On Sept. 23, California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a flurry of pro-LGBTQ bills into law. These new laws focus on placing protections on LGBTQ students, such as requiring school teachers and staff to eventually undergo LGBTQ competency training and mandating at least one gender neutral restroom in public schools. These recent bills mark progress in supporting childrens’ well-being, affirming California as a state willing to protect its students’ identities.
A key component in this legislation, the state will look to reflect LGBTQ people as a part of California’s history in education. Bill AB 1078, among the laws Newsom passed, prohibits censorship of instructional materials. It will reinforce schools’ permission to teach books that reflect an LGBTQ perspective as well as other diverse voices.
“When we restrict access to books in school that properly reflect our nation’s history and unique voices, we eliminate the mirror in which young people see themselves reflected,” First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom said via CA.gov. “Book bans harm all children and youth, diminishing communal empathy and serving to further engender intolerance and division across society.”
The newest bills will help to prevent instances of districts that may try to disregard LGBTQ inclusion, with the most recent instance being this past July. A California school board, Temecula Valley Unified School District, initially rejected curriculum that included LGBTQ figures before eventually passing because of pressure from parents. Given these movements, it is important the state protects schools’ authorization to add LGBTQ individuals and people as a part of taught history.
When students are able to grasp the challenges of another group, it will nurture a more understanding view as they grow older. Even non-LGBTQ students will widen their perspective of other diverse cultures and encourage interaction with new people.
As a main focus of the bill, public schools will also work to build a more accepting environment for LGBTQ students, helping to boost their mental health. In 2021, The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found 69% of LGBTQ youth nationwide reported feeling persistently sad and hopeless; the number was 35% for heterosexual youth.
Enforcing this legislation protects these kids, especially from parents who don’t accept their gender or sexual identity. In another CDC study, 20% of LGBTQ students reported physical abuse by a parent or other adult in their home, compared to 10% for heterosexual students.
Included in the bills Newsom passed, SB 407 will safeguard children from non-affirming parents who may severely damage a child’s well-being. This bill requires evaluation of potential foster parents before adopting a child so that they meet specific needs of the child, even regarding their gender or sexual identity.
Along with the state’s work for LGBTQ Californian students, policymakers are also pursuing similar-based projects in the form of a new media campaign. Senate Bill 447, or the BRIDGE Project, is in its developing stages but will aim to encourage LGBTQ acceptance and inclusivity in other states.
“What we really need to do is do our best to try to change hearts and minds,” Democratic Assemblymember Rick Chave Zbur said via stateline.org. “And make sure that LGBTQ community members and organizations in other states don’t feel alone.”
Collectively, these bills will work to surround LGBTQ students with a sense of acceptance. The worst thing for a child is to feel diminished and separated from their community, and the numbers show a glaring contrast in the way these students are treated both publicly and at home. Laws will only go so far, but the state is putting its best foot forward in letting LGBTQ kids be valued as a part of California’s future generation.
