Currently, if a child in a California K-12 public school publicly announces to teachers and students that they want to be referred to as a gender different from the gender listed on their official documents, school employees are told they must keep this information hidden from parents. There is no rational reason to keep parents in the dark about something this important in their child’s life. The current policy violates parents’ rights and endangers children’s well-being.
In response, Assemblymen Bill Essayli (R-Riverside) and James Gallagher (R-Yuba City) introduced AB 1314, which would require school staff to notify parents within three days if they find that a student is identifying as a gender different than the gender on their official documents.
Last week, the Chino Valley Unified School Board of Education voted 4-1 in favor of a resolution to support AB 1314. “The Board of Education strives to foster trust between the District and parents and guardians of its students. To that end, the Board supports the inherent rights of parents and guardians to be informed of all aspects of their child’s education to promote the best outcomes,” states the resolution.
Hundreds of parents and community members attended the meeting, which included an overflow room to accommodate for the large attendance. Many parents spoke at the meeting in support of the resolution.
“As parents, it is essential that we know what is happening in our child’s life. We should not be excluded from any life-altering decisions that affect our children,” said one mother.
Over 50 people signed up to speak, but the public comment section of the meeting was cut short.
AB 1314 had been assigned to the Assembly Education Committee, but the Chair of the committee, Assemblyman Al Muratsuchi, decided not to let the bill be heard in his committee “not only because the bill is proposing bad policy, but also because a hearing would potentially provide a forum for increasingly hateful rhetoric targeting LGBTQ youth.”
What Assemblyman Al Muratsuchi fails to recognize is that allowing gender “transitioning” without parental knowledge or consent is far more harmful for all children than a bill that might finally point to the dangers of radical gender ideology by calling for parental oversight. In fact, encouraging parental control is the best way to ensure children’s safety.
Parents and community members need to take action. Call Asm. Muratsuchi’s offices (916-319-2066 or 310-375-0691) and let Muratsuchi know how disappointed you are that AB 1314 will not have a hearing in his committee. Check out his district boundaries near Torrance and Redondo Beach here. If you know parents, teachers, pastors, and other elected officials in this area, please encourage them to call his office.
Also, call the members of the Asm. Education Committee. Focus on the offices of Asm. Sharon Quirk-Silva (916) 319-2067 and Asm. Juan Carrillo (916) 319-2039. If you know parents, teachers, pastors, and other elected officials living in the districts of Asm. Quirk-Silva (district map) or Asm. Juan Carrillo, (district map) please encourage them to call these legislators urging them to support AB 1314 and insist that the bill have a hearing.
With approximately 6,387 schools in 174 districts across the U.S. maintaining policies that either allow or require teachers to keep information about students’ “gender identities” from their parents, there is no doubt that AB 1314 is absolutely necessary, and there is no reason for California representatives to not, at the very least, let the bill be heard. Please use your voices to let local representatives know that California residents will not allow parental rights to be trampled by activist teachers and school boards.
Going forward CFC, Asm. Essayli and other parent groups are going to encourage California school boards to pass policies similar to AB 1314 to prevent school from lying to parents about the gender identity of their children at school. As those plans develop, CFC will post that information on AB1314.net. No school district should be facilitating the secret gender transitioning of children behind their parents backs.
