Huntington Beach mayor proposes ordinance against state gender identification law
The ordinance would declare the city a so-called "Parents' Right to Know" city.
HUNTINGTON BEACH, Calif. (KABC) -- The mayor of Huntington Beach is taking action against the state's gender identification law by introducing an ordinance that would declare the city a so-called "Parents' Right to Know" city.
Last month, California became the first U.S. state to bar school districts from requiring staff to notify parents of their child's gender identification change under a law signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom.
The law bans school rules requiring teachers and other staff to disclose a student's gender identity or sexual orientation to any other person without the child's permission.
Proponents of the legislation say it will help protect LGBTQ+ students who live in unwelcoming households. But opponents say it will hinder schools' ability to be more transparent with parents.
Huntington Beach Mayor Gracey Van Der Mark said the legislation "effectively pits children against parents and places educators as barriers between them, undermining a parent's ability to communicate with their children on critical, long-term, life-altering issues."
She called the proposed ordinance "a stand against Sacramento's overreach in its blatant invasion of the parent-child relationship."
The initiative will be discussed at Tuesday's city council meeting.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
