Scott Winer, The state senator who proposed the law to make California a legal haven for families with trans children, said the California government must be able to multitask because families face emergencies on various fronts.
For decades, LGBTQ communities across the country have endured “wave after wave” of legislation aimed at restricting their rights – including attempts to bar same-sex couples from marrying or adopting children, various regulations targeting trans children and, more recently, attempts to ban teachers from talking in schools. Sexual orientation and gender identity.
So Weiner said his proposal was intended to send a message: “We will do everything in our power to protect you and protect you from the abominable people who are using trans children as political pawns.”
At the same time, Winer admits, “You can’t solve every problem with one bill.”
He said the state’s housing crisis must also be addressed: “This widespread, deliberate housing shortage makes communities less diverse and less welcome – ethnically and less diverse in terms of income.”
Alexis Sanchez, director of advocacy and training at the Sacramento LGBT Community Center, said people from other states were “running out of their homes” when they came to California.
Nonetheless, Sanchez said the clear support of California’s LGBTQ community leaders could have a real impact on young trans people – whether they are directly influenced by other states’ policies – just to show what is possible.
