California becomes first state to ban forced outing of LGBTQ+ students

California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, signed a first-of-its-kind state law Monday aimed at protecting LGBTQ+ students from having their sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression revealed by schools without consent.

The SAFETY Act prohibits schools from enforcing policies that forcibly out a student and shields teachers and other school staff from retaliation if they refuse to obey such policies.

The new law makes California the first state to ban outing policies, according to the California Legislative LGBTQ Caucus.

Chris Ward, a San Diego Democrat who first introduced the bill in the California Legislature, said in a statement Monday that the SAFETY Act combats a rise in politically motivated attacks on queer and transgender students 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 law’s enactment came nearly a year after Tony Thurmond, the state superintendent of public instruction, said he was forcibly removed from a local school board meeting where he was opposing a district's proposed outing policy, which was eventually blocked in court .

“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,” Thurmond said in a statement Monday.

According to the progressive think tank the Movement Advancement Project, eight states, including Idaho and North Dakota, legally force the outing of transgender youth in schools. Five others, including Florida and Kentucky, promote the practice, though it’s not required.

Zachary Schermele covers education and breaking news for USA TODAY. You can reach him by email at zschermele@usatoday.com. Follow him on X at @ZachSchermele .

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: California becomes first state to ban forced outing of LGBTQ+ students