New CA child gender identity law sparks backlash and legal battles

The debate over child transgender-affirming care is back in the national spotlight after California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a new law Monday, July 15. California Assembly Bill 1955 bans public school employees and contractors from disclosing a student’s gender identity or sexual orientation to their parents or guardians.

The law stirred up widespread backlash from challengers on social media. Some parents said the law violates parental rights and that parents, not the schools, have the ultimate responsibility to protect their children.

The Liberty Justice Center filed a lawsuit on behalf of the Chino Valley Unified School District against Gov. Newsom and the state of California

“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," the lawsuit said. "Parents are the legal guardians of their children, not Governor Newsom, Attorney General Bonta, or Superintendent Thurmond.”

A spokesperson for Newsom called the lawsuit “deeply unserious,” arguing that “parents continue to have guaranteed & full access to their student's educational records consistent with federal law” and that “the state will swiftly prevail in this case.”

Meanwhile, SpaceX and Tesla CEO Elon Musk announced he is pulling SpaceX headquarters out of California and will move his company to Texas over the law’s passage.

Proponents of the law say the bill will allow LGBTQ children to feel safe at school and allow them to decide when to announce their sexual identity to parents who may not provide a welcoming home.

"The bill [Newsom] signed protects the child-parent relationship by preventing politicians & school staff from inappropriately intervening in family matters & attempting to control if, when, & how families have deeply personal conversations," Newsom's official press office account posted on X.

The Supreme Court is set to hear a case regarding a Tennessee law that bans hormone therapy and puberty blockers for minor children. Proponents argue Tennessee’s Senate Bill 1 (SB1) violates the 14th Amendment under the U.S. Constitution because it discriminates based on sex.

Families, doctors and the Biden administration asked the Supreme Court to take up the case. The justices will hear arguments before November’s election and will likely make a decision in the summer of 2025.

Meanwhile, the Biden administration has flip-flopped its stance on child gender-affirming care. At the end of June, The New York Times reported that the Biden administration sent a statement opposing gender-affirming surgeries for children.

Former President Donald Trump has called on Congress to pass a federal law banning all child gender-affirming care, calling it “child sexual mutilation.”

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