A controversial Bill allowing transexual students to access bathrooms and changing rooms of the gender they have chosen, has been signed into law in the US state of California.
State Governor Jerry Brown approved the legislation on Monday, amid warnings that it will distort the “gender expectations” of children.
The Bill also allows students to choose to join either girls’ or boys’ sports teams at school.
Argue
Politicians have argued that the new law could be exploited.
Senator Jim Nielsen said: “Elementary and secondary students of California – our most impressionable, our most vulnerable – now may be subjected to some very difficult situations.”
He added: “Think about the millions of California parents and students who at the least would be extraordinarily uncomfortable with what this bill would impose upon them”.
Damage
A pro-family group says the new law will “damage” children.
Randy Thomasson, president of SaveCalifornia.com, said: “This radical bill warps the gender expectations of children by forcing all California public schools to permit biological boys in girls restrooms, showers, clubs and on girls sports teams and biological girls in boys restrooms, showers clubs and sports teams”.
He added: “This is insanity”.
Discrimination
But Executive Director of the Transgender Law Centre, which was part of a coalition of organisations which backed the legislation, said it will combat discrimination.
Masen Davis said: “Now, every transgender student in California will be able to get up in the morning knowing that when they go to school as their authentic self they will have the same fair chance at success as their classmates.”
In June this year, a six-year-old boy in the US state of Colorado won the right to use the girls’ toilets at school because he is transsexual.
Coy Matthis’ parents took their son’s school to a civil rights panel, claiming it was discrimination to disallow him from using the bathroom of the gender with which he identifies.
