At the end of September, California Gov. Gavin Newsom passed several policies to provide protections to the LGBT community, especially to transgender and gender-nonconforming people.
On passing these protection policies, Newsom states, “These measures will help protect vulnerable youth, promote acceptance, and create more supportive environments in our schools and communities.”
In the wake of Newsom vetoing Assembly Bill (AB) 957 – a bill requiring California courts to consider parental gender affirmation in custody cases – many acts within this slate of legislation protect the rights of transgender and gender-diverse youth. Newsom’s veto for AB 957 receives criticism as the bill recognizes a parent’s affirmation of a child’s gender identity as health, safety, and welfare. The new policies are meaningful and provide some of the fundamental rights of transgender and gender-diverse people, but the passing of these bills does not subtract from the impact of the veto of AB 957.
This slate of legislation includes nine policies passed regarding the rights of LGBT Californians, many of which protect student rights. California is facing several issues regarding the rights of transgender and gender-diverse students, such as with the Clovis Unified School District. The passing of these acts implements policies such as competency training for teachers and provides accessible all-gender restrooms in schools. With these and several other acts that help protect the rights of the LGBT community, opportunities are on the rise for students to express their authentic identities in a safe environment.
Here is the list of the bills signed by Newsom in this slate of legislation:
- AB 5 – The Safe and Supportive Schools Act.
- AB 223 – Change of gender and sex identifier.
- AB 760 – Public postsecondary education: affirmed name and gender identification.
- AB 783 – Business licenses: single-user restrooms.
- AB 994 – Law enforcement: social media.
- SB 372 – Department of Consumer Affairs: licensee and registrant records: name and gender changes.
- SB 407 – Foster care: resource families.
- SB 760 – School facilities: all-gender restrooms.
- SB 857 – Advisory task force: LGBTQ+ pupil needs.
