California Repeals Travel Ban to States With Anti-LGBT Laws

One advocacy nonprofit called the ban a 'nationwide marketing campaign to promote LGBTQ+ ideology in red states'

Parents, community members, and activists gather at a Glendale Unified School board meeting to protest district policies on LGBT content in schools in Glendale, Calif., on June 20, 2023. Courtesy of Hasmik Bezirdzhyan

California lawmakers have passed a bill that will lift a law banning publicly funded travel to states that had implemented measures against the LGBT agenda.

Senate Bill 447 would repeal a 2016 law, Assembly Bill 1887, which prohibited California state agencies from sponsoring travel for employees into states deemed to have anti-LGBT laws. SB 447 replaces Assembly Bill 1887 with an outreach campaign that seeks to boost LGBT inclusivity and acceptance in states identified as having allegedly discriminatory laws. The bill was passed by the state Senate on Tuesday by a vote of 31-6. It was earlier passed by the state Assembly on Monday by 64-12.

Democrat Governor Gavin Newsom signed the bill into law on Wednesday.

When Assembly Bill 1887 was passed, it had originally restricted travel to just four states. But now, travel to 26 states or more than half of the United States has been restricted.

“In many instances, the travel ban has inadvertently caused California to isolate its services and citizens in a time when we are leading the nation in ensuring inclusivity and freedom,” said Democratic Assemblymember Rick Zbur, according to AP.

SB 447 was authored by State Senator Toni G. Atkins (D-Calif.), who is the first openly LGBT individual to lead the California legislature as a Senate president. The bill will create a fund aimed to push “inclusive messaging,” according to a Sept. 11 news release by the senator.

In a July interview with The Epoch Times, Nicole Pearson, attorney and founder of constitutional law firm “Facts Law Truth Justice,” said that California legislators overstepped their bounds while passing SB 447.

“California has gone from passive-aggressively forcing its pro-abortion and gender-affirming-care agenda by banning travel, to actively pushing it on other states with other legislation including SB 447,” she said. Ms. Pearson found the bill smacking of unconstitutionality.

Travel Restrictions and Financial Implications

The passage of SB 447 came months after California’s State Attorney General expanded travel restrictions under Assembly Bill 1887 to three states in July—Missouri, Nebraska, and Wyoming. These states had passed laws restricting transgender students from participating in school sports teams that do not align with their biological sex.

In a July 14 press release, Mr. Bonta had called the laws in the states “discriminatory” and constituting a “clear case of government overreach.” If SB 447 comes into effect, the July travel restrictions would also be repealed.

In a Sept. 7 post on X, nonprofit advocacy CA Family Council slammed SB 447 as a “nationwide marketing campaign to promote LGBTQ+ ideology in red states.”

In a July interview with The Epoch Times, Erin Friday, a co-leader at advocacy “Our Duty” that focuses on safeguarding minors from transgender ideology, questioned SB 477’s financial implications.

While California is suffering from a declining economy, budget shortfalls, and exodus of businesses, some Democrat lawmakers want to use state funds to promote transgenderism in other states through legislation like SB 447, she said.

The Senate appropriations committee stated that the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz) would have to shell out more than half a million dollars in annual staffing costs to implement proposals made under the bill.

If sufficient donations are not raised to fund SB 447 as expected, the bill will result in cost pressure, the magnitude of which is “unknown, but potentially significant,” the committee had warned.

In April, a city ordinance in San Francisco which sought to boycott anti-LGBT states was repealed after seven years in effect. A report found that the ordinance contributed to rising expenses for the city, with officials admitting that it did not produce the expected outcome.

Promoting LGBT in California

SB 447 is California’s latest push to promote an LGBT agenda. The state had previously implemented several pro-LGBT laws and is also promoting such ideologies in educational institutions.

A file photo of the Progress Pride flag. Angela Weiss/AFP via Getty Images

In June, California’s Department of Education and legislators called on textbook publishers to add more “diversity” in educational resources and materials, including promoting LGBT themes.

“Many of our textbooks haven’t kept up with that diversity. This is a chance to diversify those narratives,” Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond said during a press conference.

“This is all happening against the backdrop of where you have governors in other states literally trying to strip out any representation about race, about the experience of LGBT students, students with disabilities. California’s going in the other direction.”

Mr. Thurmond also vowed to increase oversight on school boards that resist inclusive materials, including potential penalties.

On Sept. 6, the California State Assembly passed a resolution declaring August as Transgender History Month beginning in 2024.

In January, California’s SB 107 came into effect which allows “gender-affirming care” for children, including from states where such procedures are restricted or criminalized.

In an interview with the Family Research Council podcast, Alvin Lui, the president of “Courage is a Habit,” said that SB 107 allows California to separate out-of-state children from their parents if the guardians do not affirm the child’s gender transition.

Brad Jones contributed to the report.