{"id":2058435,"date":"2023-10-06T18:43:02","date_gmt":"2023-10-06T22:43:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/california-ag-doubles-down-on-secret-gender-identity-policy\/"},"modified":"2023-10-06T18:47:53","modified_gmt":"2023-10-06T22:47:53","slug":"california-ag-doubles-down-on-secret-gender-identity-policy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/california-ag-doubles-down-on-secret-gender-identity-policy\/","title":{"rendered":"California AG reaffirms controversial gender identity policy"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">14<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fcalifornia-ag-doubles-down-on-secret-gender-identity-policy%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2058435&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><blockquote>\n<div class=\"my-5\">California Attorney General <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/tag\/rob-bonta\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Rob Bonta<\/a> has defied a federal court\u200b order by instructing\u200c school districts\u2063 to continue enabling <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/republicans-urge-department-of-education-to-stop-secret-gender-transitions-for-students-after-12-year-olds-suicide-attempt\/\" title=\"Republicans Urge Department Of Education To Stop Secret Gender Transitions For Students After 12-Year-Old\u2019s Suicide Attempt\">secret gender transitions<\/a>, according to\u2063 the Thomas More Society, a non-profit group specializing in \u2062civil liberties cases and constitutional law.<\/div>\n<div class=\"my-5\">Mr. Bonta issued the Sept. 26 <a href=\"https:\/\/oag.ca.gov\/system\/files\/attachments\/press-docs\/9-26-23%20Mirabelli-CV%20Guidance%20Letter.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">memo<\/a>, \u201cGuidance Regarding Forced \u2064Disclosure Policies Concerning Gender Identity,\u201d to school district superintendents \u200band Boards of Education members in the wake of several court battles against\u200d <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/article\/parents-teachers-start-winning-court-battles-against-secret-gender-transition-policies-5494068\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">secret gender transitions<\/a> at schools.<\/div>\n<div class=\"my-5\">On Sept. 14, Judge Roger Benitez \u200c <a href=\"https:\/\/uploads-ssl.webflow.com\/63d954d4e4ad424df7819d46\/65034f906c8a3969f9bd31d1_Dkt.%2042_Order%20on%20Cross%20Motions.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">granted<\/a> a preliminary injunction against the state and the Escondido Union School District (EUSD), blocking the school district from punishing two teachers who refused to comply with guidance issued by the California Department of Education that encourages educators to conceal social gender transitions of students \u2063from their parents.<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<h2>Related Stories<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>\n<div class=\"grow\">\n<div class=\"mb-1 line-clamp-2\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/us\/moms-to-shine-spotlight-on-harms-caused-by-youth-transgender-movement-5504654?ea_src=author_manual&#038;ea_med=related_stories\"><\/p>\n<h3>Moms Shine Spotlight on Harms Caused by Youth Transgender Movement<\/h3>\n<p><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"text-comp-caption text-[14px] leading-[18px]\">10\/6\/2023<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<div class=\"grow\">\n<div class=\"mb-1 line-clamp-2\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/us\/civil-liberties-groups-file-complaints-to-force-conservative-schools-into-accepting-transgender-ideology-5502549?ea_src=author_manual&#038;ea_med=related_stories\"><\/p>\n<h3>Civil Liberties Groups File Complaints to Force Conservative Schools Into Accepting\u2062 Transgender Ideology<\/h3>\n<p><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"text-comp-caption text-[14px] leading-[18px]\">10\/2\/2023<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The teachers, Elizabeth Mirabelli and Lori Ann West, are suing\u200b the district, claiming it has violated their constitutional rights by forcing them to lie \u200dto parents about their child\u2019s gender identity.<\/p>\n<div class=\"my-5\">The court order prohibits the enforcement of the district\u2019s\u2064 policy while the case is pending and denied motions filed by\u200d the school district \u2064and California Department of Education to dismiss the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thomasmoresociety.org\/news\/california-federal-court-issues-order-blocking-school-from-forcing-teachers-to-lie-to-parents#gsc.tab=0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">case<\/a>.<\/div>\n<p>In his memo, Mr. Bonta cites both the Escondido case and a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/judge-grants-temporary-restraining-order-partially-blocking-texas-heartbeat-act\/\" title=\"Judge Grants Temporary Restraining Order Partially Blocking Texas Heartbeat Act\">temporary restraining order blocking<\/a> the enforcement\u2064 of Chino Valley Unified School District\u2019s parental\u200b notification policy, which requires school staff to inform parents if their child changes gender identity at school remains in \u201cfull force and effect,\u201d and that \u200dthe Escondido\u2063 case has no bearing\u2063 on it. The state\u2019s request for a preliminary junction in the Chino Valley case\u2064 is set for a court hearing on \u2062Oct. 13.