Due to a new law known as AB1266 passed by Gov. Jerry Brown last August, transgender students in public schools are now allowed to use whatever restroom they see fit.
Once the clock struck midnight and the New Year began, children and teenagers who identify themselves as the opposite sex were given permission to use these bathrooms.
The new law also makes sex-segregated sports teams co-ed. Young men who believe they would be more comfortable playing softball rather than baseball because of the dip in testosterone are free to do so.
The U.S. Government is hoping this will raise comfort and lower bullying for transgender students.
“Now, every transgender student in California will be able to get up in the morning knowing that when they go to school as their authentic self they will have the same fair chance at success as their teammates,” said by Masen Davis, Executive Director of Transgender Law Center.
The main purpose of this law is to give transgender students a sense of freedom.
They won’t be kept from doing what they feel is right.
Obviously there are a lot of people criticizing Brown for allowing this law to pass.
Conservatives across the state are outraged this bill was even thought of.
“This radical bill warps the gender expectations of children by forcing all California public schools to permit biological boys in girls restrooms, showers, clubs and on girls sports teams and biological girls in boys restrooms, showers, clubs and sports teams,” said by Randy Thompson of savecalifornia.com. “This is insanity.”
Opponents of the new law went as far as starting a petition known as “Privacy for All Students – Stop AB1266.”
If successful the petition will put the law in the November 2014 ballot to give the citizens a chance to decide whether the law will go into place.
“This is a predictable move by fringe groups that oppose all pro-equality measures and that historically have lacked the capacity to successfully execute similar efforts,” said by executive director of Equality California John O’Connor when responding to the petition.
O’Connor countered by starting a website known as supportallstudents.org, the site includes resources to better understand the lifestyles of transgender students.
The resources include personal stories and recent news.
This bill has brought happiness among the transgender society and has given government a sense of progress.
However, with all great decisions, comes great criticism. This move has also given the rest of the public a sense of intrusion.
This law will test just how far along we are at connecting the heterosexual and homosexual people.
This can be a big step in our process of becoming one community rather than two.
