Capitol Alert: Making K-12 more inclusive

By Andrew Sheeler

Excerpted from the Sacramento Bee

California law requires that K-12 schools must grant students access to the bathroom that corresponds with their gender identity. But that doesn’t cover nonbinary and other gender-nonconforming students, says Sen. Josh Newman, D-Fullerton. Newman, who chairs the Senate Education Committee, has introduced a bill, SB 760, to require schools to provide students with access to an all-gender bathroom on-campus during school hours.

“Let’s face it— at some point during a typical eight-hour school day, everyone is going to have to go. By requiring all California K-12 schools to provide gender-inclusive restroom facilities on campus, we’ll ensure the wellbeing of our LGBTQ+ and nonbinary students and ensure safer school communities for everyone,” Newman said in a statement. Newman’s office cited survey data showing that 45% of LGBTQ and nonbinary students actively avoid using gender-segregated restrooms because it makes them feel unsafe and uncomfortable. SB 760 is co-sponsored by Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond and Equality California, an LGBTQ advocacy organization. Tony Hoang, who heads Equality California, noted in a statement that while other states are passing discriminatory laws against LGBTQ youths, including transgender and nonbinary students, California “is doubling down” on protections for them.

“Schools should be a welcoming, safe place for all students — this includes access to bathrooms,” Thurmond said in a statement.

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