Today in Sacramento, a bill was introduced in the California Legislature to end parental notification policies and protect teachers "caught in the fray". According to the LA Times, "Assemblymember Christopher M. Ward (D-San Diego) is carrying legislation that would shield teachers from 'any retaliation' for supporting transgender student rights and would prohibit school policies that require 'forced disclosure' of youth gender decisions to their families." This is amid crossfire between conservatives for parental rights and LGBTQ+ advocates for transgender rights. The LA Times continues with, "Ward called the measures 'forced outing' policies, and said the new legislation is meant to reaffirm and clarify California’s stance on the issue, and would provide guidance to families of LGBTQ+ students to help them navigate the sensitive topic. 'Nothing ever was infringing on the parent-child relationship. Nothing is today, and nothing would be with this bill enacted,' Ward said ahead of a news conference in Sacramento on Wednesday. 'But that’s not the job of teachers — to be the gender police.'" This isn't the first attempt to eradicate this discrimination against trans youth as the LA Times says "California Atty. Gen. Rob Bonta filed a lawsuit last year against the Chino school district, alleging its parental notification policy was discriminatory and violated civil rights and privacy laws. A San Bernardino County Superior Court Judge ruled in a preliminary hearing that the policy was discriminatory because it specifically targeted transgender students. That led the Chino Valley Board of Education to revise the policy to expand it to all students seeking any changes to their records. Bonta filed a new motion against the district last month seeking a final judgment to ensure that school board members do not attempt to reenact the policy, as they have continued to voice support for it." While Ward is doing all this, anti-transgender activists are starting to back a ballot measure that the LA Times says " would not only require schools statewide to notify parents about student gender changes, but also ban some transgender healthcare for minors and enact new rules about school bathrooms and sports teams." If it gets enough signatures to land on the November ballot and it passes, Ward's law could be void. 

So what does this mean? Well, we have two scenarios:

Ward's law passes - teachers aren't forced to out a student's gender, pronouns, or anything related to that to the kid's parents

Ward's law is void - all California teachers are forced to out that info along with banning some trans healthcare for minors and enforcing new laws about school bathrooms and sports teams.

At the end of the day, the fight is for the trans youth and all youth for that matter. If you feel everyone should be accepted no matter gender, identity, or whatever, hope the fight is in their favor. If not, then good luck getting those signatures. Doubt many of us bystanders will agree, but what do I know? I'm just an ally of the LGBTQ+ community and I don't care for politics.