Foes of the School Success and Opportunity Act—a new California measure that provides transgender students certain rights in public schools —have failed to gather enough voter signatures to place a referendum to repeal the law on the November ballot, according to the Associated Press.
At least 504,760 signatures were required to force a public vote on the statute the California Legislature approved and that Gov. Jerry Brown signed last year. The law's opponents submitted 619,387, but county election officers determined that just 487,484 of them were valid.
Several LGBT-rights groups cheered the development. Human Rights Campaign President Chad Griffin said in a press release, "The forces of discrimination tried to go after California's LGBT young people, and it's a sign of our progress that they fell short of their goal."
Transgender Law Center Executive Director and Campaign Chair Masen Davis said in a separate statement, "This law gives schools the guidelines and flexibility to create an environment where all kids have the opportunity to learn. ... This law is about doing what's best for all students—that's why it's supported by school boards, teachers, and the PTA."
The law took effect Jan. 1.
From an ACLU news release:
( San Francisco, CA, February 24, 2014 )—Today, the effort to repeal the School Success and Opportunity Act—California's new law ensuring that all children have opportunities to do well in school—failed to qualify for the ballot.
The law—also known as Assembly Bill 1266—went into effect on January 1st, ensuring that schools have the guidance they need to make sure all students, including those who are transgender, have the opportunity to do well in school and graduate.
The law is modeled after policies and practices that are already working well in several schools, and gives important guidance to educators so they can work with students and families on a case-by-case basis.
Oakland's Redwood Heights School is among the California schools with policies in place that provide transgender young people with fair chances. Like other schools with similar policies across the state, the policy has been successful since it was established five years ago.
"We want our students to know that when they walk onto this campus, they are welcomed for who they are," said Redwood Heights Principal Sara Stone. "Every educator I know went into the education field because they truly care about young people and making sure they have everything they need to do well in school."
The law helps students like Zoey, a 12-year-old transgender girl from the Los Angeles area who transferred out of her school after administrators there refused to acknowledge her as a girl or allow her to use the girls' restroom. Her mom, Ofelia Barba, says that the law makes it easier for her daughter to go to school and be herself.
"I love my daughter and want the same things for her that other parents want for their children," Barba said. "I want what's best for her, for her to be happy, and for her to be able to do well in school. No one wants to see any kid singled out and excluded from school because of who they are."
The Support All Students campaign is comprised of a broad coalition of nearly 100 state and national organizations supporting the new law. The coalition includes the Transgender Law Center, National Center for Lesbian Rights, ACLU of California, Gay-Straight Alliance Network, Equality California, L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center, Gender Spectrum, LGBT organizations, racial justice organizations, statewide teacher and parent organizations, and others committed to ensuring that all kids have the opportunity to do well in school and graduate.
Said Transgender Law Center Executive Director and Campaign Chair Masen Davis: "This law gives schools the guidelines and flexibility to create an environment where all kids have the opportunity to learn. We need to focus on creating an environment where every student is able to do well and graduate. This law is about doing what's best for all students—that's why it's supported by school boards, teachers, and the PTA."
To learn more about the School Success and Opportunity Act and the Support All Students campaign, visitwww.SupportAllStudents.org .
