By a 78% vote of its membership, Feminists in Struggle voted to endorse three important pieces of proposed California legislation that would curb the extremist policies of sex denying gender identity ideologues that have dominated California’s state government. The bills, if approved, would go a long way to securing the rights of women and girls and those of children of both sexes that have been compromised as a result of this reactionary, misogynistic and homophobic ideology.
The proposed legislation is the following:
Yaeli’s Bill: This bill would end the despicable practice under current law of removing custody from non-abusive parents, even forcing a child into foster care, merely because a parent refuses to agree to “transition” their child. “Transition” of minors, often involving removal of healthy body parts, and high risk of sterilization, and other permanent harms to a child’s developing body, is an unproven practice that is increasingly being rejected by the UK and Scandinavian countries that have conducted comprehensive reviews. See the Cass Review, available for download here. [ARCHIVED CONTENT] Final Report – Cass Review If this bill is approved, it would no longer be deemed child abuse to refuse to socially or medically transition your child, and the refusal to transition your child will no longer be considered in custody disputes.
RN 25 03490 This bill allows parents to Opt-Out of all instructions related to transgender. This ideology is heavily promoted in schools, teaching children tthe unscientific view that sex doesn’t exist or is a spectrum, and that some children are born in the “wrong” body and need medicalization to be themselves. The group most vulnerable to this message are children who don’t conform to sex stereotypes, most of whom are likely, if left alone, to grow up to be lesbian or gay. Also vulnerable are autistic children who have problems fitting in and children, especially girls, who have experienced sexual abuse or other forms of male violence.
Repeal of Education Code 221.5: The proposed legislation would repeal the California law that permits students to decide changing facilities/sports teams based upon Gender Identity (all grades and college) rather than sex. Female only sports teams are needed for fair competition and to provide equal opportunity for women and girls to develop themselves and receive equal recognition and scholarships for their athletic achievements. Separate changing rooms for women and girls based on sex are necessary to respect their privacy and safety needs in a world where male voyeurism, exhibitionism, sexual harassment and rape are pervasive problems. There is no evidence that males who transition are less prone to anti-woman violence than any other male.
FIST fights for a world free of male violence where women’s rights to equality, dignity, reproductive choice, and equal opportunity are respected; children’s health is protected from experimental treatments; there is no longer a stigma against same sex love; and everyone is free to dress and express themselves as they like without the sexist strait-jacket of “masculine” and “feminine” sex roles and stereotypes imposed on people based on their sex. In other words, women’s liberation.
As we work toward such a world, we urge all our supporters to get behind these bills.