<\/p>\n<p>Mr. Bonta also claims that\u2062 disclosing\u2062 information to parents puts student safety at risk.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cData underscore the threat posed by\u2062 forced disclosure\u200d policies:\u200b only 37 percent \u200bof LGBTQ+ youth identified their home as supportive of their identity; one in ten transgender individuals have experienced violence at the hands of an immediate family member; 15 percent\u200d ran away or were kicked out of their home\u2062 because they were \u200dtransgender; and coming out to adverse parents has\u200c been shown to increase\u200c the risks of major depressive symptoms, suicide, homelessness, and drug use,\u201d he stated in the memo.<\/p>\n<div class=\"my-5\">The attorney general\u2019s office did\u2063 not respond to \u2064an inquiry requesting the source of the \u201cdata\u201d cited in the memo and comment on the judge\u2019s claim the state is portraying parents as \u201cthe enemy.\u201d<\/div>\n<h2>Counter Claim<\/h2>\n<p>Paul Jonna, a Thomas More Society lawyer and lead attorney in the Escondido case,\u200b countered the memo in an \u2064 <a href=\"https:\/\/uploads-ssl.webflow.com\/63d954d4e4ad424df7819d46\/65148b325a5a7a55fcbcb3fa_Open%20Letter%20Jonna%20-%2009.27.23-jb%20proofed_JMT-final.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">open letter<\/a> to Mr. Bonta on Sept. 27,\u2064 saying it\u2019s \u201cdeeply concerning, but unfortunately unsurprising\u201d that the state \u200cattorney general issued the so-called \u2018guidance\u2019 in defiance \u200dof a federal court order even though the judge determined the state policy encouraging secret\u200d gender transitions \u2062at schools likely \u200cviolates \u200dthe U.S. Constitution.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cCalifornians should be deeply troubled \u2026 that this issue\u2014hiding young children\u2019s gender identity and social transition \u2062at school\u2014is such a high\u200c priority for the State,\u201d Mr. Jonna \u2064wrote. \u201cThere is no justification for Attorney General Bonta\u200c burning millions of taxpayer dollars in litigation and other resources enforcing \u2018guidance\u2019 that he now knows, and should have always known, is both unconstitutional\u200b and \u2062harmful to children.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Mr. Jonna said that \u201cinstead\u2062 of doubling down on this dangerous course of\u200d conduct,\u2019 \u200cthe state should follow\u200c the guidance of \u2062seasoned experts such as Dr.\u2062 Erica Anderson, whose\u200d testimony in the Escondido case was unrebutted.<\/p>\n<p>He pointed out the judge noted in\u2063 the court order\u200c that Dr. Anderson explained there is not \u201cany professional body that would endorse \u2026 policies which envision adult personnel socially transitioning a child or adolescent without evaluation of mental health \u200dprofessionals and without the consent of parents or over their objection.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Dr. Anderson\u2064 also testified, \u201cthere are many dangers associated with allowing young children to \u2018socially transition\u2019 without the knowledge or involvement of their parents.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"post-figure\" style=\"margin-left:0;margin-right:0;max-width:1200px\">\n<figure style=\"width:640px;margin-left:auto;margin-right:auto\" class=\"alignnone\"><figcaption>An LGBT flag\u2063 at an Orange Unified School District meeting in Orange, Calif., on Aug. 17, 2023.\u200d (John Fredricks\/The Epoch Times)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"my-5\">\n<h2>&#8216;Trifecta of\u2062 Harm&#8217;<\/h2>\n<p>Judge Benitez states in\u200c his 36-page\u2062 ruling that \u2064EUSD\u2019s policy of elevating a child\u2019s gender-related choices \u201cto that of paramount importance while excluding a\u2063 parent from knowing \u2026 is as foreign\u200b to federal \u200dconstitutional and statutory \u2063law \u2062as it is medically unwise.\u201d\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Additionally, the judge stated: \u201cThe school\u2019s \u200bpolicy is a trifecta of harm: it harms the \u2064child who needs parental\u200d guidance and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/a-trifecta-of-harm-federal-judge-says-california-school-district-cant-force-teachers-to-lie-to-parents-about-gender-identity\/\" title=\"Federal judge rules against California school district, stating teachers cannot be compelled to deceive parents about students' gender identity.