California passes bill requiring parents to 'affirm' child's 'gender transition'

The California State Assembly passed a bill on Friday that is set to require judges involved in child custody cases to consider whether a parent has supported a child's perceived "gender transition" by making "gender affirmation" an integral part of the child's "health, safety, and welfare" under state law.

The Democratic lawmakers' bill, A.B. 957, was passed by the Assembly by a vote of 57-16. The results of the vote were along party lines. And the California Senate passed the bill on Wednesday in a vote of 30-9.

Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, is expected to sign the bill into law. Under it, parents who refuse to participate in transgenderism by pretending that their child is a different gender could be guilty of failing to provide for the “health, safety, and welfare” of their child—therefore losing custody to another parent or the state.

Assemblymember Lori Wilson, D-Suisun City, whose child identifies as transgender, wrote the bill and introduced it Feb. 14. State Sen. Scott Wiener, D-San Francisco, co-sponsored the measure.

It has previously been reported that Wiener amended the bill June 6, altering AB 957 from requiring a judge to consider whether a child experiencing gender dysphoria was “affirmed” by parents to making “gender affirmation,” an essential need of a child in California.

“Gender affirmation” isn’t defined or explained in AB 957 or any other California law, drawing concerns over interpretation.

Susannah Luthi, who covers California for The Washington Free Beacon, pointed out: “The bill makes no distinctions regarding the age of a child, how long a child has identified as transgender, or affirmation of social transition versus medical sex-change treatments.”

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