California: Opponents of trans-protection law believe they can force referendum

More than 600,000 signatures reportedly have been submitted

Opponents of a California law that protects transgender students believe they have submitted more than the required number of signatures to stop it from taking effect in January and to force a referendum on the measure in November 2014, U-T San Diego reports.

According to the report, a little more than 500,000 verified signatures of registered voters are required to ensure that the referendum can go ahead. Privacy for All Students (PFAS), the coalition at the forefront of the drive to challenge the law, has reportedly submitted about 620,000 signatures.

In August, Governor Jerry Brown signed off on the School Success and Opportunity Act, aimed at ensuring that transgender students can take part in all school activities, sports teams and programs, as well as access facilities that accord with their gender identity.

While the Transgender Law Center and other queer advocacy groups say the law is necessary to ensure that trans students can successfully navigate their school years, PFAS and its supporters, including the National Organization for Marriage, claim the measure will lead to discomfiting encounters among students in bathrooms and locker rooms, BuzzFeed reports.

Natasha Barsotti is originally from Trinidad and Tobago in the Caribbean. She had high aspirations of representing her country in Olympic Games sprint events, but after a while the firing of the starting gun proved too much for her nerves. So she went off to university instead. Her first professional love has always been journalism. After pursuing a Master of Journalism at UBC , she began freelancing at Xtra West — now Xtra Vancouver — in 2006, becoming a full-time reporter there in 2008.

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