California Governor Gavin Newsom has backpedaled and defended his state’s radical left transgender policy. The Golden State has numerous appalling transgender laws, including one that prohibits school districts from requiring teachers to notify parents when their children choose a different gender than the one assigned at birth based on biological sex.
Previously, Gov. Newsom had stated that allowing transgender athletes in women’s sports was “deeply unfair” and that Democrats should own and acknowledge it, adding that the “issue of fairness [in sports] is completely legit.”
Appearing on HBO’s Real Time with Bill Maher, Gov. Newsom started on the right foot by describing his party as “judgemental” and “toxic” and urging it to mature on trans issues.
However, Maher called him out for the role he has played in entrenching the radical-left transgender ideology in California and nationwide. On July 15, 2024, Newsom signed the Support Academic Futures and Educators for Today’s Youth (SAFETY) Act or AB1955, which is one of a kind nationally.
It prohibits teachers from notifying parents without the child’s consent or requirement by law when the student changes their gender, uses facilities designated for the opposite gender, or participates in activities traditionally associated with the opposite biological sex.
“What do you say to people who say, ‘Well, this all sounds very good. But governor, you were the poster boy for a lot of this [woke] stuff’?” Maher asked.
Referring to Trump’s criticism of California’s law that prohibits teachers from reporting students’ gender identity changes, Maher said the Republican Party had managed to convince many Americans that it was the most reasonable option.
“That’s the kind of thing — even though it doesn’t affect a lot of people — that makes a lot of people go, ‘Well, you know what? That’s the party without common sense.’”
Like a true Democrat, Newsom misrepresented the facts by claiming that teachers were fired for failing to report students’ gender identity issues. However, it introduces additional legal requirements for teachers to inform parents of any gender identity changes, thus making it riskier for them to report. Teachers are now more likely to lose their jobs or face additional legal consequences for reporting gender changes, essentially silencing them.
“I just disagree with that. I mean, the law was you would be fired, a teacher would be fired if a teacher did not report or snitch on a kid talking about their gender identity,” he claimed. “I just think that was wrong. I think teachers should teach. I don’t think they should be required to turn in kids.”
Despite Maher’s attempt to set the record straight, Newsom rumbled on relentlessly to reinforce the false narrative and drown out the facts.
“What is the job of a teacher? It’s to teach. If Johnny’s talking about some identity issue or some issue about liking someone of the same sex, is it the teacher’s job to then report that?” Newsom asked. “In this law, the teacher can still do that. But they can’t be fired if that’s not what they do. I just think that was fair. I don’t think that’s inappropriate.”
Meanwhile, Newsom faces a political dilemma where adopting a commonsense approach to trans rights could cost him the primaries, while doubling down could cost him the election, like Kamala. The California governor had already acknowledged that trans rights was a losing issue, and Kamala’s reluctance to address them infuriated him more.
“It was devastating,” Newsom lamented. “And she didn’t even react to it, which was even more devastating.”
Meanwhile, the Department of Education is investigating California for violating parental rights under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), which guarantees parents access to their children’s records.
“It is not only immoral but also potentially in contradiction with federal law for California schools to hide crucial information about a student’s wellbeing from parents and guardians,” Education Secretary Linda McMahon said.
