California declares August 'transgender history month'

The California Assembly this week voted to recognize August as Transgender History Month, making it the first American state to do so.

The Golden State will first observe the August designation in 2024, Fox News reported. Democratic state Rep. Matt Haney, the bill's sponsor, insisted the measure would help bolster Californian defenses "against the anti-trans agenda."

"Let’s tell the truth about transgender people’s lives, and let’s lift up the history of the transgender Californians who left their mark on our great state," the lawmaker added.

San Francisco Democratic Chair Honey Mahogany told the outlet's local affiliate that "[m]any Californians remain unaware of the real lives and experiences of transgender people... We can change that through awareness, education, and outreach..."

California has, in recent years, been a bastion of LGBTQ+ rights. State Attorney General Rob Bonta, in late August, announced a lawsuit against the Chino Valley Unified School District over its policy of notifying parents should a student opt to identify as a gender inconsistent with their sex.

"For far too many transgender children and gender nonconforming youth, school serves as their only safe haven — a place away from home where they can find validation, safety, privacy. We have to protect that," he said at the time.

The declaration of August as Transgender History Month follows a tumultuous year for LGBT individuals, with Republican-led states passing a litany of restrictions of gender-related treatments for minors and transgender participation in sports. As of press time, 23 states bar transgender athletes from competing on sports teams based on gender identity, according to the Movement Advancement Project. Twenty-two ban gender surgeries for minors.

Ben Whedon is an editor and reporter for Just the News. Follow him on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter.