Colorado Senate passes 'Tiara's Law' to allow trans-identifying felons to legally change their name

The Colorado Senate has approved HB 1071, or what's been referred to as "Tiara's Law" by transgender activists. The bill now awaits the governor's signature to become law. 

Named after Tiara Kelley, a drag queen, sex worker, and trans person who is a convicted felon, the bill aims to allow individuals convicted of felonies to change their names for what can be proven to be a "good cause." 

Kelley "has three misdemeanor charges from previous sex work in Florida. Her charges were converted to a felony according to a provision of Florida law," per Colorado Newsline.

Under this legislation, individuals with felony convictions would have the opportunity to petition a judge for a name change if they can demonstrate a "good cause," with each case ultimately being evaluated on an individual basis by a judge. Among these “good causes” would be if a transgender-identifying felon desires to change their name to coincide with their new gender identity.

Tiara Kelley has spoken publicly about the emotional impact of not being able to change his name to better reflect his now-female gender identity.

"I don’t recognize that person. I don’t recognize that name, and there’s something that happens within my gut when I hear that name. It’s almost like a punch in the face,” Kelley said.

The passage of "Tiara's Law" signifies a potential shift in how name change petitions are handled in Colorado, raising questions about the intersection of legal processes and a person's so-called "gender identity." 

Convicted felons are generally barred from legally changing their name, depending on the state, for a certain period of time. This is the case for several reasons, including the prevention of avoiding debt or avoiding disclosures regarding past sex crimes. 

"You're taking one group of people and saying they deserve more ability, more opportunity to be able to hide their criminal record over all other felons, who would also want to hide a criminal record,” said Colorado House Representative Scott Bottoms last month, according to Colorado Politics. 

The bill now waits for a signature from Colorado Governor Jared Polis.