According to Movement Advancement Project, a progressive think tank, eight states, including North Dakota and Idaho, have laws requiring transgender students to come out in schools.
A groundbreaking state law, first-of-its-kind, protecting LGBTQ+ students from having their sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression disclosed by the school without concern was signed into law by Democratic Governor of California Gavin Newsom on Monday.
The SAETY Act protects teachers and other school staff from retaliation if they disobey policies that forcibly remove students from the classroom and forbids schools from implementing such policies.
The California Legislative LGBTQ caucus claims that the new bill makes California the first state to ban outing policies.
A San Diego Democrat, Chris Ward, who first introduced the bill in California Legislature, said in a statement released on Monday that the SAFETY Act combats a rise in politically motivated attracts against queer and transgender children nationwide.
“While some school districts have adopted policies to forcibly out students, the SAFETY Act ensures that discussions about gender identity remain a private matter within the family,” Ward said. “As a parent, I urge all parents to talk to their children, listen to them, and love them unconditionally for who they are.”
The state superintendent of public instruction, Tony Thurmond, said he was forcibly removed from a public school board meeting nearly a year before the bill was passed because he opposed a district’s proposed routing policy, which was ultimately overturned in court.
Thurmond made a statement on Monday that, “Our teachers can now focus on teaching the critical academic skills that our students need to succeed, not on policing the gender identities of children.”
According to the Movement Advancement Project, a progressive think tank, eight states, including North Dakota and Idaho, have laws requiring transgender children to come out in schools. Florida and Kentucky are two of the five states that encourage the practice, though it’s unnecessary.
