THE VOICE OF CHICAGO'S GAY, LESBIAN, BI, TRANS AND QUEER COMMUNITY SINCE 1985

Late last week, Newsom vetoed three progressive measures—including an unexpected rejection of a bill requiring judges to consider children's gender identities in custody disputes, Politico reported.

The legislation, Assembly Bill 957, was authored by Assemblymember Lori Wilson, who is herself the parent of a transgender child. In his veto message, Newsom warned against allowing the government "to dictate—in prescriptive terms that single out one characteristic—legal standards" for judges to apply, adding that courts could already consider parents' handling of gender identity. Republicans praised Newsom for this veto, but Wilson and openly gay California state Sen. Scott Wiener (the bill's co-sponsor) criticized him.

However, after issuing that veto, Newsom signed several bills aimed at increasing the state's protections for LGBTQ+ people, USA Today noted. The new laws include legislation that focuses on support for LGBTQ youth.

One law sets timelines for required cultural competency training for public school teachers and staff, while another creates an advisory task force for LGBTQ+ students and help advance supportive initiatives. Yet another measure requires families to show that they can and are willing to meet the needs of a child in foster care, regardless of the child's sexual orientation or gender identity.

—Andrew Davis