This week, California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) signed legislation ending the state’s ban on publicly-funded travel to states with laws that are deemed “discriminatory” against LGBTQ+ people.
California Senate Bill 447, known as the BRIDGE Project, repeals a law implemented in 2016 that prohibited travel to states that “discriminate” on the basis of “sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression.”
According to The Hill, the number of states subject to the ban was 26. This prevented university professors and elected officials from visiting these locations on state-sponsored trips. Now, the travel ban has been replaced with an outreach campaign.
“In the face of a rising tide of anti-LGBTQ+ hate, this measure helps California’s message of acceptance, equality and hope reach the places where it is most needed,” Newsom said in a press release. “I thank Pro Tem Atkins for authoring this important measure that enables California to continue taking a stand for the rights of LGBTQ+ people throughout the country and combating intolerance and hate with empathy and allyship.”
In a statement, Senate President pro Tempore Toni Atkins said, “there’s so much hate, so much hurt, so much harm being inflicted on people who are just trying to live their authentic lives.”
“Today, we are sending a message to the rest of the nation – here in California, we embrace one another, not in spite of our differences, but because of them. And we are ready to reach across the aisle, and across state lines, to help open hearts and minds, and support our LGBTQ+ youth and communities who are feeling so alone,” Atkins added.
The Hill noted that a “record-breaking 496 anti-LGBTQ bills were introduced this year” across the nation. At least 84 have become law this year.
Townhall has covered how states have passed laws protecting women’s sports, locker rooms, and restrooms from men who believe they are “transgender.” And, a recent Gallup poll found that the majority of Americans believe that changing one’s gender is “morally wrong” and that athletes should compete on teams that align with their biological sex instead of their gender identity.
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