Five little-known new state laws make Colorado a more inclusive and fair place. From adoption to estate planning, and from the workplace to keeping our communities safe, these laws protect all of us — particularly residents who are lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender (LGBT) — and deserve higher visibility.
A closer look at these new laws:
• Employment non-discrimination: It is illegal in Colorado to consider sexual orientation, to include gender expression, when making employment-related decisions. The law also makes it illegal to make inquiries about an applicant or employee's sexual orientation. The employment non-discrimination statute applies to all employers, employment agencies, labor organizations, on-the-job training, and vocational training programs and schools.
• Housing and public accommodations non-discrimination: This law ensures that all Coloradans are provided with equal access to housing and public accommodations. Just last year, the law was amended to include discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender expression. The housing provisions protect LGBT people by ensuring that landlords, sellers and affiliated agents such as insurers or advertising companies cannot discriminate. A place of public accommodation is any business that offers sales or services of any kind to the public, such as hotels, restaurants, stores, hospitals, clinics and health clubs.
• Hate-crimes protections: Hate crimes are intended to create fear among an entire community of citizens. The Colorado bias-motivated crime law covers crimes committed with the intent to intimidate or harass another person because of actual or perceived race, color, religion, ancestry, national origin, physical or mental disability, or sexual orientation, inclusive of gender expression.
• Second-parent adoption: This law gives same-sex partners and unmarried couples the opportunity to have both parents take on the legal rights and responsibilities of being a parent. Before this law was enacted, LGBT couples faced constant hurdles in raising their children. With the legal protection now in place, children can have two legal parents, thereby providing them with more financial security and better access to health and insurance benefits.
• Designated beneficiaries: This law allows any two adults who are not or cannot be married to enter into an agreement, making each adult a decision-maker in case of incapacity or a beneficiary in case of death. By signing a simple form at their county clerk's office, Coloradans can now easily and inexpensively choose who they want to make decisions in case of emergency or death. Some of the specific areas covered in the law include: inheritance protection, life insurance benefits, health benefits, wrongful death, workers' compensation, hospital and nursing home visitation and medical decision-making.
Many studies have shown that the most productive employees in our society value open, diverse workplaces where discrimination of any type is not tolerated and creativity is encouraged. In these fiscally trying times, efforts that further our economic development as a state should be encouraged.
Knowledge is power. We believe that the more people become familiar with these laws, the more successful they will be at engendering fairness and equality. The GLBT Community Center of Colorado has launched a public education campaign, The Rights Five (www.rightsfive.com), to ensure all residents become informed.
As Coloradans dedicated to this state and its future, we are all equally responsible for the creation of a culture that promotes and rewards inclusivity, equality and respect for all. So spread the word by telling at least five friends about these five changes in Colorado's law.
Carlos Martinez is Executive Director of the GLBT Community Center of Colorado; Bruce H. DeBoskey is ADL Mountain States Regional Director; and Jeremy Shaver is Executive Director of the Interfaith Alliance of Colorado.
