The group is suing Attorney General Rob Bonta, a Democrat, in Sacramento Superior Court. They want the measure's title to be changed from the “Restrict Rights of Transgender Youth” initiative to the “Protect Kids of California Act” and update what they say is a biased summary of the proposal.
“It’s an abuse of the attorney general’s power to oversee these ballot measures where he’s legally obligated to be neutral and draft a title and summary that’s impartial,” said Dean McGee, a lawyer with the Liberty Justice Center, which is representing proponents of the measure.
The initiative would also ban biological males in grades 7 through college from participating in girls’ and women’s sports, along with barring gender-manipulation surgeries for minors, with some exceptions.
It is part of a nationwide debate over local school districts and the rights of parents and LGBTQ+ students. States across the country have sought to impose bans on gender-manipulation procedures, bar biological males from participating in female sports, and require schools to notify parents when their children express views about their sexuality. Some lawmakers in other states have introduced bills in their legislatures with broad language requiring that parents be notified of any changes to their child’s emotional health or well-being.
The proposed ballot measure in California has so far received at least a quarter of the more than 500,000 signatures it needs by May 28 to end up on the ballot in November, according to the secretary of state’s office. But backers of the measure say the title and summary Bonta released for the proposal are hindering their ability to garner enough support before time runs out. They want the secretary of state to extend their deadline by 180 days.
They want to remove language released by Bonta's office that says the initiative would bar gender-manipulation procedures for young people “even if parents consent or treatment is medically recommended” and require schools to notify parents of their child’s request to be treated as a gender different from school records “without exception for student safety.” They also want the summary to say the measure would define “male” and “female.”
