California Governor Gavin Newsom (then Lieutenant Governor) riding in the Golden State Warriors Parade in Oakland, CA, Jun. 12, 2018. (Photo: Amir Aziz/Shutterstock)
Gov. Newsom Vetoes Bill to Charge Parents With ‘Child Abuse’ for not Affirming Trans Children
Bill co-author, Sen. Scott Wiener called out Newsom for veto
By Katy Grimes, September 23, 2023 8:47 am
Straying from his open support of the trans movement, California Gov. Gavin Newsom just vetoed Assembly Bill 957 by Assemblywoman Lori Wilson (D-Suisun City), in which a parent could lose custody for not “affirming” or agreeing to a child’s claims about gender identity.
Did presidential politics play a role in this veto?
“Affirming a child’s identity about gender is in their best interest,” Assemblywoman Wilson said in a hearing June 9th. Wilson also said that if you the parent reject your child’s chosen gender, “you are rejecting that child.”
The bill, co-authored by Sen. Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco), would require judges adjudicating such disputes over transgender-identifying children to favor the parent who “affirms” the child’s preferred identity.
Sen. Wiener was not happy about the veto:
“This veto is a tragedy for trans kids here & around the country,” Wiener Tweeted. “These kids are living in fear, with right wing politicians working to out them, deny them health care, ban them from sports & restrooms & erase their humanity. CA needs to unequivocally stand with these kids.”
This veto is a tragedy for trans kids here & around the country. These kids are living in fear, with right wing politicians working to out them, deny them health care, ban them from sports & restrooms & erase their humanity.
CA needs to unequivocally stand with these kids. https://t.co/dffOj1bXDW
— Senator Scott Wiener (@Scott_Wiener) September 23, 2023
But even more disturbing, bizarre, and ironic about this bill is, in the State of California where the policy of California public schools is to keep “gender” information hidden from parents, how could a divorcing parent even know if they are affirming their child’s “gender identity?”
Perhaps Gov. Newsom also asked that question. Perhaps. But I doubt it.
He said in his veto message, “I appreciate the passion and values that led the author to introduce this bill.”
“I share a deep commitment to advancing the rights of transgender Californians, an effort that has guided my decisions through many decades in public office,” Newsom said.
But he still vetoed this bill…
Newsom appeared all over the place emotionally and legally in his veto:
“That said, I urge caution when the Executive and Legislative branches of state government attempt to dictate – in prescriptive terms that single out one characteristic – legal standards for the Judicial branch to apply. Other-minded elected officials, in California and other states, could very well use this strategy to diminish the civil rights of vulnerable communities.”
“Moreover, a court, under existing law, is required to consider a child’s health, safety, and welfare when determining the best interests of a child in these proceedings, including the parent’s affirmation of the child’s gender identity.”
Newsom appreciates what led the author to introduce this bill, but he vetoed it while warning officials not to “diminish the civil rights of vulnerable communities.”
Sen. Wiener hyperbolically claims trans kids “are living in fear, with right wing politicians working to out them, deny them health care, ban them from sports & restrooms & erase their humanity.”
No one is denying them health care, banning them from sports or restrooms – what concerned adults are advocating for is to stop the experimental surgeries removing genitalia and cutting off the breasts of young teens, before they’ve even matured mentally or physically. And allowing biological boys to compete in girls sports just because they claim to be a trans female is nonsensical and preposterous, and needs to stop. It is destroying women’s sports – a topic Sen. Scott Wiener avoids.
No trans child is having their humanity erased, but they are being used by a sick medical complex making more than $3 billion a year in these expensive and profitable surgeries – that also needs to be ended. Who are these doctors who swore an oath to Do No Harm?
Read Gov. Newsom’s veto message and see if you can make more sense of it:
What a relief to see this. Yes, likely the governor’s presidential aspirations are behind it. Thus, for once at least, we can be glad about those ambitions. I think we can easily give Newsom credit for knowing this stuff is not going to fly on the national stage. I wonder if AB 957 is the sacrifice bill, though, easily vetoed because it received so much attention when compared to some others in Transgender Hall of Horrors category. Hope not, guess we’ll see. Remember this was not a partisan issue —- even Democrat parents drove all the way from SoCal — some from as far away as San Diego — to show up in Sacramento to get in a long line to speak up against AB 957 at the public podium. Person after person after person, on and on and on; some of the remarks heart-wrenching enough to make a person weep.
