California Legislation: Transgenderism, Abortion and Removing Mandatory Reporting for Some Cases of Statutory Rape
The California Legislature ended its session by passing a slew of harmful bills. We’ve already written about legislation on its way to Governor Gavin Newsom’s office that exempts some people convicted of certain sexual offenses with minors from automatically being registered as sex offenders.
But they’ve done even more damage. Here’s more of what the legislature did before the session ended.
Transgender Legislation
One bill sent on to the governor is AB 2218, which establishes a “Transgender Wellness and Equity Fund.” The fund would provide grants for services to sexually-confused individuals – including opposite-sex hormones and surgeries for children and adults.
Many Christians and conservatives condemned the legislation, citing the fact that puberty blockers, hormones and surgeries do not generally help gender-dysphoric individuals. These treatments also have serious health risks, including sterilization. California Senate Republican Leader Shannon Grove, R-Bakersfield, said, “The government should not be in the business of incentivizing doctors to rush young children to make a decision that is life-altering and irreversible before they’ve even reached emotional and physical maturity.”
“California should not be setting aside taxpayer funds to pay for drugs or treatments that risk the ability of children and minors to someday have biological children of their own,” said Senator Mike Morrell, R-Rancho Cucamonga.
But Assembly Member Miguel Santiago, D-Los Angeles, who authored the bill, argued that “transgender, gender nonconforming and intersex individuals” (TGI) needed the legislation to improve their health care. In a press release, he stated, “This fund will provide the means to create programs where TGI-identified people can receive safe, competent, and inclusive health care and other social services.”
Another transgender bill, SB-132, gives prison inmates the right to be housed with prisoners of the opposite sex – if they identify that way. So male prisoners who believe they are women would be placed in a women’s correctional facility. The bill forbids prison officials “from considering anatomy, the presence or absence of a diagnosis of gender dysphoria, and the presence or absence of any other physical or mental health diagnosis when determining housing.”
California Family Council (CFC), a Focus-affiliated organization, believes the bill puts women inmates at risk from some men who claim to be women. Testifying against the bill when it was introduced last year, CFC’s Director of Capitol Engagement Greg Burt said, “Assembly members, you are in a bubble if you think this is what California voters want. Common sense screams out, this is a really, really bad idea.”
“If you care about the safety of women, you will oppose SB 132,” he argued.
On the other hand, state Senator Scott Weiner, who introduced the bill, believes that “trans-women are women” and “trans-men are men.” He said, “What we are saying is that if you are a trans-woman you are a woman – you should be able to be housed as a woman.”
Abortion Legislation
The Legislature also passed two measures that lower standards for abortion providers. As CFC explains, a state law was passed in 2013 that allows “non-physicians, including nurse practitioners, physician assistants, and certified nurse-midwives do first-trimester surgical and medical abortions” when supervised by a physician.
SB 1237 and AB 890 remove the requirements that certified nurse-midwives and nurse practitioners be directly supervised by a doctor while performing these abortions.
Jonathan Keller, CFC president, opposed the legislation, saying, “It is horrific enough that California funds the killing of children through all nine months of pregnancy and leads the country in abortions with over 132,000 each year. But the radical abortion lobby and the politicians they support seem hellbent on making it easier for unborn children to be killed, even if it means lowering health and safety standards for all women.”
Child Abuse – Changes in Reportable Acts
California law lists over 50 different professionals, including teachers, social workers, probation officers, police officers and firefighters, who are required to report suspected cases of abuse and neglect of a minor under eighteen years old.
But the California Legislature just passed AB 1145, which removes mandatory reporting for some cases of statutory rape. Here’s what the bill says:
“Existing law provides that ‘child abuse or neglect’ for these purposes includes ‘sexual assault,’ that includes, among other things, the crimes of sodomy, oral copulation, and sexual penetration.
“This bill would provide that ‘sexual assault’ for these purposes does not include voluntary sodomy, oral copulation, or sexual penetration, if there are no indicators of abuse, unless that conduct is between a person who is 21 years of age or older and a minor who is under 16 years of age.”
The legislation did not explain how minors can give “voluntary consent” to sexual acts with adults.
As CFC explains, “This means high school teachers or counselors who know or suspect one of their 16-year-old students or counselees is having sex with a 20-year-old, they are no longer required to report it to authorities.”
The bill was authored by Cristina Garcia (D – Downey). CFC reports: “The author of this bill made news several years ago for being investigated for accusations of sexual harassment. Here is what the Assembly Speaker said about her according to the Los Angeles Times: ‘Despite the decision that the most egregious allegations could not be substantiated, it is clear that Assembly Member Garcia has engaged in a pattern of behavior that must be addressed.’ … The Assembly leader also said Garcia will have to attend sexual harassment and sensitivity training when she returns to work.”
We’ll see if Governor Newsom thinks these laws are what California voters want – or if he’ll admit they are really, really bad ideas.
Related articles and resources:
CA Legislators Vote to Sterilize Kids, but Complain Opponents are “Fear-Mongering”
- LA Children’s Hospital Contradicts CA Legislators – Trans-Drugs Do Sterilize Kids
- Last Six Days of the Session: California Family Council’s List of Bad Bills
- Senate Democrats Lower Mandated Reporting Requirements for Some Statutory Rape Cases
- California Bill Would Fund ‘Transgender’ Hormones and Surgeries
- California Bill Removes Mandatory Sex Offender Registration for Some Sexual Acts Between Adults and Minors
- Psychiatry Journal Corrects Conclusion of Study: Says ‘Transgender’ Surgeries Do Not Improve Mental Health
- Abortion and Pro-Life Resources
- Counseling Consultation and Referrals
- Homosexuality Resources
- Healing from Sexual Abuse
- Transgender Resources
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jeff Johnston is a culture and policy analyst for Focus on the Family and a staff writer for the Daily Citizen. He researches, writes and teaches about topics of concern to families such as parental rights, religious freedom, LGBT issues, education and free speech. Johnston has been interviewed by CBS Sunday Morning, The New York Times, Associated Press News, The Christian Post, Rolling Stone and Vice, and is a frequent guest on radio and television outlets. He graduated Phi Beta Kappa from San Diego State University with a Bachelors in English and a Teaching Credential. He and his wife have been married 30 years and have three grown sons.