September 08, 2023 07:05 PM
The California Assembly has passed a bill that, if signed, will add gender identity acceptance to the list of considerations for determining child custody.
Assembly Bill 957 passed 57 to 16 on Friday. It now heads to Gov. Gavin Newsom‘s (D-CA) desk. If it becomes law, it would require judges to consider a parent’s opinion of their child’s gender identity in custody cases.
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Current California law requires the court, for purposes of deciding custody, to “determine the best interests of the child based on certain factors, including, among other things, the health, safety, and welfare of the child.”
A.B. 957 would now “include a parent’s affirmation of the child’s gender identity as part of the health, safety, and welfare of the child,” according to the bill.
The bill, entitled the Transgender, Gender-Diverse, and Intersex Youth Empowerment Act, was introduced by Democratic Assemblywoman Lori D. Wilson on Feb. 24 and amended in the Assembly on March 13 and in the Senate on June 5. It passed the Assembly again on Friday after the members’ approval of technical charges.
This is California State Rep. Lori Wilson, who wrote AB 957: “Parents affirm their children. Typically it happens when their gender identity matches their biological gender. But when it doesn’t, the affirmation starts to wane… Our duty as parents is to affirm our children.” pic.twitter.com/KP2Z9sksmp
— Greg Price (@greg_price11) September 8, 2023
Wilson clarified on Friday during the session that, though the bill’s title references “transgender, gender-diverse, and intersex” youth, those words are not mentioned in the bill.
“What’s mentioned in the law is the child’s gender identity and expression and the parent’s affirmation of that — whatever it is,” Wilson said. “Because that is our duty as parents, to affirm our children.”
Wilson’s office referred the Washington Examiner to a statement from the assemblywoman following the bill’s passing.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
“As the mother of a transgender son, these issues are critical to me. Research demonstrates that family acceptance of LGBTQ+ youth is a crucial protective factor in combating depression and substance abuse. Well-rounded social support from friends and family members is strongly associated with positive mental development, physical health, and overall well-being,” Wilson said.
“I look forward to working with Governor Newsom to secure his signature and ensure that our youth are protected,” she continued.