federal actions are not just policy. They are a coordinated effort to intimidate and control our communities, inserting politics into deeply personal health care decisions. But Colorado will not back down. Gender-affirming care remains legal, protected, and accessible here. Families continue to make medical decisions alongside trusted doctors. Health care providers can continue practicing evidence-based medicine without fear. Colorado, not Washington, sets health care policy for our state.

Our state has acted deliberately to protect LGBTQIA+ Coloradans. Legislation such as HB25-1309 and SB25-129 affirm a principle that should never be controversial. Medical decisions belong with patients, families, and clinicians, not politicians seeking to score points by targeting vulnerable communities. Colorado chooses care over coercion, dignity over discrimination, and science over fear.

This is not just a policy debate. It is a matter of survival. National and state data show LGBTQIA+ young people face disproportionately high risks of bullying, discrimination, and suicide. In Colorado, transgender youth seriously considered suicide at more than four times the rate of their cisgender peers. These are not abstract numbers. They are our neighbors, classmates, siblings, and children. What makes the difference is whether our community supports them. Affirming environments and access to care save lives. Fear, misinformation, and political hostility do the opposite.

Community organizations across Colorado are leading the way. One Colorado, Rocky Mountain Equality, JUNTOS, and others provide critical support, mental health services, and advocacy for LGBTQIA+ youth and families. Colorado stands with them.

To LGBTQIA+ Coloradans: you are safe here. You are valued here. You belong here. Your right to live openly, access care, and thrive is not up for political debate. It is a human right.

Colorado will continue to defend our laws, reject federal overreach, and protect the freedom, privacy, and dignity of our communities. I will continue to champion legislation that protects and affirms our LGBTQ+ community because without every member of our community, Colorado is not whole. We choose courage, compassion, and clarity, and we will not back down.

Media Contact:
Office of Representative Junie Joseph
303-866-2915
[email protected]