\">possibly mental health intervention<\/a> to determine if the incongruence is organic \u2062or whether it is the result \u2062of bullying, peer\u2063 pressure, or a fleeting impulse. It harms the parents by \u2062depriving them of the long recognized Fourteenth Amendment right to care, guide, and \u200cmake health \u200bcare decisions for their children. And finally, it harms plaintiffs who are compelled to violate the parent\u2019s rights by forcing plaintiffs\u2064 to conceal information they feel is critical for the welfare of their students\u2014violating plaintiffs\u2019 religious beliefs.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Mr. Jonna told the Epoch Times \u2064in a recent interview that Judge Benitez described the state guidance issued as a Frequently \u2064Asked \u200bQuestions (FAQ) page to school districts as very \u200cmisleading because it implies parental\u2064 exclusion is required\u200c in the state constitution under privacy rights for children.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThey said it was non-binding guidance, but they used\u2062 words like \u2018required\u2019 and \u2018must\u2019 and basically every school district interpreted it as binding,\u201d Mr. Jonna said. \u201cThe [district] was \u2063convinced it\u200b was binding and said \u200dso at the hearing \u2026 but\u200c in fact, this was not mandatory, it was just guidance.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>According \u200bto the 233-page court transcript, the judge asked state attorneys, \u201cIs the FAQ binding on the school district or \u2063not?\u201d to\u200d which they reluctantly replied it isn\u2019t and doesn\u2019t compel school districts to enact the rule.<\/p>\n<div class=\"my-5\">\u201cThe statist notion\u200b that governmental\u200c power should supersede parental authority in all cases because\u2062 some parents abuse and neglect children is repugnant to the American tradition,\u201d Judge Benitez\u2063 said. \u201cIsn\u2019t that precisely what your rules does? \u2026 It basically says \u2063that all parents are presumed to be the enemy if the child simply says,\u200b \u2018I don\u2019t want my parents to know.\u2019\u201d<\/div>\n<h2>Parental Rights Movement<\/h2>\n<p>Harmeet Dhillon, \u2063the CEO, and founder of the Center \u2063for American Liberty, another \u200bcivil liberties\u2062 law \u2062group, told The Epoch Times her organization will continue fighting in\u2062 the courts\u200b against secret \u2062gender transitions in schools and the use of puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones, and gender transition surgeries on minors.<\/p>\n<div class=\"my-5\">Ms. Dhillon, a prominent conservative who spoke about <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/tag\/parental-rights\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">parental rights<\/a> at the California Republican Party\u2019s fall convention in Anaheim last weekend, said there is \u201czero sunlight\u201d between any of the Republican presidential candidates on the issue.<\/div>\n<p>\u201cThey all support strong parental rights,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n<div class=\"post-figure\" style=\"margin-left:0;margin-right:0;max-width:1200px\">\n<figure style=\"width:640px;margin-left:auto;margin-right:auto\" class=\"alignnone\"><figcaption>Protect \u2064Kids California,\u200c a \u200cnonprofit parent and family advocacy \u2062group, holds a rally at the California State Capitol building in Sacramento, Calif., on Aug. 28, 2023.\u200d (John Fredricks\/The Epoch Times)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"my-5\">In 2022, she said, the California Republican Party led an organized effort encouraging parents to step up and run for\u2063 school boards, and because many parents won\u200b and flipped\u2064 the balance of power on several school boards,\u200d they began passing policies to protect the \u2063natural and fundamental rights to direct\u200d their children\u2019s education recognized by the United \u200dStates Supreme \u2062Court. At least <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/us\/7th-california-school-district-adopts-policy-to-notify-parents-of-childs-gender-status-change-5493099\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">seven<\/a> California school boards have since adopted parental notification policies.<\/div>\n<p>\u201cOur attorney general\u200b and our\u200d governor have responded with demagoguery and threats\u2014the governor\u200c threatening to fine school districts that try to keep \u200dpornographic books out of the hands of children \u2026 and the attorney general is suing school districts for protecting parental\u200b rights\u2064 to \u200cinformation \u2026 with respect to gender pronouns and transgender identification of their children in\u2063 the schools,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n<div class=\"my-5\">\u201cSo now, we obviously have to take this to\u2062 the ballot box and\u200c pass statewide measures,\u201d Ms. Dhillon said, referring to\u200d the recent move by parental rights coalitions to unite under an umbrella group called Protect Kids California to launch three <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/us\/california-parents-launch-ballot-initiatives-opposing-gender-ideology-5483807\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">ballot initiatives<\/a>.