Christian Bookstore Sues Colorado Over Radical ‘Trans’ Law
Last week, a Colorado Springs-based Christian bookstore, Born Again Used Books, filed a lawsuit against Colorado, claiming the state’s radical “trans” law violates their constitutional right to free speech and religious freedom.
This is the third suit filed against the so-called “Kelly Loving Act” since it was passed in May.
Born Again Used Books filed its complaint on July 16, 2025 in the U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado. The case is Born Again Used Books v. Sullivan, represented by Alliance Defending Freedom.
Background
In May, Colorado lawmakers passed a law requiring places of public accommodation, like bookstores, to use people’s “preferred” pronouns and titles, or face discrimination claims.
As previously reported by the Daily Citizen, Focus on the Family spoke out against the law, noting it would threaten free speech by forcing schools and businesses to adopt gender-affirming policies that violate their beliefs.
Focus on the Family President, Jim Daly, spoke out against the bill online. Three analysts from the organization testified against the measure, and in support of parental rights and free speech, at the state capitol.
Complaint
The Christian bookstore argues Colorado’s new law violates their rights under the First and Fourteenth Amendments of the U.S. Constitution.
The owners of Born Again Used Books will sell their books to anyone, but they do not wish to violate their Christian beliefs about human sexuality. The bookstore owners believe God created sex to be immutable and that it is biologically determined.
The bookstore insists it is their constitutional right to recognize biological reality and use titles and pronouns consistent with their faith beliefs when addressing staff and the public.
They want to formalize the policy for the public, explaining their religious beliefs. However, under Colorado’s law it is illegal.
In a press release, ADF Senior Counsel Hal Frampton, director of the ADF Center for Conscience Initiatives explained, “The government cannot force Americans to say things they do not believe. Compelled speech — particularly on matters of conscience and belief — is unconstitutional.”
Specific Violations
The complaint alleges Colorado’s law violates the constitutional rights of the bookstore owners in three ways.
First, plaintiffs argue it compels them to use “preferred” pronouns and titles, or stay silent, which conflicts with their free speech.
Second, the bookstore alleges the law substantially burdens its sincerely held religious beliefs by preventing it from expressing its religious view on human sexuality and gender.
Third, the complaint argues the law is overly vague and can be used by the state to discriminate against viewpoints it dislikes.
Lastly, plaintiffs allege it violates the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment because it is not narrowly tailored to a legitimate government interest.
The legal question before the court is whether a state can compel individuals or businesses to use language that affirms a view of gender identity they reject on moral or religious grounds.
ADF Senior Counsel Hal Frampton further explained the store’s position:
As the Supreme Court has repeatedly affirmed, the government has no business trying to strip traditional views about sex and gender from the marketplace of ideas. Nor can the state compel Coloradans to speak in ways that violate their deeply held religious beliefs. Born Again Used Books shouldn’t have to continually choose between violating the law and speaking consistent with its Christian beliefs.
Request for Relief
The bookstore is seeking a preliminary and permanent injunction to keep the state from enforcing the law against them, in addition to a declaratory judgment on the merits of the case finding the law, as applied to the bookstore, to be unconstitutional.
Impact
This case is not just about whether a bookstore is forced to use “preferred” pronouns and titles. Rather, it’s about whether Americans have the right to speak according to their conscience.
For many families concerned about government overreach into religious beliefs, especially in education, the outcome of this case could either affirm their rights or threaten a new era of state-mandated ideology.
Daily Citizen will continue covering this story.
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Image credit: ADF
