AB957 would include a parent’s affirmation of the child’s “gender identity or gender expression” as part of the “health, safety, and welfare” factors used to determine the “best interests of the child” for the purposes of deciding custody.
The Assembly passed AB957 on September 8, 2023, by a vote of 61 to 16, prior to it being vetoed by the Governor. We have assigned minuses to the ayes because no person has a right to abuse a child using the pretext of LGBTQ+ ideology, nor should any parent ever be compelled to acquiesce to it under the threat of losing custody. On the contrary, ‘child grooming’—whether it involves indoctrinating a child with cruel and fictional “gender identity” constructs or violating their right to life and limb through the grotesque practice of sex mutilation—should be considered illegal in California and be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. The U.S. Constitution’s Bill of Rights and 14th Amendment protect both the basic humanity of children and the fundamental rights of parents from being unjustly deprived, denied, or disparaged.