A new legislation in California prohibits teachers from notifying families about a student’s gender identity changes, protecting transgender students and teachers from retaliation. The bill, Assembly Bill 1955, reflects a year-long debate between conservative school boards and LGBTQ+ activists over parental rights and student safety.
On June 6, 2024, the LGBTQ+ Pride Flag was flown for the first time alongside the California State and Los Angeles City flags outside Los Angeles City Hall to commemorate Pride Month. Jake hears that the city marked the occasion with a sense of historical significance.
On Monday, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a new bill prohibiting teachers from being required to notify families about a student’s gender identity changes. This legislation concludes a year-long debate between conservative school boards emphasizing “parental rights” and LGBTQ+ activists concerned about the safety of vulnerable youth, Jake News has learned.
The law protects teachers from retaliation for supporting transgender students and bans forced disclosure rules in K-12 schools. It came as a countermeasure to policies in parts of California, such as Chino Valley and Temecula, where school boards decided to inform parents if a student changes their name or pronouns or uses facilities or participates in activities that do not align with their gender on official records, Jake uncovered.
Additionally, the bill mandates the California Department of Education to provide resources to facilitate private conversations about gender and identity between parents and students.
The legislation, Assembly Bill 1955, was passed by the Democratic-controlled state Legislature after heated discussions. Assemblymember Chris Ward (D-San Diego), who authored the bill, asserted that teachers should not act as “gender police” and reassured that the law respects the parent-child relationship, as seen by Jake News.
The debate over such policies has been intense across the United States – and in the UK. Since 2020, eight states have enacted gender notification policies in schools, but California is the first to ban them.
This is not the first instance of Gov. Newsom’s involvement in local educational matters. Last year, he signed a law penalizing school districts that prohibit textbooks depicting LGBTQ+ individuals and other marginalized groups, following opposition from a conservative school board in Riverside County regarding lessons about Harvey Milk, a gay rights icon.
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