Action Is the Antidote to Despair, So We Are Not Backing Down!

Dear Community,

We know that the current administration, and its allies, aim to make us feel an overwhelming amount of fear and hopelessness. In doing so, we know that our community is ready to stand up and fight back. Action is the antidote to despair, so we are not backing down! Instead, we are creating resources and opportunities for our community, supporters, friends and family to walk alongside us in the fight for what is right!

Below are a few ways to get involved, take action, and fight back!

Join a One Colorado group or event.

Changemaker Cohorts

Next year we are facilitating two cohorts of Coloradans who are dedicated to making change in their communities. One cohort is for individuals who identify within the transgender/gender-expansive umbrella. The other cohort is for parents or caretakers of people who identify within the transgender/gender-expansive umbrella. Learn more and fill out our interest form here!

Health Equity Leadership Council

One Colorado's Health Equity Leadership Council is an opportunity to both share what is coming up in your community and to provide feedback on One Colorado's initiatives. Learn more and fill out our interest form here!

Youth Advocacy Retreat
The One Colorado Youth Advocacy Retreat, facilitated by the One Colorado GSA Leadership Council, is a chance for youth to learn from and with other young advocates to lead and inspire change.

This is a youth-led movement where youth will gain the skills to become a powerful advocate for LGBTQIA+ rights and social justice. This event is for youth only 13 - 23.

Event Details
Date: Oct 25, 2025
Time: 10 A.M. - 3:00 P.M.
Light Breakfast & Lunch will be provided.

Freedom For All
We’re proud to launch Freedom for All: Pathway to Power, a bold, statewide movement to educate, organize, and mobilize communities in defense of our rights.

Through a fall education campaign and a powerful 2026 statewide tour, we’re building momentum to fight anti-trans legislation and WIN in the 2026 elections together.

This isn’t just a campaign; it’s a movement grounded in freedom, dignity, equity, and opportunity.

Join our first virtual session on October 9, 2025, from 5:30–7:00 P.M. to sharpen your tools and help build a brighter future for LGBTQIA+ Coloradans and their families!

Lobby Day
One Colorado’s 2026 Freedom for All: LGBTQIA+ Lobby Day, taking place February 22–23, is focused on long-term, power-building through leadership development, narrative storytelling, and year-round mobilization.

Designed to strengthen resilience and respond to growing political attacks, Lobby Day will help lay the foundation for lasting protections and opportunities for LGBTQIA+ Coloradans.

Interested in leading efforts on Lobby Day? Apply to become a Lobby Leader and make an ever-lasting change within the LGBTQIA+ community!

Know your rights! We protect each other, and to do that we have to be informed on what our rights are. There are many resources out there including this One Colorado resource about LGBTQIA+ protections and the Colorado Immigrant Rights Coalition’s resources. One Colorado also offers a variety of trainings including Know Your Rights, Learning From our History, LGBTQIA+ 101, and more! Reach out to us if you are interested in learning more.

‍Get involved in your local politics. We need people from all over the state to show up to their school board meetings and city council meetings, to be vocal about what your values are and what you expect from your elected officials. At One Colorado, we are focused on navigating statewide policy, and we can’t be in every community across the state as much as we want to be. We need YOU to stand up. We know it is scary, and we’re going to do it anyway, together. We’re here for support if you’re unsure how to navigate a situation locally or need us to amplify a message, reach out. We’ve got us.

‍Vote! Your voice and your vote still matter. During special elections, local elections, midterm elections, AND presidential elections. We need every one of you to vote for what you believe in OR vote because you don’t believe in the alternative. We have to try to create the future we want to see, even if it is imperfect along the way.

‍Join a local mutual aid group. Community care and support is essential during this time. We are stronger when we are together and taking care of each other.

‍Have hard conversations. We can work to change policies forever, but if we’re not changing hearts and minds, we will never get anywhere. Talking to your friends, family, neighbors, and community members about the issues you care about is a huge step to making change. Sharing your story, why the issue is personally important to you, and the values that connect us can make a huge difference. These conversations, though they may feel small, and though they may feel difficult, are what are going to keep this country moving forward. Finding our shared humanity and connecting to that is extremely powerful. Need some tips on how to share your story or have hard conversations? Reach out to us, we can help!

‍Find and share joy! Perhaps one of the most powerful tools of resistance is refusing to give up our joy. Whether it’s going for a walk in the sunshine, playing games with friends, watering your plants, petting an animal, making a yummy meal, or dancing in your kitchen (my personal favorite), there are innumerable ways to experience and share joy every day. They can’t take that from us.

In the words of trans activist Imara Jones, “The only way there’s not a future is if they convince us there’s not a future.” We’ll keep fighting for our futures, and we need you to fight with us.

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In community,

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Skylar Patron, RN (They/Them)

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