California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Monday signed a new law banning school districts from notifying parents if their child uses different pronouns or identifies as a gender that’s different from what’s on their school record.
AB 1955 has won praise from LGBTQ+ advocacy groups who say the ban will help protect transgender and gender-nonconforming students who live in unwelcoming households.
Tony Hoang, executive director of LGBTQ+ advocacy group Equality California, called the legislation “critical” for strengthening protections for LGBTQ+ youth against forced outing policies,
California Gov. Gavin Newsom greets people, Monday, July 8, 2024, near the Common Man Roadside Market and Deli, in Hooksett, N.H. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)
“[AB 1955] provides resources for parents and families of LGBTQ+ students to support them as they have conversations on their terms, and creates critical safeguards to prevent retaliation against teachers and school staff who foster a safe and supportive school environment for all students,” Hoang said.
But the bill has had plenty of detractors.
The conservative group, the California Family Council, said the law violates parents’ rights.
“This bill undermines their fundamental role and places boys and girls in potential jeopardy,” Jonathan Keller, the council’s president, said in a statement. “Moms and dads have both a constitutional and divine mandate to guide and protect their kids, and AB 1955 egregiously violates this sacred trust.”
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Elon Musk even weighed in, saying he would move the headquarters of SpaceX and the social media platform X to Texas from California in part because of the new law.
“This is the final straw. Because of this law and the many others that preceded it, attacking both families and companies, SpaceX will now move its HQ from Hawthorne, California, to Starbase, Texas,” Musk wrote in a post on X.
Tesla, where Musk is CEO, moved its headquarters to Austin from Palo Alto, California, in 2021.
The new law comes after several school districts in California passed policies requiring that parents be notified if a child requests to change their gender identification. That led to pushback by Democratic state officials, who say students have a right to privacy.
Newsom spokesperson Brandon Richards said the new California law will “keep children safe while protecting the critical role of parents.”
“It protects the child-parent relationship by preventing politicians and school staff from inappropriately intervening in family matters and attempting to control if, when, and how families have deeply personal conversations,” Richards said.
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AB 1955 also requires the state Department of Education to develop resources for families of LGBTQ+ students in grade 7 through high school. The law will take effect in January.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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