This article was updated at 11:26 a.m. on Wednesday, July 17, to provide clarity to readers.
California will become the first state to ban schools from creating policies that could out the gender identity and sexual orientation of its students.
Governor Gavin Newsom signed off on AB 1955 this week. That means school districts cannot force staff to disclose a student’s gender identity or sexual orientation to their parents without the student’s consent. This includes any changes to a child’s pronouns.
“We know that there is violence associated with forcible outing,” Serrin Ruggles, the director of programming with the Gala Pride and Diversity Center in San Luis Obispo, said. “We know that people have been killed for this, and so it's sad that this law is necessary, but we are very glad to see it in place.”
According to the California Healthy Kids Survey, LGBTQIA+ children in San Luis Obispo County are more likely to experience harassment, violence and mental health issues compared to other students.
“This just allows there to be a layer of safety for those students who are not safe being outed to their families,” Ruggles said.
Ruggles said although opponents of the bill want to protect children, they could ultimately harm LGBTQIA+ students through required forced outings.