Will be watching to see what happens with other bills in this category that are on Newsom’s desk, such as AB 1078, AB 665, SB 407, SB 5. Even SB 596, which allows authorities to go after irate parents with arrests and fines and etc. who speak up at school board meetings (ostensibly to “protect” school employees) is connected to the transgender stuff pushed in public schools. Hoping Newsom will do the right thing here, too, and that these bills will also be vetoed.
“Five Transgender Bills Targeting Concerned Parents Awaiting Gov Newsom’s Signature or Veto”
https://californiaglobe.com/fr/five-transgender-bills-targeting-concerned-parents-awaiting-gov-newsoms-signature-or-veto/
Yes, indeed. I agree Newscum has to (appear to) move to the middle for his POTUS candidacy. Look for more of this. He was at the UN making a speech on climate change….which he believes gives him “foreign policy” experience? What a total joke.
Yes, Raymond, you are absolutely right. Some of us who do not purposely tune in to Newsom but happen to hear (thankfully amusingly explicated by radio hosts) various snippets of his CNN and other interviews on the national stage have noticed this move to the middle and distancing from California-as-hellhole, almost as though Gov Newsom isn’t governor of Califorina and has no idea how this California darkness and chaos came to be. As you know, he has historically done this, as Californians who are paying attention cynically chuckle at his chutzpah.
CORRECTION: *AB 5 (not SB 5). Katy’s article at the link explains it’s all about.
As many of you know, the bill numbers start to swim before one’s eyes after awhile.
Am I the only one who feels like this was a setup? Like, this outrageous bill was “written” to give Newsom the opportunity to show the country he’s really *center-leaning* when it comes to parental rights and thus “vetoed” the bill as proof?
Yeah, I’m jaded but I wouldn’t put anything past Gavin Newsom’s theatrical abilities towards his political aspirations
Michele1L – No, you’re not alone, just wanted to let you know that; my husband just expressed that very sentiment not five minutes ago.
I still haven’t figured out if becoming increasingly jaded in a state like California is a blessing or a curse. But it’s certainly understandable so let’s call it a blessing for the time being. It allows us to see right through these scoundrels and know what they’re up to and say so. We’re a bit more seasoned and tough here in CA about this stuff —- maybe as a group we can be helpful in exposing it to the rest of the country.
You have a point, MichelleL. I believe that Newscum was counting on this bill getting through the legislature so that he could “showcase” himself. He used Wiener and his followers and encouraged them along the way. But if the bill was going to result in offending the so-called “soccer moms”, which it in fact did, he had every intention of vetoing this bill. The suburban mom vote was a key factor in 2020. Had Mr. Trump won or tied in this group, even with all the cheating he would have still won the election anyway. So, I can’t really blame Wiener for being ticked off since he/she/it, without a doubt, REALLY believes in the trans agenda; unlike Newscum. That’s my opinion for what it’s worth.
I am relieved.
However, Newson being his abhorrent self just had to throw shade at conservative elected officials and states in his formal statement, he states, “Other-minded elected officials, in California and other states, could very well use this strategy to diminish the civil rights of vulnerable communities.”
So on one hand he takes a punch at conservatives and on the other admits that this violates the civil rights of a parent! I believe he and his comrades knew this was unconstitutional and was a loser of a bill from the start!
So who are the real fascists here?
This is the answer to my prayers that I was hoping for. Every week I pray with a Capital (Capitol?) Resource Institute Zoom group; we have been praying about these bills and asking for vetoes. Ghastly Gavin is too much of a political animal to accept all of these bills into law. I figured that his presidential ambitions would cause him to move toward the centre where he could. Despite this veto there’s still plenty of evidence of his true leanings for the Republicans to have a field day with his record *if* they can bring themselves to actually fight. In the meantime, I will thank God and pray for more vetoes!
Yes, Erin. I will be waiting to see if Newscum starts to backtrack on his climate change dogma…..seeing as one “hero” of his has started to back down on the “climate doom” narrative: https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/why-did-bill-gates-make-sudden-u-turn-climate-doom-narrative.