Colorado Votes to Protect Children, Support Families as Propositions 133, 134 and 135 Projected to Pass
Colorado's Catholic bishops welcomed the election results as a victory for children and families, following more than a year of advocacy for the three ballot measures.
Three Colorado ballot propositions backed by the state’s four Catholic leaders — Denver Archbishop James Golka, Denver Auxiliary Bishop Jorge Rodríguez, Pueblo Bishop Stephen Berg and Colorado Springs Diocesan Administrator Father Kyle Ingels, who is overseeing that diocese until a new bishop is named — and the Colorado Catholic Conference are now projected to pass following Tuesday’s election, a development the Church leaders are grateful for.
Propositions 133 “Children are Not for Sale Act,” 134 “Protect Girls’ Sports Act,” and 135 “Protect Kids from Irreversible Sex-Rejecting Surgeries Act,” which address child sex trafficking penalties, participation in school sports and certain surgeries on minors, respectively, were sponsored by Protect Kids Colorado and supported by the bishops through the Colorado Catholic Conference, the united voice of Colorado's Catholic bishops.
The bishops, at the time including then-Archbishop Samuel J. Aquila of Denver and then-Bishop James Golka of Colorado Springs, wrote an open letter urging support for the three initiatives in August 2025, as Protect Kids Colorado sought to get them on the November 2026 ballot. In that letter, they asked all Catholic parishes in Colorado to host three signature-collection weekends in fall 2025.
A few months later, in February 2026, the initiatives had collected more than 503,000 signatures, cumulatively, a milestone organizers celebrated as an unprecedented success.
Still, all three propositions drew strong opinions on both sides and Propositions 134 and 135 were too close to call for some time.
By Thursday afternoon, with more than 2.3 million votes cast, Proposition 133 had secured more than 62% support, as Propositions 134 and 135 led with 52.7% and 52.3%, respectively. The Colorado bishops welcomed the projected results as a victory for the protection of children statewide.
The bishops first expressed gratitude for the passage of Proposition 133 “Children are Not for Sale Act,” which received 62% of the vote.
“As the Colorado bishops, we are grateful for the passage of Proposition 133. This measure sends a strong signal from Colorado citizens that our children are not for sale. They are not to be treated as commodities for profit by human traffickers, and those who attempt to sell and buy children for sex will face just penalties for the grave offense they committed,” the bishops said in a statement. “Colorado sadly has a reputation as a top trafficking state, and we pray that this new law, approved by voters, will help combat sex trafficking of children in our state and country.”
In the projected passage of Proposition 134 “Protect Girls’ Sports Act,” with 52.7% of the vote, the bishops saw an affirmation of biological differences between men and women and the importance of respecting those differences in school athletic settings.
“We applaud the passage of Proposition 134, which will protect girls’ safety and integrity in sports. It has been affirmed by Colorado voters, through the passage of Proposition 134, that there are unique and immutable biological differences between men and women, and that sports need to respect those differences,” the bishops continued. “It includes not only participation in sports activities but also the sharing of bathrooms and locker rooms, all of which come with participating in sports. We encourage all sports organizations and districts to adhere to these differences and enact policies at their respective levels that protect all.”
Lastly, the bishops expressed gratitude to voters for the projected passage of Proposition 135 “Protect Kids from Irreversible Sex-Rejecting Surgeries Act,” with 52.3% of the vote, which would prohibit certain surgeries on minors intended to alter biological sex characteristics in response to their perception of sex or gender.
“We praise the passage of Proposition 135. Every child in Colorado deserves to be protected from permanent, life-altering medical interventions that carry irreversible lifelong consequences,” they said in a statement. “With the passage of Proposition 135, they will now be protected.”
Expressing concern that children lack the developmental maturity to make irreversible medical decisions, the bishops called for truly compassionate care that addresses their long-term well-being.
“It is a scientific reality that minors lack the developmental maturity to make permanent body alterations, and our laws should reflect that same protective care for children experiencing distress,” they concluded. “True, compassionate healthcare must respect biological reality and long-term psychological support. We call on our lawmakers to respect the voters' decision and enact more policies consistent with this proposition.”
For more on the Colorado bishops’ response to the Election 2026 developments, read Colorado Catholic Bishops Congratulate Newly Elected Officials, Call for Common Good.
