In a landmark ruling, California has become the first U.S. state to ban schools from outing students to their parents.
The decision comes after multiple school districts in the state enacted policies requiring school officials to inform parents if their child is transgender or gender nonconforming.
Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom signed the bill, entitled Support Academic Future and Educators for Today’s Youth Act (SAFETY Act), into law Monday. On top of ending forcible outing, the bill also requires the state’s education department to provide resources to parents and guardians of of LGBTQ+ students to assist in managing conversations about gender identity. School employees will be protected from employers “retaliating or taking adverse action” for supporting LGBTQ+ students and their privacy.
“This law helps keep children safe while protecting the critical role of parents,” Brandon Richards, a spokesperson for Newsom, told ABC News. “It protects the child-parent relationship by preventing politicians and school staff from inappropriately intervening in family matters and attempting to control if, when, and how families have deeply personal conversations.”
California Assemblymember Chris Ward, the Democrat who authored the bill, said the policy does not encroach on the parent’s authority with their child.
“Politically motivated attacks on the rights, safety, and dignity of transgender, nonbinary, and other LGBTQ+ youth are on the rise nationwide, including in California,” Ward said in a statement to the Los Angeles Times. “As a parent, I urge all parents to talk to their children, listen to them, and love them unconditionally for who they are.”
According to the Movement Advancement Project, Alabama, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, North Carolina, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Tennessee, have authorized school officials to out trans students. Advocates for the ban argue forcible outing can put a child in a dangerous situation at home and takes away their personal autonomy. State laws in Arizona, Florida, Kentucky, Montana, and Utah promote but do not require outing.
“The SAFETY Act could not be more timely or necessary, and LGBTQ+ students across California can breathe a sigh of relief following today’s action by the Governor,” said Equality California, a civil rights organization in the state, in a statement.
