The California state legislature is nearing the end of its 2017 legislative session, and several horrific bills are nearing final approval. Bills to change the definition of gender, jail healthcare workers who mis-gender those identifying as transgender, and prevent religious organizations from having codes of conduct related to abortion, contraception, and sex outside of marriage. These bills only need one or two more votes before going to the Governor’s desk for a decision.
If you haven’t called your legislators about these bills yet, NOW is your last chance.
Make sure you call the legislators and tell them to oppose these bills. Details are below.
Gender Change Bills:
- SB 179: Change Your Gender Bill This bill completely changes the meaning of the words “male” and “female,” from a physical description of reality, to a description of feelings and self identification. And it also officially creates a third gender, “non-binary” for those who don’t want to identity exclusively as either sex. Specifically, SB 179 simplifies the ability of people to change the gender listed on their driver’s licenses or birth certificates to one of three options, by simply filling out a form; no questions asked; no proof required. Parents of children will also be able to change the sex of their children listed on their birth certificate no matter how young, if parents think their child’s body doesn’t match their “true” gender. For more information…
- Last Vote: SB 179 is eligible to be voted on by the entire Assembly, as early as tomorrow. Although the exact date the bill comes up for a vote is unknown, all bills must be heard by September 15. List of Assembly members. Find your Assembly member here.
- SB 310: Gender changes for inmates This bill will simplify the process for inmates to change their names and gender while in the custody of state or county prisons. Currently, a gender change while in jail must be approved by correctional facility officials before official documents can be changed. If this bill passes, the decision will no longer be up to correction officials, but made by a judge instead. We believe this will lead to men, who claim to be women, being housed with women inmates. You don’t need much of a imagination to know what big issues this would cause.
- Last Vote: SB 310 is eligible to be voted on by the entire Assembly, as early as tomorrow. Although the exact date the bill comes up for a vote is unknown, all bills must be heard by September 15. List of Assembly members. Find your Assembly member here.
- SB 396 – Gender identity sensitivity training: Businesses with over 50 employees will be required to provide at least two hours of training and education regarding harassment based on gender identity, gender expression and sexual orientation. The bill analysis states that the state Fair Employment and Housing Council issued new regulations in July of 2017 regarding discrimination based on gender identity: “These regulations address key topics such as the rights of employees to use restrooms, locker rooms, and other similar facilities corresponding to their gender identity; to dress in accord with their gender identity and expression; and to be addressed by their preferred name and gender pronoun.”
Anti-Religious Liberty Bills:
- SB 219: LGBT Rights Long-term care facilities This bill will inflict fines and jail time on any long term care center worker if those patients identifying as transgender aren’t referred to by their preferred gender pronoun. (The gender pronoun list could contain as many as 50 options) The bill also mandates that gender be determined by self identification, not biology. As a result, anyone claiming to be a woman or a man would have to be treated like their preferred sex in regards to rooming situations and bathroom usage. There are no exemptions for religious institutions. Not only does this bill violate the religious liberty rights of faith based senior facilities, but it violates free speech rights by compelling people to use speech they might disagree with. For more information…
- Last Vote: SB 219 is eligible to be voted on by the entire Assembly, as early as tomorrow. Although the exact date the bill comes up for a vote is unknown, all bills must be heard by September 15. List of Assembly members. Find your Assembly member here.
- Watch Tucker Carlson take to task a Democratic strategist who defends SB 219 here.
- AB 569: Prohibits Pro-Life Codes of Conduct This bill is specifically outlaws employer codes of conduct for employees that prohibit abortion, sex outside of marriage, or contraception, and exposes them to devastating and expensive lawsuits. This includes all churches, religiously affiliated schools, and pro-life non-profits. There is a very narrow exemption for ministers. This bill is directly targeting religious groups who want to operate their organizations according to Biblical principals. For more information…
- Last Vote: AB 569 is now eligible to be voted on by the entire Senate. Although the exact date the bill comes up for a vote is unknown, all bills must be heard by by September 15. List of State Senators. Find your Senator here.
Parental Rights
- AB 677 Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Disparities Reduction Act: We haven’t told you about this bill before, but a really bad amendment was just added. Currently, primary and secondary schools that have students fill out the California Healthy Kids Survey, must get parental approval if the questions about a student’s sexual orientation are included. Some schools remove the sexual orientation question so they can give kids the survey without parental approval. This bill would prohibit schools from taking out the sexual orientation question if they are going to make their students take the California Healthy Kids Survey. Public school administrator have no business asking children to reveal their sexual feelings. This bill puts more pressure on schools to ask these very personal questions.
- Last Vote: AB 677 is now eligible to be voted on by the entire Senate. Although the exact date the bill comes up for a vote is unknown, all bills must be heard by by September 15. List of State Senators. Find your Senator here.
