(Sacramento) California Governor Gavin Newsom on Saturday signed several bills into law aimed at strengthening state protections for LGBTQ+ people, a day after issuing a controversial veto that was criticized by his opponents.
This new legislation focuses on supporting LGBTQ+ youth. One law sets deadlines for required cultural competency training for public school teachers and staff, while another will create an advisory task force to determine the needs of LGBTQ+ students and help advance initiatives supporting this clientele. A third law requires families to show they can and are willing to meet the needs of a child in foster care, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity.
“California is proud to have some of the strongest laws in the country protecting and supporting our LGBTQ+ community, and we are committed to the ongoing work to create safer, more inclusive spaces for all people. Californians,” Newsom said in a statement.
“These measures will help protect vulnerable young people, promote acceptance and create more supportive environments in our schools and communities,” he added.
The governor also signed a law that requires schools serving grades one through twelve to have at least one gender-neutral bathroom for students by 2026.
The law was prompted by a policy instituted by a Southern California school district requiring schools to notify parents when their children change pronouns or use a bathroom of a gender other than that listed on their official documents. A judge ended the policy after California Attorney General Rob Bonta sued the Chino Valley Unified School District. The trial is ongoing.
The governor’s signatures on the bill came after Mr. Newsom vetoed another bill on Friday that would have required judges to determine whether a parent affirms their child’s gender identity when taking custody and visitation decisions.
Assemblymember Lori Wilson, a Democrat who introduced the bill and who has an adult son who came out as transgender when he was a teenager, was among the LGBTQ+ advocates who criticized the governor’s decision.
“I have been disheartened over the past few years seeing the rise in hatred and hearing the vitriol towards the trans community. My intention with this bill was to give them a voice, particularly in the family court system, where an unassertive parent could negatively impact a child’s mental health and well-being. child,” said M.me Wilson in a statement.
Mr. Newsom said existing laws already require courts to consider health, safety and welfare when determining the best interests of a child in custody, including assertion by the parent of the child’s gender identity.
The veto comes amid intense political battles across the country over transgender rights, including efforts to ban gender-affirming care, ban trans athletes from participating in women’s sports, and require that Schools notify parents if their children request to use different pronouns or changes to their gender identity.