A new bill is being introduced in California that would stop school systems from telling parents if their child is LGBTQ.
The new bill will be added to Assembly Bill 1955, which was first presented this year by Assemblymember Chris Ward, D-San Diego. This is done through a process known as “gut and amend.”
“Support Academic Futures and Educators for Today’s Youth,” or SAFETY ACT, would be the new name of the bill that was changed. It would stop school districts from having what Ward called “forced outing policies.”
Teachers would not be able to tell parents about their child’s gender identity or sexual preference if it came up at school.
This is because several California school boards decided to pass laws that require teachers to tell parents if their child says they are transgender, changes their name or pronouns, or asks to use a bathroom, changing room, or sport for the opposite sex.
The new bill would make sure that states can protect LGBTQ students from what have been called “forced outings” and would give families of LGBTQ students tools. The bill would also protect teachers from being punished if they don’t tell parents.
Those who are against the bill say it doesn’t tell parents enough.
“Parents have a right to be involved in their kids’ education, no matter how much Democrats don’t like it,” California Assembly Republican Leader James Gallagher told Fox News Digital. “It’s unbelievable that anyone would think that teachers can keep secrets from parents, but it’s flat-out disgusting that Democrats are trying to mandate that schools keep parents in the dark.”
It said in a letter to Ward that the bill was “unconstitutional” and that it “violates parents’ established authority over their children and would constitute a trifecta of harms.”
“To sum up, public schools are supposed to help parents educate their kids, not to get in the way of parents, which is what this bill would do,” wrote CPC Vice President of Education Policy and Government Affairs.
So many things are wrong with this bill that a simple letter of protest can’t list them all. Skeptics think that this “gut-and-amend” plan is nothing more than an attempt to hide the problems from the public and from a proper study of the Constitution.
Ward has said that the SAFETY Act doesn’t “stop parents from talking to their kids about anything,” including their sexual orientation or gender identity.
“As a parent myself, I actually think parents should have an open conversation with their kids, and these talks should happen at home,” Ward said. “A student’s choice to come out is a “personal one” that should happen on their own terms.”
Supporters of the move say that even though many parents are there for their kids, a lot of kids come from homes where they don’t feel welcome.
Schools can be a “critical source of support,” according to the California Legislative LGBTQ Caucus. They cited research like the Trevor Project’s 2019 National Survey on LGBTQ Youth Mental Health, which found that “affirming school environments significantly reduce the odds of transgender youth attempting suicide.”
“Parental involvement in their children’s lives is desirable and often necessary, however, a student’s gender identity is generally a matter to be discussed between the child and their parents in the time and manner chosen by the family,” a joint statement from the LGBTQ Caucus said. “No teacher, administrator, or others outside of the family should be forcing families to have conversations.”
The Senate Education Committee will talk about the SAFETY Act next week.
If the Senate agrees, it will go back to the Assembly to be looked over again before it is sent to Gov. Gavin Newsom.
