CALIFORNIA: Conservatives sue over student equality
(San Diego, California) Two conservative Christian groups have asked a federal judge to overturn a California law prohibiting discrimination against gays and transgendered students.
In a lawsuit filed in San Diego, Advocates for Faith and Freedom and the Alliance Defense Fund claim portions of the legislation - particularly those covering "gender identity" - are unconstitutionally vague and violate student privacy.
The author of the legislation, state Sen. Sheila Kuehl (D-Santa Monica) calls the lawsuit frivolous. Kuehl said the bill did not change existing California law, only made it clearer so that school districts would have less trouble adhering to it.
A law banning LGBT discrimination in schools has been on the books in California since 1999, said Kuehl, who is one of several gay members of the California legislature.
"There's no change in the law; it was always the same. All of these truly silly claims that they make about what could happen could have been happening over the last eight years and never did," Kuehl told the Associated Press.
"I think they know they don't have a case. I think it's purely a fundraising mechanism for them.".
"It is ironic that organizations that claim to support families are working to overturn a law that will protect students and help keep them in school," said Equality California Executive Director Geoff Kors.
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In a lawsuit filed in San Diego, Advocates for Faith and Freedom and the Alliance Defense Fund claim portions of the legislation - particularly those covering "gender identity" - are unconstitutionally vague and violate student privacy.
The author of the legislation, state Sen. Sheila Kuehl (D-Santa Monica) calls the lawsuit frivolous. Kuehl said the bill did not change existing California law, only made it clearer so that school districts would have less trouble adhering to it.
A law banning LGBT discrimination in schools has been on the books in California since 1999, said Kuehl, who is one of several gay members of the California legislature.
"There's no change in the law; it was always the same. All of these truly silly claims that they make about what could happen could have been happening over the last eight years and never did," Kuehl told the Associated Press.
"I think they know they don't have a case. I think it's purely a fundraising mechanism for them.".
"It is ironic that organizations that claim to support families are working to overturn a law that will protect students and help keep them in school," said Equality California Executive Director Geoff Kors.
full story
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