Jerry Brown and staff were busy this weekend...rushing to meet the signing deadlines for hundreds of bills from the last legislative session. Trying to follow all of them can drive one nutso, but for the past week I've been reading through the daily signings at gov.ca.gov, at least the titles and reading veto and signing statements...going to look at the text of some of them...when low and behold, I see this on the list:
• AB 887 by Assemblymember Toni G. Atkins (D-San Diego) – Gender.
Huh? A bill with the title "Gender"? MUST go look at this one...
...here's just the first section explaining the changes...check this out (my emphasis added):
AB 887, Atkins. Gender.
(1) Existing law contains various provisions that define sex as
including gender and define gender as including a person's gender
identity and gender-related appearance and behavior whether or not
stereotypically associated with the person's assigned sex at birth.
This bill would make technical changes to those provisions by
refining the definition of gender to also mean a person's gender identity and gender expression and would define gender expression as meaning a person's gender-related appearance and behavior whether or not stereotypically associated with the person's assigned sex at birth. The bill would also replace cross-references to definitions of gender with the referenced definitions refined in the same manner as specified above.
There are 10 sections in total that go on to define all of the protections of gender identity and gender expression equal to that of other protected classes within the state.
Simply...Word!
Although I'm down in San Diego with some regularity, I don't knowToni Atkins and San Diego isn't necessarily the bastion of liberal politics from which I expect to see something like this. But in reading her bio, I see that she has a strong history of supporting a variety of LGBT going back to her days of representing the "highest concentration of LGBT residents in San Diego as a councilmember." - and that she "currently resides in South Park/Golden Hill with her spouse Jennifer, and their standard poodle, Haley." Also looking at the Coauthors, you see a familiar list of LGBT supporting names: Assembly Members Ammiano, Dickinson, Gordon, Lara, Monning, and John A. Pérez. Senators De León, Kehoe, Leno, Padilla, and Yee.
I have left Ms. Atkins a word of thanks for leading this effort and if you're so inclined to do the same, here's some help:
Online email message (from constituents only)
Capitol Office:
State Capitol
P.O. Box 942849
Sacramento, CA 94249-0076
Tel: (916) 319-2076
Fax: (916) 319-2176
District Office:
2445 5th Avenue, Suite 401
San Diego, CA 92101
Tel: (619) 645-3090
Fax: (619) 645-3094
I won't go on to say much more other than, although I know California is a mess...this is one small reason among many that I still love my home state.
UPDATE: Still making my way through the signed list, but here's another positive step of recognition for same sex couples as it relates to health care in California!
• SB 757 by Senator Ted Lieu (D-Torrance) – Discrimination.
Can anyone else add more to this list? :)