Did you know California is all about advocating for LGBT rights? Well, now you do and probably want to find out more about how and when it happened. Sometimes, we think of how far the U.S has progressed in terms of minority rights without considering that legal systems of its states differ.
California is liberal, California is welcoming. Indeed, it’s considered to have the strongest laws protecting the LGBT people in the world. Impressive, huh? It was the first state in the U.S. that in 1999 legalized domestic partnership for same-sex couples. In 2003 they were also granted the right to practice step and joint adoption.
California proves that only the above mentioned do not guarantee safety and equal opportunity. That is why the history of the LGBT rights is now a part of public school curriculum. And transgender students can choose whatever restroom or sports team they want based on how they feel about their gender identity.
You might be familiar with the most typical laws such as protection against discrimination, which can occur more implicitly than you think and for which one would surely need a good discrimination lawyer. However, there a couple of laws and updates that you might not have heard about. So, let’s find more about them.
AJR 45: Resolution in Support of the Equality Act
It is basically an update of the Civil Rights Act signed in 1964 to also protect against discrimination based on gender identity or sexual orientation in a number of areas from housing to public education and jury system. This revision most importantly affects the definition of public accommodations, which would guarantee that anybody can use social and public spaces freely. This bill works with a special focus on religious organizations as well, which shouldn’t use religion as a justification for discriminating and refusing service.
AB 2246: Suicide Prevention Education
Suicide statistics reveal how vulnerable LGBT youth is. In fact, that they are four times more likely to attempt suicide. So, how education could combat this? Schools should adopt policies and empower teachers with necessary information and tools that could be helpful for preventing teen suicide. And California was the first state to do so. If carried out properly, this bill could tackle the sometimes taboo subject of suicide for the good.
AB 1732: The Equal Restroom Access Act
Restricted access to restrooms divided by gender is a tough problem that concerns both safety and convenience. No state has gone this far as to implement the most promising strategy to combat this issue. While in North Carolina transgender individuals have to use bathrooms based on the gender indicated on their birth certificate. The bill ensures all single-occupancy restrooms in places of public accommodation to be available to anyone. You can imagine how many bathroom signs did this bill change. Check out some creative ones here.
California sets a good example when it comes to the LGBT rights not only for other U.S states but for the rest of the world. It shows how important it is to approach this matter broadly and to come up with comprehensive laws, from education policies to restroom access. Follow our blog to find more about California-based laws and not only.