Action Alert- AB 957

From: Nathan Pierce – Family Protection Ministries

Bill: AB 957 – Affirming Parent Gets The Kids

Author: Wilson (D-Sacramento)

Position: Strongly OPPOSE

Call your Senator TODAY to make your voice heard! Click the button below and enter your address in order to find out who your representatives are.

The name under the red banner, as shown below, is your Senator. Contact them by clicking their name and calling the number on their webpage.

Current Status

AB 957 is on the Senate floor and could be voted on as soon as this afternoon, it will then go back to the Assembly before going to the Governor for his signature.

Quickly pass this alert on to others who might respond and make their voice heard!

Summary of Concern

AB 957 instructs a judge to consider whether or not a parent affirms a child’s gender identity when granting custody. But it doesn’t just say the judge should consider whether a parent is affirming or not, it tells the judge what the conclusion of that consideration must be. Meaning that deference would always be given to the parent who is going to affirm the child’s gender identity. The judge is given direction on how to rule in a situation even if the issue they are in court for has nothing to do with gender or identity.

Once AB 957 wording is added to the code, making this a health, safety and welfare issue, this reasoning could be used by judges in other situations as well. Since the state is now saying this is their view, and it has become policy, it will be imposed on other aspects of childcare. We do not want this to be the policy of the state. Once changes like this are made, they never stay in the box they were designed for. The future implications of AB 957 will not be limited to custody disputes in court.

Information Included In This Email:

A. Action Items

Please use this link to find out which Senator is representing your district: www.findyourrep.legislature.ca.gov.

Notes:

• Always contact legislators as a parent and citizen. This bill affects all families with children.

• This is not an exclusively homeschool issue. Do not call or write as a homeschooler.

• Do not disclose the source of this Alert. All bills are available on the Internet.

• Pass this on to your friends, church, school, and group.

• Pray for a proper outcome.

B. Opposition Points

The key issue with AB 957 is that the court is to take the beliefs of the parent into consideration when the court is determining who gets custody of the child.

While there are already codes and rules in effect to govern a judge’s decision in the event of a custody arrangement, AB 957 requires an extra step in the judge’s decision making process, and it involves the beliefs of the parents regarding the gender identity of their child.

This bill requires the judge to take into consideration the parents’ beliefs about the gender identity of their child. In this case we already have a very sad situation but this bill makes it a requirement for the judge to consider whether or not each parent ultimately agrees with the child about their gender identity. 

Now this could play out as a disaster in terms of further negative effects on a family that was never functional. Practically speaking, because of this bill, the judge is required to consider these things because the authors of this bill want to promote non-traditional or non-biblical gender identity values. 

When we look at this issue, we have to recognize that there are several significant threats going on here. First there is the threat to biblical gender. Then identity principles, biblical family principles, and the issue of parents being in agreement about the concept of what gender is and what family is.

We need to recognize that this bill is dealing with an issue that’s already been in court. However, it will have long-term impact, especially with other family situations.

While it doesn’t immediately impact the average healthy family, just like other bills there is a trajectory here where the government can and will interject their presence and authority onto a family or parent-child relationship. They say the government has power over what a parent should believe, teach their child, or enforce in their own home in terms of biblical principles, or biblical values specifically relating to gender, gender identity, gender roles, definition of family, or definition of man and woman. 

The whole picture here is problematic because the government is inserting its own worldview into the relationship between parents and children. Essentially they are saying, “parent if you do not agree with the government on these gender identity and family principle issues then you shall not be in the same position of authority over your child as you would be if you did agree with us. We will strip your authority from you and give it to whom we see fit.” This sets up a trajectory of separating the authority of a parent from their children because of a differing view or belief between a parent and the Government. This is extremely dangerous, anti-biblical, and anti-God. 

This bill allows the government to take the responsibility and authoritarian position over any family situation. It creates a new mess by telling the people of California that the governmental view is the best view, most important view, or the ruling view. That is dangerous for everybody, as it will not stop with this issue or in California for that matter. This kind of bill is already popping up in other states too. For example, Washington has already passed legislation dealing with foster children. 

To protect the family unit and parental authority we need to voice our opinions on this bill and state what God says about this issue. If we don’t, any set line will be continually pushed back. We need to stand firm on Christ’s word and speak the truth about these issues. It matters. We need to recognize that the trajectory here is dangerous.

We need to take responsibility and voice what is true because it’s been left out of the discussion. We need to do our part in both getting involved in elections and getting involved in the legislative process, ensuring that the truth is heard. We need to engage in the culture around us and speak the truth.

C. Additional Information

The FPM and CHEA podcast Freedom Watch discussed this bill last week; John McGowan of CHEA explained that this issue of preference towards gender affirmation will only begin with a bill like this, and lead toward children leaving the home or being taken away from parents when the government gets involved and is predisposed to support gender identity by any means necessary.

John comments in the podcast: “It doesn’t just say the judge should consider this, it tells the judge what the conclusion of the consideration should be. Meaning that deference must be given to the parent who is going to affirm the child. The judge is given direction on how to rule in a situation even if the issue they are in court for has nothing to do with gender or identity.” 

John states that this bill is destined to be more pervasive than the authors and supporters are letting on:

“I am confident in saying there will be consequences that we are being told we are being foolish for being worried about…”