One lawmaker stated the proposed law is ready restoring parental rights in colleges and protective adolescence from gender ideology.
Two California lawmakers have proposed 3 items of law that intention to revive parental authority in public colleges, permit folks to decide their youngsters out of any instruction involving gender ideology, and ban boys who establish as feminine from competing in women’ sports activities and sharing toilets and locker rooms.
State Assemblywoman Leticia Castillo, a Republican, introduced two of the expenses at a press convention out of doors the state Capitol in Sacramento on Feb. 14.
“California should go back to being a state the place folks really feel secure to lift their households and instill their values with out concern of presidency interference,” Castillo stated. “In the end, folks are the main educators in their youngsters, and youngsters belong to their folks, now not the state.”
“As a psychological well being supplier, I’ve witnessed the alarming development of susceptible children, the ones suffering with despair, nervousness, ADHD, and different demanding situations as they undertake transgender identities,” stated Castillo, who may be a psychotherapist.
Yaeli’s Legislation
Meeting Invoice 579 (AB 579), Yaeli’s Legislation, is known as after Yaeli Martinez, a teenage lady who known as a transgender boy. Abigail Martinez, the woman’s mom, misplaced custody of Yaeli to the state when she was once 16 as a result of she refused to name Yaeli via a male title and pronouns. Whilst in foster care, Yaeli was once given testosterone, suffered excruciating ache, and, at 19, dedicated suicide.
Yaeli’s Legislation would permit folks to name their kid via his or her prison title and discuss with her or him with pronouns that replicate their intercourse and now not gender identification. It might additionally recognize parental authority to refuse so-called “gender-affirming care,” corresponding to social and bodily gender transitions for his or her kid, and explain that such parental selections don’t represent kid abuse, overlook, or endangerment and don’t justify state intervention in kid custody or welfare.
The invoice would additionally make certain that folks who’re falsely accused of abuse have the fitting to sue those that make false claims.
For 3 years, Martinez confronted an emotional abuse declare and was once ultimately discovered to not be an abusive mom, stated Erin Friday, an lawyer and co-leader of Our Accountability, a gaggle that rejects gender ideology.
“Nevertheless it was once too overdue as a result of Yaeli become a dependent of the state, and throughout that three-year duration, the court docket ordered testosterone use for this younger, perplexed lady,” Friday instructed The Epoch Occasions previous the clicking convention.
Folks of gender dysphoric youngsters need to deal with the worry of both “declaring” their kid’s trans-identity even if it can be ephemeral and lead a kid to irreversible clinical hurt or “roll[ing] the cube on whether or not Kid Protecting Services and products goes to research them they usually lose custody in their kid,” stated Friday, whose personal daughter as soon as known as transgender.
Erin Friday (L) comforts Abigail Martinez (R), the mummy of a transgender teenager who dedicated suicide, whilst transgender activists block TV cameras from taking pictures her tale, in Anaheim, Calif., on Oct. 8, 2022. John Fredricks/The Epoch Occasions
Except Boys From Ladies’ Sports activities
A 3rd invoice, authored via state Assemblyman Invoice Essayli, a Republican, seeks to revive sex-segregated sports activities groups, toilets, and converting rooms in line with “immutable intercourse” and now not fluid gender identities in conformance with Name IX.
“President Trump’s movements to avoid wasting women’ sports activities at the federal degree had been important to our battle right here in California, however that is only the start,” Essayli stated, relating to President Donald Trump’s fresh govt movements.
“We all know the state of California goes to do the whole thing it may well to withstand and steer clear of compliance with federal regulation, so it’s our function to take a look at to power alternate right here on the state and native degree.”
State Sen. Scott Wiener, a Democrat, a staunch proponent of gender-reassignment procedures, and an LGBTQ caucus member, criticized the brand new law.
Wiener instructed The Epoch Occasions by the use of textual content message that Trump and Republicans are “distracting other people via demonizing and concentrated on transgender other people” to divert consideration clear of the management’s price lists and unlawful immigration enforcement, which the lawmaker described as “deporting crucial staff.”
“Trans persons are lower than 1 p.c of the inhabitants. Politicians who goal them—as an alternative of specializing in problems that if truth be told affect other people’s lives, corresponding to price of dwelling—building up the chance of violence in opposition to trans other people,” Wiener wrote.
He stated the lawmakers who presented the expenses are “fueling a deadly and slanderous tradition battle in opposition to trans other people.”

Senator Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco), attends an Equality California match on the California state capital construction in Sacramento, Calif. on Aug. 29, 2023. John Fredricks/The Epoch Occasions
Detransitioners
Chloe Cole, who “detransitioned” from making an attempt to develop into a male and was once put on puberty blockers and testosterone, is lately excited by a lawsuit in opposition to Kaiser Permanente and medical doctors over a double mastectomy she underwent at 15 years previous.
She prompt “each and every legislator” within the state to make stronger the expenses.
“California is totally ignoring the rights of our folks, simply pronouncing no to being knowledgeable about their youngsters and what they’re going via and the actual nature of what transitioning will if truth be told do to a kid,” Cole stated.
Cole, now 20, is one among a rising choice of detransitioners who’ve suffered irreversible harm and deeply remorseful about continuing with various phases of gender transition.
“I nonetheless have flashbacks. Infrequently I’ve goals. Infrequently I see myself within the replicate in my waking lifestyles as a tender guy, and I will’t put into phrases how terrifying this is to look one thing that isn’t there anymore haunting me for future years,” Cole stated.
“Now, those don’t seem to be natural emotions. There is not any such factor as being born within the incorrect frame, and to permit a kid to consider this is extremely damaging to them.”

Detransitioner Chloe Cole speaks at a press convention out of doors California’s state Capitol Development in Sacramento on Feb. 14, 2025. Courtesy Greg Burt/California Circle of relatives Council
Name IX Investigations
In the meantime, the U.S. Division of Training introduced it’s investigating San Jose State College and California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) in addition to the Minnesota State Top Faculty League for alleged violations of Name IX.
Trump stated in his inaugural cope with on Jan. 20 that the government will acknowledge two genders: female and male.
Tony Hoang, govt director of Equality California, replied to the investigation into California Interscholastic Federation’s coverage supporting transgender athletes, pronouncing the protections have existed for years “with out factor.”
He known as the schooling division’s investigation a “politically motivated assault and a part of a broader effort to weaponize the federal government in opposition to transgender adolescence.”
Hoang stated Equality California will proceed to recommend for transgender adolescence, their households, and CIF and shield insurance policies that advertise inclusion and equality.
Equality California, the most important LGBT advocacy staff within the state, has denounced Trump’s stance in opposition to gender ideology.

Melissa Batie-Smoose, former assistant trainer of the Spartans Girls’s Volleyball staff at San Jose State College who was once fired for becoming a member of the Name IX lawsuit in opposition to the NCAA and Mountain West Convention, speaks at a press convention out of doors California’s state Capitol Development in Sacramento on Feb. 14, 2025. Courtesy Greg Burt/California Circle of relatives Council
Melissa Batie-Smoose, former assistant trainer of the Spartans Girls’s Volleyball staff at San Jose State College, instructed supporters she was once fired for submitting a Name IX lawsuit in opposition to the NCAA and Mountain West Convention.
Smoose stated she filed the criticism to offer protection to girls and the integrity of feminine sports activities after studying one among her avid gamers is male.
Smoose stated she wasn’t instructed she can be training the athlete sooner than she took the process and moved her circle of relatives around the nation.
“I simply assumed I might be training all women,” she stated.