California has expanded its travel ban to three more states over bills that prevent biological males from competing in women’s/girls’ sports or ban gender reassignment surgeries for minors.
The travel ban was previously mandated by California Assembly Bill 1887. The bill — which was signed by former California Governor Jerry Brown in 2016 — prohibits state travel to states that have “authorized discrimination based on sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression” or repealed laws that provide protections against “discrimination.”
A total of 23 states had already been subjected to the travel ban, including Florida, Texas, Utah and Georgia.
On Friday, California Attorney General Rob Bonta that state-funded travel will now be barred to Missouri, Nebraska, and Wyoming due to recent laws. With the latest additions, California’s travel ban now applies to more than half the states in the union.
“These new laws enacted by Missouri, Nebraska, and Wyoming aren’t just discriminatory, they constitute a clear case of government overreach — and it’s an alarming trend we’re witnessing across the country,” Bonta said in a press release. “By preventing transgender individuals from participating in sports aligned with their gender identity, or by denying them access to critical healthcare, these legislative actions directly contradict the values of inclusivity and diversity. These laws pose significant risks for deepening the stigmatization and alienation of LGBTQ+ youth who are already subject to pervasive discrimination, bullying, and hate crimes.”
In total, 19 states have passed laws that bar transgender surgeries for minors. Other states included in the ban have barred transgender athletes from competing in sports outside their biological sex.
Federal judges have blocked enforcement of laws in Alabama and Arkansas, while Oklahoma has agreed to hold off on enforcement of its ban while opponents are seeking a temporary court order against it.
