California bans state travel to Florida, 4 other states in response to transgender laws
California is banning taxpayer-funded travel to five more states as a response to a wave of new state laws that restrict transgender youth from playing sports and block access to life-saving care for members of the LGBTQ+ community, Attorney General Rob Bonta said on Monday.
The new states subject to California’s state-funded travel ban are Arkansas, Florida, Montana, North Dakota and West Virginia. As of today, 17 states are subject to California travel restrictions.
California lawmakers passed the law calling for travel restrictions to certain states in 2016, casting it as a response to so-called “religious freedom” measures in GOP-led legislatures that allowed organizations to deny services to gay families, among other policies.
California Democrats say the travel law, known as Assembly 1887, prevents the state from supporting or financing laws they view as discriminatory.
“Assembly Bill 1887 is about aligning our dollars with our values,” Bonta said in a news release. “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.”
Bonta annoucned the order on the 52nd anniversary of the Stonewall Riots, when protests around the country called for equal rights for LGBTQ+ people following the police raid of a gay bar in New York City.
Transgender sports laws
Arkansas, Florida, Montana and West Virginia passed laws this year preventing transgender women and girls from playing school sports consistent with their gender identity.
Arkansas also passed two other laws that led to its addition on California’s travel restrictions list. In March, the state passed a law allowing medical providers to deny care to the LGBTQ+ community. The third law, the first of its kind in the U.S., prohibits physicians from giving gender-affirming healthcare to transgender youth.
Another Montana law overrides existing laws and allows businesses to refuse many services to same-sex couples.
State-funded travel restrictions to North Dakota are due to a law passed in April allowing publicly-funded student organizations to restrict participation from LGBTQ+ students and limiting the authority of universities and colleges to discipline students for harassing other students.
“It’s important for our state to send a strong message that we will not endorse any type of discrimination of any kind, whether it be based on sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression,” said Assemblyman Evan Low, D-Campbell, who wrote California’s travel law.
Travel restrictions apply to UC, CSU
Bonta invited a California family to participate int he press conference where he announced the latest travel restrictions. Ryland Whittington, an 8th grade student from San Diego, addressed the GOP-led legislatures that have been passing laws California leaders view as discriminatory.
“To all of the leaders who are attacking trans kids like me around the country — we just want the same rights as everyone else,” Whittington said. “Please give all kids the opportunity to be happy, healthy and live their lives with freedom and peace.”
The first two states to be added to California’s travel restrictions list on July 1 are Florida and Montana. West Virginia will join the list on July 8, followed by Arkansas on July 29 and North Dakota on August 1.
The University of California, the Board of Regents of the University of California and the California State University are all subject to the travel restrictions, but athletic programs have continued to attend games and events in states banned from state-sponsored travel.
Other states already subject to California travel restrictions are Alabama, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee and Texas.
This story was originally published June 28, 2021 at 11:29 AM with the headline "California bans state travel to Florida, 4 other states in response to transgender laws."