In California, bipartisan activists are rallying to introduce measures on the state ballot that could prohibit child sex change surgeries and safeguard women’s spaces.
This move is facilitated by Protect Kids California, an organization founded by Jonathan Zachreson, a Republican, and Erin Friday, a Democrat. They have proposed three statewide ballot initiatives aimed at banning child sex changes and puberty blockers, restricting men from participating in women’s sports, and mandating school officials to inform parents if a child wishes to transition their gender.
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Contrary to popular belief, this issue isn’t strictly divided along party lines. Sophia Lorey, a women’s rights activist, states, “The media and the California legislators make it seem that it’s a Democrat versus Republican issue, but it’s not. I would say the majority of Democrats agree with us on this.” The initiatives have gained support across the political spectrum in their pursuit to be recognized on the ballot.
The Protect Children From Reproductive Harm Act aims to ban child sex change surgeries and puberty blockers. The School Transparency And Partnership Act would require school officials to alert parents if a student wants to identify as a different gender than their biological sex, and the Protect Girls’ Sports And Spaces Act seeks to establish sex-segregated bathrooms and locker rooms while also preventing males from competing in female sports.
To appear on the ballot, these initiatives need to garner 550,000 signatures. Once on the ballot, they will be subjected to a vote to determine if they should be implemented as law in California.
Erin Friday’s motivation for filing these initiatives stems from personal experience. Her daughter was socially transitioned at school without her knowledge. She asserts, “All of these groups, including what I would say are far-left groups, the same-sex-attracted groups, Gays Against Groomers, the lesbian groups, the feminist groups, we are all holding hands on this issue.”
Recent polls suggest a decline in support for transgender athletes competing as the gender they identify with. Lorey contends that working with Democrat activists to counteract gender ideology policies, such as allowing men in women’s sports or child sex changes, does not create tension. She states, “It’s okay that we don’t agree on things. We need to find ways to work together on the things we agree with.”
The Chino Valley Unified School District recently passed a policy requiring teachers to inform parents if their child requests to identify as a different gender at school. However, Democratic California Attorney General Rob Bonta sued the district, alleging the rule to be unconstitutional. Despite this, parents in the district are urging the school board not to back down.
Friday sums up the sentiment behind this movement: “The real question comes down to are you okay with removing healthy body parts of a child, and if your answer is no, then you’re a part of this coalition.”
