Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility
Gender ID Parent Notification Measure Fails to Qualify for California Ballot
gvw_ap_news
By Associated Press
Published 10 months ago on
May 29, 2024

Parents, students, and staff of Chino Valley Unified School District hold up signs in favor of protecting LGBTQ+ policies at Don Antonio Lugo High School, on Thursday, June 15, 2023. (Anjali Sharif-Paul/The Orange County Register via AP)

Share

Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

SACRAMENTO — Californians won’t be voting this November on a policy that would have required schools to notify parents if their child asks to change their gender identification.

Proponents of a ballot measure to create such a statewide policy announced Tuesday they failed to collect enough signatures to put the measure before voters this fall. They said it would have provided necessary transparency for parents. But opponents said it could have threatened the safety of children who don’t live in welcoming households.

So-called parental notification policies have been a flashpoint in some California school districts this year, leading to legal battles with the state.

Battle Over the Measure’s Name

Proponents of the measure had sued Attorney General Rob Bonta over the title and summary he issued for the proposed ballot measure, arguing it was biased and made it harder for them to collect signatures. Bonta titled the measure the “Restrict Rights of Transgender Youth” initiative, but backers wanted it changed to the “Protect Kids of California Act.” They also wanted the summary updated.

“While we are disappointed we didn’t meet the threshold to qualify for the ballot, we are encouraged by the amount of support from every sector of the state,” campaign organizer Jonathan Zachreson said in a statement.

Initiative Would Haven Banned Transgender Athletes in Women’s Sports

The proposed initiative would have also banned transgender girls in grades 7 through college from participating in girls’ and women’s sports, along with barring gender-affirming surgeries for minors, with some exceptions.

The campaign gathered about 400,000 of the 546,651 signatures needed to place it on the ballot, Zachreson said. Many of those signatures came from Southern California counties including Los Angeles, Orange and Riverside, he said.

A Sacramento Superior Court judge sided with Bonta after a hearing last month, saying his description of the proposal was accurate. Proponents of the measure plan to appeal, Zachreson said. If successful, they hope it would allow them to reopen the signature-gathering process for another shot at making the ballot.

Bill in Legislature Would Ban Parental Notification by Schools

At the state Legislature, lawmakers announced a bill last week that would ban school districts from adopting policies that require parents to be notified of a child’s sexual orientation or gender identity, with some exceptions including if the student’s safety is at risk.

It is part of a nationwide debate over local school districts and the rights of parents and LGBTQ+ students. States across the country have sought to impose bans on gender-affirming care, bar trans athletes from girls and women’s sports, and require schools to “out” trans and nonbinary students to their parents. Some lawmakers in other states have introduced bills in their legislatures with broad language requiring that parents be notified of any changes to their child’s emotional health or well-being.

 

RELATED TOPICS:

DON'T MISS

Supreme Court Sides With the FDA in Its Dispute Over Sweet-Flavored Vaping Products

DON'T MISS

Trump Announces Sweeping New Tariffs to Promote US Manufacturing, Risking Inflation and Trade Wars

DON'T MISS

Fresno Firefighters Save Dog From Canal and Now She’s Ready for Adoption

DON'T MISS

Big Brands Spend Just Enough on X to Avoid Musk’s ‘Naughty List’

DON'T MISS

Judge Dismisses Corruption Case Against New York City Mayor Eric Adams

DON'T MISS

State Center Trustees Render Split Decision on Future of PLAs

DON'T MISS

California’s Schools Chief Has a $200,000 Salary and a Side Gig

DON'T MISS

Why Project Labor Agreements Are Good for Our Schools and Students: Opinion

DON'T MISS

Trump Proposes Tax Deduction for Auto Loan Interest on US-Made Cars

DON'T MISS

Western US Sees Sharp Increase in Extreme Weather Impact

UP NEXT

Trump Announces Sweeping New Tariffs to Promote US Manufacturing, Risking Inflation and Trade Wars

UP NEXT

Fresno Firefighters Save Dog From Canal and Now She’s Ready for Adoption

UP NEXT

Big Brands Spend Just Enough on X to Avoid Musk’s ‘Naughty List’

UP NEXT

Judge Dismisses Corruption Case Against New York City Mayor Eric Adams

UP NEXT

State Center Trustees Render Split Decision on Future of PLAs

UP NEXT

California’s Schools Chief Has a $200,000 Salary and a Side Gig

UP NEXT

Why Project Labor Agreements Are Good for Our Schools and Students: Opinion

UP NEXT

Trump Proposes Tax Deduction for Auto Loan Interest on US-Made Cars

UP NEXT

Western US Sees Sharp Increase in Extreme Weather Impact

UP NEXT

Amazon Said to Make a Bid to Buy TikTok in the US

Big Brands Spend Just Enough on X to Avoid Musk’s ‘Naughty List’

4 hours ago

Judge Dismisses Corruption Case Against New York City Mayor Eric Adams

4 hours ago

State Center Trustees Render Split Decision on Future of PLAs

4 hours ago

California’s Schools Chief Has a $200,000 Salary and a Side Gig

5 hours ago

Why Project Labor Agreements Are Good for Our Schools and Students: Opinion

5 hours ago

Trump Proposes Tax Deduction for Auto Loan Interest on US-Made Cars

6 hours ago

Western US Sees Sharp Increase in Extreme Weather Impact

6 hours ago

Amazon Said to Make a Bid to Buy TikTok in the US

6 hours ago

Fresno Man Found Dead, Coroner’s Office Seeks Help Finding Family

6 hours ago

The ‘Six’ Wives of King Henry VIII Sing Their Hearts Out in Fresno

6 hours ago

Supreme Court Sides With the FDA in Its Dispute Over Sweet-Flavored Vaping Products

WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court on Wednesday ruled for the Food and Drug Administration in its crackdown on sweet-flavored vaping products fo...

3 hours ago

3 hours ago

Supreme Court Sides With the FDA in Its Dispute Over Sweet-Flavored Vaping Products

3 hours ago

Trump Announces Sweeping New Tariffs to Promote US Manufacturing, Risking Inflation and Trade Wars

A young Labrador mix rescued from a Fresno canal on Sunday, March 2, 2025, is thriving in a foster home after overcoming fear and trauma. (Instagram/Fresno Animal Center)
4 hours ago

Fresno Firefighters Save Dog From Canal and Now She’s Ready for Adoption

4 hours ago

Big Brands Spend Just Enough on X to Avoid Musk’s ‘Naughty List’

4 hours ago

Judge Dismisses Corruption Case Against New York City Mayor Eric Adams

4 hours ago

State Center Trustees Render Split Decision on Future of PLAs

5 hours ago

California’s Schools Chief Has a $200,000 Salary and a Side Gig

West Fresno satellite campus of Fresno City College
5 hours ago

Why Project Labor Agreements Are Good for Our Schools and Students: Opinion

Help continue the work that gets you the news that matters most.

Search

Send this to a friend