California's School Success and Opportunity Act is an important bill that would protect transgender students by ensuring that they can access school accommodations (bathrooms, locker rooms, etc.) that affirm their gender identity, and can participate in the same sports teams and other school activities as their peers do. As its name suggests, the bill supports transgender students' success by providing a set of essential protections in California state law.
The bill has passed in both the Assembly and Senate, and is currently on its way to Governor Jerry Brown for review and consideration. Though many advocates have fought to get this bill the attention it deserves, including Equality California, the Transgender Law Center, and more, anti-LGBT groups have exerted much pressure on the governor not to sign the bill. Governor Brown has not publicly announced any timeline as to when he will make his decision on the bill.
“I just want to be treated the same as all the other boys, but my school forces me to take P.E. in a class of all girls and live as someone I’m not," said Ashton Lee, a 16-year-old transgender student who testified before a Senate committee in support of the bill. "I can’t learn and succeed when every day in that class leaves me feeling isolated and alone.”
Join GLAAD in promoting equal treatment for all students in California, including those who are transgender, by contacting Governor Brown and voicing your support.
To take action, contact the governor's office by phone at (916) 445-2841, email, or via Facebook and Twitter.