California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Saturday signed several bills aimed at bolstering the state’s protections for LGBTQ+ people, a day after issuing a controversial veto that was criticized by advocates.
The new laws include legislation that focuses on support for LGBTQ+ youth. One law sets deadlines for required cultural competency training for public school teachers and staff, while another creates an advisory task force to determine the needs of LGBTQ+ students and help promote support initiatives. A third requires families to demonstrate that they are able and willing to meet the needs of a child in foster care, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity.
“California is proud to have some of the strongest laws in the country when it comes to protecting and supporting our LGBTQ+ community, and we are committed to continuing work to create safer, more inclusive spaces for all Californians,” Newsom said in a declaration. “These measures will help protect vulnerable young people, promote acceptance and create more supportive environments in our schools and communities.”
The governor also signed legislation requiring schools serving first through 12th grades to have at least one gender-neutral bathroom available to students by 2026.
Participants take part in the annual Gay Pride parade in West Hollywood, California.AP
The law was prompted by a Southern California school district that instituted a policy requiring schools to inform parents when their children change their pronouns or use a bathroom of a gender other than the one listed on their official documentation.
A judge halted the policy after California Attorney General Rob Bonta sued the Chino Valley Unified School District. The lawsuit is ongoing.
The governor’s signing of the bill came after Newsom vetoed a bill on Friday that would have required judges to consider whether a parent affirms their child’s gender identity when making custody and visitation decisions.
Assemblywoman Lori Wilson, a Democrat who introduced the bill and has an adult son who came out as transgender when he was a teenager, was among LGBTQ+ advocates who criticized the governor’s decision.
“I have been discouraged in recent years as I have watched the growing hatred and heard the criticism towards the trans community. “My intention with this bill was to give them a voice, particularly in the family court system, where a parent who does not assert anything could have a detrimental impact on the mental health and well-being of a child,” Wilson said in a statement.
Newsom said existing laws already require courts to consider health, safety and well-being when determining the best interests of a child in custody cases, including a parent’s assertion of the child’s gender identity.
The veto comes amid intense political battles across the country over transgender rights, including efforts to impose bans on gender-affirming care, exclude trans athletes from girls’ and women’s sports, and require schools to notify parents if their children ask to use different or change pronouns. their gender identity.
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Source: vtt.edu.vn