On Monday, Governor Gavin Newsom signed a law that will bar school districts from passing policies that require schools to notify parents if their child asks to change their gender identification.
The passing of this bill follows the Chino Valley School District’s and several other school districts passing a policy that required schools to notify parents and guardians, within three days of learning, if their child asks to be identified with a gender or name different from what was assigned at birth and if their child uses a bathroom or participates in activities that do not align with the gender provided on their student record.
Locally, Kern County Board of Education Trustee Lori Cisneros reported that she was also looking to have the board adopt this policy back in August 2023. However, the discussion on implementing this policy was tabled due to a pending lawsuit.
While this policy was being discussed locally both proponents and opponents of the policy came forward to speak on the matter.
“What about Jimmy who doesn’t want his parents to know that he feels like Jane because he knows he’s gonna get beaten?” Trustee Paula Bray asked Cisneros directly.
To this, Cisneros responded: “That’s not a good argument because if he’s gonna get beaten, he’s probably gonna get beaten for not putting the dishes in the sink or not doing the right thing at home. I mean, suddenly they’re gonna get beaten from a loving home? If there’s any sense of that from the teacher, that teacher is a mandated reporter.”
Opponents of the policy argued that if a policy like this one were to pass, it would make LGBTQ+ students vulnerable to hostile reactions that include, but are not limited to, domestic abuse and bullying, increased trauma and violence, and increased suicidal thoughts.
According to an Instagram post by the Kern Education Justice Collaborative (KEJC), data indicates that 82% of transgender individuals have considered killing themselves, and 40% have attempted suicide.
Lance Mack, a former North High student who identifies as transgender, spoke of the importance of protecting students since not all parents are protective. He shared that he was even once homeless after coming out as transgender and even added that parental consent remains required before minors may undergo surgery or hormone treatment.
Mack continued by saying that if a student were to come out and that was to be disclosed to the parents, it could put that student in danger, much like it did to him.
“We did not have a law protecting us from our parents,” Mack revealed. “There is currently a law in place that does protect transgender students in school – they are allowed to come out and not have that be disclosed to the parents. That is the current policy, and it is a protective policy due to the fact that not all parents are accepting and welcoming of their children.”
In response to Governor Newsom passing this law, the Chino Valley Unified School District has announced its decision to sue Newsom, stating that he is violating the rights of parents.
