Governor Gavin Newsom is being sued by a southern California school district in a dispute over the district's gender-identity policy.
A small number of parents and the Chino Valley unified school district claimed the statute infringes upon the rights of parents guaranteed by the US Constitution.
District attorney Emily Rae issued a statement saying: “School officials do not have the right to keep secrets from parents but parents do have a constitutional right to know what their minor children are doing at school.”
However, Izzy Gardon, a spokesman for Newsom, said the lawsuit was "deeply unserious" and claimed that the new law "preserves the child-parent relationship”.
Elon Musk said on X on Tuesday July 16 that the new rule pertaining to gender identity was the "final straw" and that SpaceX and X will be relocating to Texas.
This is the final straw.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 16, 2024
Because of this law and the many others that preceded it, attacking both families and companies, SpaceX will now move its HQ from Hawthorne, California, to Starbase, Texas. https://t.co/cpWUDgBWFe
What is the new law in California about gender identity?
Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, signed the law on Monday (July 15) prohibiting school systems from mandating that staff inform parents of a child's gender identity transition.
The law's supporters claim that it will shield LGBTQ+ children from homes that do not accept them. Opponents counter that it will make it more difficult for schools to communicate with parents.
The new rule was enacted in response to measures imposed by a number of California school districts mandating that parents be informed when a child asks to change gender identity or pronouns.
Informing parents about a pupil's request to change gender identity is "critical to the well-being of children and for maintaining that trust between schools and parents", according to California advocate Jonathan Zachreson, who opposes the law.
There was a contentious debate about the statute in the state legislature. Legislators who identify as LGBTQ+ have told of how hard it was for them to choose when to tell their families about their sexual orientation and they have argued that transgender kids need to be allowed to express that aspect of their identity on their own terms.
Republican state assemblyman Bill Essayli, who represents a portion of Riverside County, has been a vocal opponent of the bill. He has blasted Democratic leaders for blocking a bill he filed the previous year that would have mandated that parents be informed when their child changes gender identity.
A parental notification policy was established by the board of the Anderson Union High School District in northern California last year.
However, Shaye Stephens, an English teacher and the district president of the teachers association, said the union advised against instructors enforcing the policy as long as the union and the district are at odds over it.
Can people change gender ID in California?
According to California Courts, a court order or medical certification is not required in order to modify the gender marker or sex identifier on a driving licence or birth certificate.
Is a baby’s sex on birth certificates in California?
Yes, in California a baby’s sex is on a birth certificate but parents are allowed to identify their newborn as “X” instead of female or male.
Rules change depending on state. Other states that issue non-binary birth certificates include Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, Maine, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Utah, Vermont and Washington, DC.
