SACRAMENTO, Calif., Aug. 16, 2013 /
Christian Newswire/ -- Calling for respect for all students, a referendum was filed today to overturn AB 1266, recently signed into law by Governor Brown. The controversial legislation has come to be called "the co-ed bathroom bill" because of its provision that allows children in grades K-12 to choose whatever bathroom or locker room they feel matches their sexual identity.
"We respect that some students are struggling with their own sexual identity, but we ask for respect for the other students who will be humiliated when a boy walks into the girl's locker room," said Karen England, Executive Director of Capitol Resource Institute. "This is a privacy issue, a safety issue, and a common sense issue."
California law allows the public to vote out objectionable measures passed by the Legislature and signed by the Governor, but the proponents of a referendum are required to gather more than 500,000 signatures within 90 days from the signature of the Governor.
"It seems unbelievable that this bill would ever have made its way through the Legislature and signed into law by the Governor. Many people have contacted our office asking if this is a mistake or a joke," said England. "Others have said that they will be taking their students out of public schools, some even saying they are planning to move out of State."
The new law is the first of its kind in the country and it is unclear how school districts will withstand likely legal challenges.
