California Governor Signs Transgender-Student Bill

Religion Today | Updated: Aug 13, 2013

California Governor Signs Transgender-Student Bill

California Gov. Jerry Brown signed a controversial bill into law Monday afternoon allowing the state's transgender public school students to choose which bathrooms they use and whether they participate in boy or girl sports, Fox News reports. Families of transgender students have been waging local battles with school districts around the country over what restrooms and locker rooms their children can use. "Now, every transgender student in California will be able to get up in the morning knowing that when they go to school as their authentic self they will have the same fair chance at success as their classmates," said Masen Davis, executive director of the Transgender Law Center. But opponents of the bill say allowing students of one gender to use facilities intended for the other could invade the other students' privacy. Randy Thomasson of SaveCalifornia.com says the law would "damage" kids. "This radical bill warps the gender expectations of children by forcing all California public schools to permit biological boys in girls restrooms, showers, clubs and on girls sports teams and biological girls in boys restrooms, showers, clubs and sports teams," Thomasson said. "This is insanity." While California is the first state to pass a law of this magnitude, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Washington and Colorado have all adopted policies designed to protect transgendered students.



California Governor Signs Transgender-Student Bill