A California Republican state Senator last week warned that parents who love their children should “flee California” in light of new state legislation that would classify a parent as a risk to the “health, safety, and welfare” of a child for refusing to “affirm” a child’s transgender identity, the Washington Free Beacon reported.
Last week, during a hearing in the Senate Judiciary Committee on the proposed bill, state Senator Scott Wilk said that as much as he loves California, he will not remain in a state that is “too oppressive,” and revealed that he plans to “move to America” when he leaves the state Senate. He told parents, “If you love your children, you need to flee California.”
During the hearing, hundreds of California parents appeared to voice opposition to the Assembly bill which was introduced in the California Assembly by Democrat Lori Wilson.
On Tuesday, the Judiciary Committee approved Assemblywoman Wilson’s bill that will allow divorce proceedings to include whether a parent affirms a child’s “gender identity” as a factor in determining the “health, safety, and welfare of the child.”
Republican state Senator Roger Niello also opposed the measure, demanding to know why the state would accept “gender affirmation” as appropriate for a parent when European countries, like Finland, Great Britain, Norway, and Sweden have all raised doubts about the medical transitioning of minors.
Assemblywoman Wilson has denied that the legislation is an attack on the rights of parents.
In an interview with KION last week, Wilson claimed that the state is not “out to get your kids.”
She said the bill would not force children “to be anything they shouldn’t be,” claiming that the bill aims to protect “trans youth” who get “caught up” in court proceedings “from a parent that is antagonistic or non-affirming.”
