The California state Senate has passed a bill that critics say pits parents against teachers by allowing students to identify as transgender at school without moms and dads being notified. The AB-1955 bill would prohibit school districts from requiring teachers and officials to “disclose any information related to a pupil’s sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression to any other person without the pupil’s consent.” It passed the California Senate Thursday by a vote of 29-8.

“LGBTQ+ pupils have the right to express themselves freely at school without fear, punishment, or retaliation, including that teachers or administrators might ‘out’ them without their permission,” the bill says.

Supporters say the bill would protect students.

“Forced outing can result in significant emotional and psychological harm, and in some cases, it can even lead to homelessness or self-harm,” said Assemblyman Chris Ward, a Democrat.

Critics say the bill is anti-family.

Assemblyman Jim Patterson, a Republican, labeled the bill “evil.”

“In the nearly 12 years that I have been in the State Assembly, I have never seen an effort to damage the relationship between children and their parents like this one,” Patterson said at a news conference hosted by the California Family Council.

The bill, he said, would create a “government-imposed wall” between the parents and the school.

“The state does not own our children,” Patterson added. “They have no business getting between parents and children, especially on something as potentially damaging as this.”

Greg Burt, vice president of the California Family Council, warned that the bill “represents an unprecedented overreach by the government into the sacred bond between parents and their children.”

“Parents have a God-given responsibility to guide and protect their children, especially during times of confusion and vulnerability,” Burt said. “AB 1955 not only undermines this fundamental right but also endangers the well-being of our children by isolating them from the very people who love and care for them the most. We must stand firm in defending parental rights and ensuring that families, not the government, are at the center of raising our children.”

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