Across the country, hundreds of pieces of legislation have been introduced that target the transgender community — everything from restricting access to gender-affirming care to deciding which bathrooms transgender kids are allowed in.

In California, there was a push by Assembly Republicans to require schools to notify parents or guardians when their child identified with a different gender identity than the one listed on their birth certificate.

AB 1314, authored by Assembly member Bill Essayli, was effectively killed by the Assembly Education Committee Chair Assemblymember Al Muratsuchi, who did not schedule the bill for a hearing.

Essayli joined “Inside the Issues” host Alex Cohen to talk about AB 1314 and the importance of having parents being informed of their child’s gender identity.

A potential reason kids might not share their gender identity with their parents is because they might not be comfortable doing so and might not receive support, though Essayli doesn’t think this should dictate the importance of keeping parents informed.

“We don’t know the reason that [kids] don’t tell their parents, but what I do know is that the parent is responsible for their safety and well-being, their mental health, their physical health and raising them,” Essayli said.

The California LGBTQ+ Caucus, which criticized the bill for having the potential to put kids in danger and subject them to trauma and violence, opposed AB 1314.

“I would say [the opposition] is throwing out a lot of hyperbolic words,” Essayli said. “A non-supportive parent does not mean a dangerous parent. If any adult, any teacher has evidence that a home is a danger to the kid, that they’re actually going to be in physical harm, they have a mandatory duty to report that to the authorities.”

He added that the assumption by the government should be that parents have the best interest for their kids, and in cases where that is not the case, adults have to step in to report those instances to the authorities.

Though AB 1314 won’t be moving forward, Essayli has not given up in trying to get schools to inform parents of their child’s gender identity. He is now shifting his focus to local school boards to circumvent the supermajority Democratic state legislature.

“We’re going to take my legislation, we’re going to take the policy, and we’re now going to the school district level and parents are going to be the voice there,” Essayli said.

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