SACRAMENTO — Assemblymember Al Muratsuchi (D-Torrance), chair of the Assembly Education Committee, announced on April 10 his decision not to set Assembly Bill 1314 for a hearing in the Education Committee.
Introduced by Assemblymembers Bill Essayli (R-Riverside) and James Gallagher (R-Chico), this bill would require a teacher, counselor, or school employee to notify a parent within three days of becoming aware that a student is identifying at school as a gender not aligning with the child’s sex on their birth certificate or sex assigned at birth.
“All students deserve to be respected and supported for who they are, including at their schools,” said Muratsuchi. “This bill would require educators to ‘out’ a student to their parents, even when the student does not feel comfortable coming out, potentially forcing them into an unwelcoming or abusive home.
“As a parent, I believe that gender identity conversations between parents and their children should occur in a safe and private space. As chair of the Education Committee, I will not be setting AB 1314 for a hearing, 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.”
The California Legislative LGBTQ Caucus said in a statement that it “strongly supports Chair Muratsuchi’s decision to not set AB 1314 for a hearing. We support the vision Assemblymembers Gallagher and Essayli have of a California where all parents are embracing and understanding of all LGBTQ+ youth in their journey to find their authentic selves. Sadly, AB 1314 ignores the reality that not all trans or non-binary youth have such loving and supportive families.
“The reality is that LGBTQ+ youth oftentimes face harassment, isolation, bullying, and even physical harm from their own families. Additionally, we know that LGBTQ+ youth are being negatively impacted by recent debates and laws around anti-LGBTQ+ policies and many have experienced victimization as a result. The California Legislature should not provide a platform for anti-LGBTQ+ legislation that threatens the health and well-being of LGBTQ+ youth and empowers those who wish to cause them harm.”
The LGBTQ Caucus is chaired by State Sen. Susan Talamantes Eggman (D-Stockton). Members include Assemblymembers Evan Low (D-Campbell) and Alex Lee (D-Milpitas).