US: California lawmaker pulls son from school over trans bathroom rights law
A Republican member of the California State Assembly has announced that at least one of his sons will be pulled from public school following the passing of a law allowing transgender people to use bathrooms according to their gender identity.
Tim Donnelly, a possible candidate for the 2014 California Governor election, wrote about the decision to remove his son from public school on Conservative website WND.
He said the decision was due to a law approved by the Assembly in May, which allows transgender students to use bathrooms and gain membership of sports teams according to their gender identity.
The bill was signed into law by Governor Jerry Brown on Monday, and will take effect from 1 January.
Mr Donnelly opposed the law when it came time to vote on it, stating: “I do not believe that by allowing individuals of opposite sex to use the same restrooms makes any sense at all, and I think the vast majority of Californians deeply oppose this.”
He has now revealed that one of his sons will not return to his public middle school when term starts, which his older son in uncertain about returning to high school. He claimed the two boys were “horrified” by the law, which he wrote would replace the right to privacy with “the right to be ogled”.
“While trying to address a concern of less than 2 percent of the population, California is now forcibly violating the rights of the other 98 percent,” he wrote.
The law is first of its kind in the United States and is the only law currently that specifically calls for equal access to all students regardless of their gender identity.
Those who supported the bill, including Governor Brown, believe the new legislation shall help reduce bullying in California’s state schools. Trans activists believe the law can reduce discrimination and allow for much better access to transgender students.
