California Republicans, parents’ rights activists announce three new anti-trans bills
Despite facing strong political headwinds in Sacramento, anti-transgender activists and California Republican lawmakers on Friday announced that they are introducing three new bills in the state Assembly.
“I ran on a promise to protect parental rights and safeguard our children,” said freshman Assemblymember Leticia Castillo, R-Corona, a psychotherapist and former employee of the Riverside County Department of Mental Health.
“As a mental health provider, I have witnessed the alarming trend of vulnerable kids, those struggling with depression, anxiety, ADHD and other challenges, as they adopt transgender identities,” Castillo said outside the Capitol on Friday.
In the last two legislative sessions, similar bills have failed to even get a hearing in the Democratic supermajority state legislature.
The American Psychological Association, the main professional organization for psychologists in the United States, has adopted a formal policy affirming evidence-based gender-affirming care for transgender, gender diverse and nonbinary children, adolescents and adults.
Castillo was joined by fellow Republican Assemblymember Bill Essayli, R-Corona, activists with the anti-trans group Our Duty, detransitioner activist Chloe Cole, former St. Louis Children’s Hospital employee Jamie Reed and others.
One bill Castillo will introduce would state that a parent is not committing child abuse when they refuse to knowledge their child’s trans identity — by refusing to use their preferred pronouns, using a new name, or allowing their child to access gender-affirming health care. It also would bar judges from considering whether a parent is gender-affirming when determining custody of a child.
Speaking alongside Castillo on Friday was Abigail Martinez.
Martinez is a Los Angeles parent who temporarily lost custody of one of her children, who identified as transgender. The California Department of Child and Family Services placed Martinez’s child in a group home at the age of 16, and placed Martinez on a child abuse registry when they did so. Martinez’s child died by suicide at 19 years old.
“I was cleared for emotional abuse after three years, but it was too late, the damage was already done,” Martinez said.
Castillo’s other bill would require school students to be excused, with a parent’s permission, from “any part of a public school’s curricula, instructions, lessons, presentations, or assemblies discussing, involving, or referencing transgender concepts,” or “any anonymous, voluntary, and confidential tests, questionnaires, or surveys discussing, involving, or referencing transgender concepts.”
The schools must also provide “an alternative educational activity” while the student sits out any activities or lessons that relate to gender identity.
“Reestablishing the primacy of parental rights over dangerous indoctrination is a critical first step in reestablishing trust in our schools and educators,” Castillo said.
Essayli’s bill would require that students use all school facilities, and play on sports teams, based on their biological sex, and not their gender identity.
His bill comes as President Donald Trump has ordered a federal Title IX investigation into the California Interscholastic Federation — which governs high school sports in the state — over its adherence to California law, which requires that transgender children be allowed to access gender-segregated facilities, such as bathrooms, and activities, such as sports, that correspond with their gender identity.
Title IX is the federal law banning sex-based discrimination in schools and universities that receive federal funds.
Anti-trans laws in California
Despite President Donald Trump’s executive orders significantly limiting the rights of transgender people — including veterans — members of the Democratic-dominated California Assembly are unlikely to throw their weight behind the proposed bills.
“Executive orders have no jurisdiction over state departments and agencies,” members of the Legislative LGBTQ Caucus said in January when Trump began signing anti-trans executive orders.
“We here in California will continue to uphold an individual’s fundamental right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Several of the pieces of legislation we will introduce this year will provide greater protections for all Californians from the Trump Administration.”
Previous efforts to limit transgender rights have gone nowhere in Sacramento.
One bill was the “parent notification policy” law, which would have required school staff to inform a parent if their child is identifying as trans.
Activist Erin Friday, who spoke at the Capitol Friday with Castillo, shopped the bill to different lawmakers; Essayli, introduced it in the Legislature, where it failed to get a hearing. Lawmakers took the bill in 2024 and amended it, passing a law, introduced by LGBTQ Caucus Chair Christopher Ward, D-San Diego, that would prevent schools from forcing teachers to “out” their trans students to their parents.
The 2025-26 Legislative session has already seen anti-trans laws that, like Castillo’s, are unlikely to get very far.
Assemblywoman Kate Sanchez, R-Rancho Santa Margarita, introduced a bill that would prevent trans girls from playing on girls’ sports teams. The bill will first head to the Assembly Committee on Arts, Entertainment, Sports, & Tourism, which is chaired by Ward.
Both the Assembly and the State Senate are controlled by a Democratic super-majority, and although Gov. Gavin Newsom has not always sided with the transgender community, he is highly unlikely to sign any of these bills into law.
LGBTQ groups respond
The California Legislative LGBTQ Caucus responded to Friday’s announcement by condemning the GOP lawmakers behind the bills.
“It is infuriating that we again see hateful bills being introduced by a couple of the same Republicans who should be focused on addressing real-life issues impacting Californians than manufacturing divisive click-bait,” the caucus said in a statement.
The caucus said California law already allows parents to opt their children out of specified curricula for religious or personal belies, but that Castillo’s opt out bill “disgustingly peddles false narratives.”
On Castillo’s other bill, to shield non-affirming parents from child abuse allegations, the caucus said “we question how denying youth necessary mental health services approved by medical associations is moral and does not exacerbate mental suffering.”
The caucus said that Essayli’s transgender sports ban bill would “subject all women and girls to interrogations and invasive examinations.”
“These Republican policies actually empower predators to target women and girls, subjecting them to harassment, bullying and violence,” the caucus said.
Tony Hoang, executive director of, Equality California, which advocates for LGBTQ causes at the state level, issued a statement Friday vowing to fight these bills “every step of the way” and that his organization “stands firmly against any legislation that seeks to roll back the rights and dignity of transgender and nonbinary youth.”
“These bills are dangerous attempts to strip trans young people of their access to life-saving, evidence-based healthcare and their fundamental right to be seen and respected for who they are. Medical professionals — not politicians — should make healthcare decisions with the families involved,” Hoang said.
This story was originally published February 14, 2025 at 12:10 PM.
