Huntington Beach "Parents' Right to Know" Ordinance
During the Huntington Beach City Council’s September 17th meeting, a 4-3 vote called for Ordinance No. 4326, declaring Huntington Beach a “Parents Right to Know City."
The language: "No educators in the City of Huntington Beach, including but not limited to instructors, counselors, or other adults entrusted with the teaching or caring of children, who work in the City’s Libraries, Parks, City Recreational Facilities, or other City facilities or City sponsored programming shall withhold any information related to a child’s sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression, to Parents of said child with or without the child’s consent."
What does this mean?
The measure has been pitched as a response to State Assembly Bill 1955 (otherwise known as the SAFETY Act) which, passed in July, prohibits school policies that require forced outings of LGBTQ+ students. However, it does allow this information to be disclosed when deemed necessary. The ordinance argues that parents should always know. The Council does not have authority over the city’s school districts and thus cannot force outings in this setting. However, after-school enrichment programs and Junior Lifeguards programs stand to be challenged. The ordinance asserts that AB 1955 infringes upon both the state constitution and the Fourteenth Amendment of the US Constitution, going past educational rulings to personal choices made by families on how to raise their children. With this reasoning, the ordinance states that a majority vote will decide whether City Attorney Michael Gates will sue the state on behalf of parents.
Opponents cite concerns of violating children’s right to privacy, removing safe spaces for LGBTQ+ kids to express their identities, potentially increasing mental health challenges, and vague wording that encourages fear in students and educators.
Make a difference:
Contacts
Mayor Gracey Van Der Mark Gracey.VanDerMark@surfcity-hb.org
Mayor Pro Tem Pat Burns Pat.Burns@surfcity-hb.org
Council Member Casey McKeon Casey.McKeon@surfcity-hb.org
Council Member Dan Kalmick Dan.Kalmick@surfcity-hb.org
Council Member Natalie Moser Natalie.Moser@surfcity-hb.org
Council Member Rhonda Bolton Rhonda.Bolton@surfcity-hb.org
Council Member Tony Strickland Tony.Strickland@surfcity-hb.org
Next Council Meeting
https://huntingtonbeach.legistar.com/Calendar.aspx
