WoLF Files Brief in Colorado Case Raising Major Concerns About Women’s Free Speech and Safety
Colorado’s Tiara’s Law has become a flashpoint in the national conversation about women’s rights, public safety, and the growing trend of compelled ideological conformity in government processes. The law, and the “decorum rules” used to silence dissent during its passage, have sparked alarm among women’s organizations including WoLF, who argue that the measure endangers women and girls while restricting their ability to speak openly about sex‑based realities.
This is a significant development.
WoLF filed an amicus brief opposing Tiara’s Law and the legislative rules that prevented women from accurately describing their concerns during public debate.
What the Case Is About
The underlying case is about so-called “decorum” rules that were put in place for legislative debate over a Colorado bill called “Tiara’s Law”, which removes multiple name‑change rules for convicted felons who identify as transgender. Under long‑standing public‑safety laws, individuals with certain criminal histories—especially violent or sexual offenses—must follow strict procedures, including public notice, before changing their names.
But Tiara’s Law creates special exceptions for individuals who say their desired name aligns with their “gender identity.” These exceptions allow:
Name changes that would otherwise be prohibited
Exemption from public‑notice requirements
Avoidance of standard safety reviews
Why Women’s Speech Was Silenced
During debate over Tiara’s Law, Colorado imposed “decorum rules” that prohibited “misgendering” and “deadnaming”, making it impossible for those giving testimony to speak plainly with factual, sex‑based language. Women who attempted to raise concerns about male violence, criminal‑history concealment, or the bill’s implications were cut off, admonished, or erased from the record. Yet supportive speakers were allowed to continue.
WoLF’s brief emphasized that these rules were not neutral civility standards — they were ideological enforcement mechanisms that violated the First Amendment rights of women who needed to speak plainly about sex when sex was relevant.
Compelled language is not civility. It is censorship.
While supporters framed the bill as a matter of identity, WoLF wanted to spotlight the broader harms: the erasure of sex in public‑safety policy, the increased risk to women and girls, and the suppression of dissenting viewpoints through compelled language rules.
WoLF’s Brief Raises Free Speech and Safety Concerns
One of the core issues raised by WoLF’s brief is violence against women is overwhelmingly committed by males. This is not a matter of belief—it is a matter of documented reality.
Research shows:
Men commit the vast majority of sexual and violent crimes
Male offenders who identify as women offend at the same rates as other males
A large percentage of male inmates who identify as women have sexual‑offense histories
All available data suggests that the proportion of trans‑identifying male inmates convicted of sexual offenses is extraordinarily high—far higher than the general male population and exponentially higher than the female population.
Tiara’s Law allows individuals in this demographic to change their names without public notice, making it harder for communities to track offenders, harder for women to protect themselves, and easier for dangerous individuals to obscure their identities.
Name‑change transparency exists for a reason.
Real‑World Consequences
The risks are not hypothetical. In California, a male inmate who identified as female was transferred to a women’s prison, where he raped multiple women. During his trial, the court forced victims to refer to him as female—even though the crimes he was charged with legally require male anatomy.
This is the kind of harm women fear when sex‑based protections are replaced with identity‑based exceptions.
Why This Matters
Public‑safety laws exist to protect vulnerable people—especially women and children. Narrowing the pool of acceptable viewpoints, or forcing citizens to use inaccurate language, does not serve the public.
Women should not have to pretend that men can become women in order to participate in legislative debate. Crime victims should not be forced to refer to male offenders as female. And communities should not lose access to information about name changes that could affect their safety. Silencing dissent does not make a policy safer. It makes it less accountable.
In addition, suppressing speech about sex‑based realities undermines decades of progress in women’s rights. Women cannot defend their legal protections if they are not permitted to speak truthfully about the biological sex that those protections are based on.
WoLF’s Position
While others may frame this issue through religious or political lenses, WoLF’s position is secular, nonpartisan, evidence‑based, and focused on the material realities facing women and girls. Our coalition includes radical feminists, liberal women, conservative women, lesbians, bisexual women, detransitioners, and others harmed by the erasure of sex in law and policy.
We believe that:
Women deserve safety
Children deserve evidence‑based care
Public‑safety laws should be grounded in reality
Truth—not ideology—should guide our institutions
Tiara’s Law threatens all of these principles.
Support WoLF’s Legal Fight
For over 10 years, WoLF has been on the forefront of this fight, pushing back against both liberal indoctrination of gender identity and conservative narratives of gender roles. We unapologetically put women and girls first.
WoLF relies on the donations of our generous supporters to continue this legal work.
Please consider donating today to support our fight in the courts.