California prohibited state-funded travel to five more Republican-led states Monday that have passed legislation allegedly discriminating against members of the LGBTQ community.
“When states discriminate against LGBTQ+ Americans, California law requires our office to take action,” Democratic Attorney General Rob Bonta said in a statement. “These new additions to the state-funded travel restrictions list are about exactly that. It’s been 52 years to the day since the Stonewall Riots began, but that same fight remains all too alive and well in this country.”
There is an unprecedented wave of bigotry and discrimination in this country. California will not support it.
When states discriminate against LGBTQ+ Americans, we take action: https://t.co/L067TUNVri
— Rob Bonta (@RobBonta) June 28, 2021
“Rather than focusing on solving real issues, some politicians think it’s in their best interest to demonize trans youth and block life-saving care. Make no mistake: We’re in the midst of an unprecedented wave of bigotry and discrimination in this country – and the State of California is not going to support it,” he continued.
The state added Arkansas, Florida, Montana, North Dakota and West Virginia to the list, which already included 12 other states.
State agencies are prohibited from authorizing state-funded travel to restricted areas under AB 1887, which was passed in 2016, The Sacramento Bee reported.
Arkansas was added after the state banned biological males from competing on girls’ sports teams and prohibited physicians from performing gender transition procedures, like puberty blockers or “top” and “bottom” surgeries on minors. (RELATED: Former Trans Woman Praises Laws Banning Sex Change Surgeries, Puberty Blockers For Minors)
Florida, Montana and West Virginia were also added to the list for, among other things, banning biological men from competing on girls’ sports teams.
North Dakota was banned for its passage of House Bill 1503, which codified “free speech protections for students and faculty at North Dakota’s public colleges and universities” and defined harassment as “conduct that is ‘so severe, pervasive and objectively offensive’ that it effectively bars a student-victim from receiving equal access to educational opportunities or benefits.”
California claims that because of this bill, North Dakota allows for “publicly-funded student organizations to openly discriminate against LGBTQ+ students by restricting participation in those organizations. It also limits the ability of universities and colleges to sanction or discipline student-on-student harassment.”