• ELIXHER
• On January 20, 2014

A new California law intended to provide trans* students a fair opportunity to participate in all school programs and to graduate with their peers went into effect at the beginning of January.

Signed into law last year by Gov. Jerry Brown, the School Success and Opportunity Act is being celebrated by many for providing further legal protection for trans* students and their families.

“AB1266 will not solve all of the challenges my son faces in life. But it will give his school the guidance and tools it needs to make sure my son is not excluded from the same opportunity for success as other kids,” one mother told the San Francisco Chronicle newspaper.

While existing state and federal law already prohibit discrimination against students based on sexual orientation and gender identity, many schools did not understand their legal obligations to support *trans students.

Several districts throughout the state have already begun to adopt new policies, as recommended by the California School Board Association.

Click here for more information on California’s School Success and Opportunity Act.