California’s New Safety Act Shields LGBTQ+ Students from Forced Outing

California Governor Gavin Newsom signed the Safety Act, a groundbreaking bill that stops schools from outing LGBTQ+ students to their parents. This new law, enacted on July 15, ensures that students’ gender identity and pronoun changes remain confidential unless they share this information.

Safety First for LGBTQ+ Students

The Safety Act, proposed by assembly member Chris Ward, aims to shield LGBTQ+ students from being forcibly outed by school policies. Ward emphasized the growing national hostility toward LGBTQ+ individuals, particularly transgender youth, and the harm caused by forced outing.

“This comes from a growing national attack on LGBTQ+ people and in particular transgender individuals, with several California school districts and other states enacting policies that explicitly compel teachers to tell parents that their child identifies as transgender,” Ward said. He added, “Forced outing policies harm everyone: parents, families, and school staff, by unnecessarily compelling the staff to involve themselves in family matters and removing the opportunity for families to build trust and have conversations on their own terms.”

According to the California Legislative LGBTQ Caucus, this new law makes California the first state to prohibit policies that force schools to out LGBTQ+ students.

Teachers and Students Breathe a Sigh of Relief

Middle-school teacher Amanda Estrada expressed gratitude for the new law, highlighting its importance amidst a climate of increasing homophobia and transphobia. “As a non-binary educator, I feel relieved to have some solid protection at the state level, and I feel empowered to continue advocating for my LGBTQ+ students,” Estrada told the Los Angeles Blade.

A National Issue

The fight against forced outing policies extends beyond California. According to the Movement Advancement Project, eight states, including Alabama, Tennessee, and Idaho, have laws that require schools to inform parents if their child identifies as transgender. Last year, California’s Chino Valley Unified School District faced backlash for its policy of notifying parents about name or pronoun changes. A judge blocked this policy, and the state justice department sued the district.

A Global Perspective

This issue isn’t confined to the U.S. The former Conservative government in the U.K. released guidance in 2023 that mandated teachers to out trans, non-binary, and gender-non-conforming students to their parents. Matt Adams, a department head at a West London state school, criticized this policy, saying, “Teachers and schools do not have all the information about every child’s home environment and instead of supporting a pupil to be themselves in school, we could be putting them at risk of harm. It’s dangerous behavior. It’s not solving a problem; it’s creating a problem.”

Conclusion

California’s Safety Act marks a significant step forward in protecting the rights and privacy of LGBTQ+ students. As the fight against forced outing policies continues, it’s clear that the well-being and safety of LGBTQ+ youth must remain a top priority.

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