One lawmaker mentioned the proposed laws is about restoring parental rights in colleges and defending youth from gender ideology.
Two California lawmakers have proposed three items of laws that purpose to revive parental authority in public colleges, enable dad and mom to decide their youngsters out of any instruction involving gender ideology, and ban boys who determine as feminine from competing in ladies’ sports activities and sharing loos and locker rooms.
State Assemblywoman Leticia Castillo, a Republican, introduced two of the payments at a press convention exterior the state Capitol in Sacramento on Feb. 14.
“California should return to being a state the place dad and mom really feel protected to boost their households and instill their values with out worry of presidency interference,” Castillo mentioned. “In any case, dad and mom are the first educators of their youngsters, and kids belong to their dad and mom, not the state.”
“As a psychological well being supplier, I’ve witnessed the alarming pattern of susceptible children, these battling despair, anxiousness, ADHD, and different challenges as they undertake transgender identities,” mentioned Castillo, who can also be a psychotherapist.
Yaeli’s Legislation
Meeting Invoice 579 (AB 579), Yaeli’s Legislation, is called after Yaeli Martinez, a teenage woman who recognized as a transgender boy. Abigail Martinez, the woman’s mom, misplaced custody of Yaeli to the state when she was 16 as a result of she refused to name Yaeli by a male identify and pronouns. Whereas in foster care, Yaeli was given testosterone, suffered excruciating ache, and, at 19, dedicated suicide.
Yaeli’s Legislation would enable dad and mom to name their little one by his or her authorized identify and seek advice from her or him with pronouns that mirror their intercourse and never gender identification. It might additionally acknowledge parental authority to refuse so-called “gender-affirming care,” equivalent to social and bodily gender transitions for his or her little one, and make clear that such parental selections don’t represent little one abuse, neglect, or endangerment and don’t justify state intervention in little one custody or welfare.
The invoice would additionally be certain that dad and mom who’re falsely accused of abuse have the suitable to sue those that make false claims.
For 3 years, Martinez confronted an emotional abuse declare and was ultimately discovered to not be an abusive mom, mentioned Erin Friday, an lawyer and co-leader of Our Obligation, a gaggle that rejects gender ideology.
“But it surely was too late as a result of Yaeli grew to become a dependent of the state, and through that three-year interval, the court docket ordered testosterone use for this younger, confused woman,” Friday advised The Epoch Occasions previous the press convention.
Mother and father of gender dysphoric youngsters need to cope with the worry of both “affirming” their little one’s trans-identity even when it could be ephemeral and lead a baby to irreversible medical hurt or “roll[ing] the cube on whether or not Baby Protecting Companies goes to analyze them and so they lose custody of their little one,” mentioned Friday, whose personal daughter as soon as recognized as transgender.
Erin Friday (L) comforts Abigail Martinez (R), the mom of a transgender teen who dedicated suicide, whereas transgender activists block TV cameras from capturing her story, in Anaheim, Calif., on Oct. 8, 2022. John Fredricks/The Epoch Occasions
Excluding Boys From Women’ Sports activities
A 3rd invoice, authored by state Assemblyman Invoice Essayli, a Republican, seeks to revive sex-segregated sports activities groups, loos, and altering rooms primarily based on “immutable intercourse” and never fluid gender identities in conformance with Title IX.
“President Trump’s actions to save lots of ladies’ sports activities on the federal stage have been vital to our battle right here in California, however that is just the start,” Essayli mentioned, referring to President Donald Trump’s current government actions.
“We all know the state of California goes to do every little thing it will probably to withstand and keep away from compliance with federal regulation, so it’s our function to attempt to drive change right here on the state and native stage.”
State Sen. Scott Wiener, a Democrat, a staunch proponent of gender-reassignment procedures, and an LGBTQ caucus member, criticized the brand new laws.
Wiener advised The Epoch Occasions by way of textual content message that Trump and Republicans are “distracting folks by demonizing and concentrating on transgender folks” to divert consideration away from the administration’s tariffs and unlawful immigration enforcement, which the lawmaker described as “deporting important workforce.”
“Trans individuals are lower than 1 p.c of the inhabitants. Politicians who goal them—as an alternative of specializing in points that really impression folks’s lives, equivalent to price of residing—improve the danger of violence in opposition to trans folks,” Wiener wrote.
He mentioned the lawmakers who launched the payments are “fueling a harmful and slanderous tradition battle in opposition to trans folks.”

Senator Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco), attends an Equality California occasion on the California state capital constructing in Sacramento, Calif. on Aug. 29, 2023. John Fredricks/The Epoch Occasions
Detransitioners
Chloe Cole, who “detransitioned” from making an attempt to turn out to be a male and was positioned on puberty blockers and testosterone, is presently concerned in a lawsuit in opposition to Kaiser Permanente and docs over a double mastectomy she underwent at 15 years outdated.
She urged “each legislator” within the state to assist the payments.
“California is totally ignoring the rights of our dad and mom, simply saying no to being knowledgeable about their youngsters and what they’re going via and the true nature of what transitioning will really do to a baby,” Cole mentioned.
Cole, now 20, is considered one of a rising variety of detransitioners who’ve suffered irreversible harm and deeply remorse continuing with various phases of gender transition.
“I nonetheless have flashbacks. Generally I’ve desires. Generally I see myself within the mirror in my waking life as a younger man, and I can’t put into phrases how terrifying that’s to see one thing that isn’t there anymore haunting me for years to come back,” Cole mentioned.
“Now, these will not be natural emotions. There is no such thing as a such factor as being born within the mistaken physique, and to permit a baby to consider that’s extremely dangerous to them.”

Detransitioner Chloe Cole speaks at a press convention exterior California’s state Capitol Constructing in Sacramento on Feb. 14, 2025. Courtesy Greg Burt/California Household Council
Title 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 Excessive College League for alleged violations of Title IX.
Trump mentioned in his inaugural handle on Jan. 20 that the federal authorities will acknowledge two genders: female and male.
Tony Hoang, government director of Equality California, responded to the investigation into California Interscholastic Federation’s coverage supporting transgender athletes, saying the protections have existed for years “with out difficulty.”
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 youth.”
Hoang mentioned Equality California will proceed to advocate for transgender youth, their households, and CIF and defend insurance policies that promote inclusion and equality.
Equality California, the most important LGBT advocacy group within the state, has denounced Trump’s stance in opposition to gender ideology.

Melissa Batie-Smoose, former assistant coach of the Spartans Girls’s Volleyball group at San Jose State College who was fired for becoming a member of the Title IX lawsuit in opposition to the NCAA and Mountain West Convention, speaks at a press convention exterior California’s state Capitol Constructing in Sacramento on Feb. 14, 2025. Courtesy Greg Burt/California Household Council
Melissa Batie-Smoose, former assistant coach of the Spartans Girls’s Volleyball group at San Jose State College, advised supporters she was fired for submitting a Title IX lawsuit in opposition to the NCAA and Mountain West Convention.
Smoose mentioned she filed the grievance to guard girls and the integrity of feminine sports activities after discovering out considered one of her gamers is male.
Smoose mentioned she wasn’t advised she can be teaching the athlete earlier than she took the job and moved her household throughout the nation.
“I simply assumed I might be teaching all females,” she mentioned.