SACRAMENTO – Today, Assembly Republican Leader James Gallagher (Yuba City) and Assemblyman Bill Essayli (R-Corona) issued the following statements on the announcement by Assembly Education Committee Chair Al Muratsuchi and the Legislative LGBTQ+ Caucus that AB 1314 would not receive a hearing. AB 1314 would require schools to notify parents within three days if their child begins a gender transition at school.
“This decision confirms there are two fundamentally different views of education: Republicans want to empower parents to be involved with their children’s upbringing and education, while Democrats see parents as a threat to be isolated and ignored. Democrats’ refusal to even hear our bill confirms they are only interested in dictating a one-size-fits-all policy from Sacramento and shutting down anyone with a different point of view. It’s sad, but not surprising.” – Assembly Republican Leader James Gallagher, District 3
“Today’s decision to deny a hearing on AB 1314 is symbolic of where Sacramento Democrats stand on parental rights. They believe the government owns our children and that parents do not have a right to know what is happening with their own children at school. Gender dysphoria is a serious issue, and parents need to be aware of the associated mental health risks trans minors face. Studies are clear that trans minors do better with parental involvement. Leaving parents in the dark is dangerous and unconstitutional.
“The Supreme Court has already ruled that parents have a fundamental right to direct the care, upbringing, and education of their children. While Democrats have the votes to kill my bill in Sacramento, they do not have the votes to suppress parents’ voices at the local level. I encourage parents to continue bringing lawsuits against their school districts challenging existing policies that allow children to be socially transitioned at school without parental consent.” – Assemblyman Bill Essayli, District 63
AB 1314 comes in the wake of a lawsuit against Chico Unified School District that alleges school officials secretly transitioned an elementary school student and the firing of a Riverside County teacher for refusing to keep students’ pronouns secret from their parents.
A recent study by University of Texas researchers found that LGBTQ+ young people with supportive parents were significantly less likely to experience depression.