<\/div>\n<p>The initiatives \u2064call for\u2064 parental notification policies, oppose biological boys playing in girls\u2019 sports, and seek to ban so-called\u2064 \u201cgender-affirming\u201d medical interventions on minors.<\/p>\n<p> <\/p>\n<h2> What is the\u2064 Thomas More Society accusing Mr. Bonta of in their open\u200c letter?<\/h2>\n<p><span>  Et=&#8221;_blank&#8221; rel=&#8221;noopener&#8221;>open letter<\/a>, accusing Mr. Bonta of defying the federal court order and undermining parental rights.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYour guidance is an end-run around the federal court\u2019s order,\u201d Jonna wrote. \u201cIt\u200b violates the court\u2019s mandate to honor the parents\u2019 right to \u200ccontrol\u200c \u200ctheir \u200cchildren\u2019s\u200c upbringing. It also infringes the constitutional rights of \u200bteachers to speak truthfully to parents \u200don matters of significance\u200d concerning\u2063 their children.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Jonna also criticized\u2062 Mr. \u2063Bonta for using unreliable data to support his position. \u201cThis\u200b is not \u200cthe first time you have taken actions based on suspect sources. You issued a \u200cself-serving memo justifying the teaching of critical \u200crace theory in\u200c schools, largely based on an \u200cunpublished book chapter by\u200d someone who, from all appearances, misrepresents \u200cthe facts,\u201d he said in the letter.<\/p>\n<p>The Thomas More Society is demanding that Mr. Bonta rescind the memo \u200dand instruct all school districts to comply with the \u200ccourt orders, and they have threatened legal action if these demands\u200c are not met.<\/p>\n<h2>Protecting Parental\u2063 Rights<\/h2>\n<p>The case in Escondido\u200b and other similar cases across the country have \u200braised concerns\u200c about parental rights and the role of \u200bschools in the \u2062gender transition of minors without\u2062 parental \u2063knowledge or consent.<\/p>\n<p>Supporters \u2064argue that \u200bchildren have a right to privacy and autonomy in making decisions about their gender identity and that\u2064 disclosing this information to parents can put them\u200b at risk of harm or \u200drejection. They believe that schools should serve as a safe space\u200b for students, providing support and resources \u2062for gender transition without\u200b necessarily involving parents.<\/p>\n<p>On the other hand, \u200ccritics argue that parents have a \u200cfundamental right to be informed and involved in their child\u2019s\u2063 education and well-being. They assert that \u200bschools should not make decisions\u2063 of such a sensitive nature without parental consent and that it is the parents\u2019 responsibility and\u200c right to guide their child\u2019s development and make healthcare decisions on\u2063 their behalf.<\/p>\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/biden-admin-doubles-down-on-vaccine-mandate\/\" title=\"Biden admin. doubles down on vaccine mandate\">ongoing legal battles<\/a> concerning secret gender transitions in \u2062schools highlight the need for a balance between protecting minors\u2019 rights and safeguarding parental rights.<\/p>\n<h2>Conclusion<\/h2>\n<p>California Attorney General Rob Bonta\u2019s memo advising school \u2062districts to continue enabling secret gender transitions has received backlash from the Thomas More Society and other \u200badvocates for parental rights. \u2064The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/california-ag-doubles-down-on-secret-gender-identity-policy\/\" title=\"California AG reaffirms controversial gender identity policy\">ongoing legal battles surrounding secret gender transitions highlight<\/a> the complex \u2063issue of balancing minors\u2019 rights with parental rights. As the\u200c debate continues, the courts will play a\u200d crucial role in determining the outcome of these cases and \u200cshaping the future of parental involvement in\u200d their child\u2019s gender identity exploration.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>California Attorney General Rob Bonta has disregarded a federal court order by directing school districts to persist in facilitating covert gender transitions, as per the Thomas More Society. Bonta&#8217;s memo, titled &#8220;Guidance Regarding Forced Disclosure Policies Concerning Gender Identity,&#8221; was issued on Sept. 26 to school districts.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":557,"featured_media":2058436,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[543],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2058435","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-epoch-times"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2058435","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/557"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2058435"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2058435\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2058436"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2058435"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2058435"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2058435"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}