Can parents who deadname their transgender children lose custody under a new Colorado law?

A provision that could have penalized parents in custody disputes who deadname or misgender their children was stripped from a transgender rights bill before it was passed into law.  

House Bill 1312, which was signed by Gov. Jared Polis in May, introduced a range of new rules meant to protect trans people from discrimination.  

Before the bill’s passage, lawmakers struck a controversial section that would have considered a parent misgendering, deadnaming or threatening to share materials related to gender-affirming care as forms of “coercive control.” Courts would have been required to consider these actions when deciding custody arrangements.

As passed, the law seeks to protect trans Coloradans from being deadnamed or misgendered in schools, workplaces and hospitals. It also allows more frequent changes on official documents to update gender identity, and lets students choose how they dress in school as long as they meet the school dress code, among other protections.