On Monday, Sept. 25, Governor Gavin Newsom signed Bill 1078 into law, prohibiting book bans and textbook censorship in California public schools. The bill is part of Newsom’s “Family Agenda,” a platform that aims to transform the California School System to provide students with the resources to ensure academic success. The bill was signed following the creation of new anti-LGBTQIA+ policies in several California school districts. Newsom has constantly supported the Queer community and advocated for equality through his actions and words. As a result, he opposes the principles behind these policies.
“With this new law, we’re cementing California’s role as the true freedom state: a place where families — not political fanatics — have the freedom to decide what’s right for them,” Newsom said in an interview with the Associated Press.
Newsom’s new law also appears to be a direct response to Florida Governor Ron DeSantis’ legislation signing bills 1557 and 1467 into law, banning books deemed “pornographic, violent or inappropriate for [students’] grade level.” Florida banned several books specifically highlighting members of the LGBTQIA+ community including “Gender Queer: A Memoir” by Maia Kobabe, “Flamer” by Mike Curato, “This Book is Gay” by Juno Dawson and others. These book bans caused much controversy, particularly from educators like Redwood Librarian Kathleen Savastano.
“Information is power. If you have a student who’s struggling with their sexuality or gender identification, there is a good chance that their parents are clueless in terms of what information these kids need,” Savastano said. “But, if they can come to the library and find a book that describes what they’re going through, it’s going to help them with their mental health and help them identify themselves.”
While these issues may feel distant, they correlate to our own community as well, as confirmed by senior Alissa Wallace, who serves as president of the Students Organized Against Homophobia club.
“It’s extremely important to talk about all marginalized communities because a lot of the ignorance and hate people often have towards marginalized groups comes from not being educated on [the subject],” Wallace said.
Prior to signing bill 1078 into law Monday evening, Newsom referred to it as “long overdue,” implying book banning is a recurring problem throughout educational history. Advanced Placement United States History teacher Lindsey Kornfeld commented on the curriculum here in California, which she believes we should be grateful for.
“If we don’t acknowledge communities, particularly communities of color or marginalized communities, they remain on the margins,” Kornfeld said.
