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11 months ago
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California retailers that refuse to have a gender-neutral section for children will be fined up to $500 under Gavin Newsom's new bill.
The ultra-woke governor signed legislation in 2021 that would require some retail stores in the Golden State to have a gender-neutral section for children.
Retailers would have to do this 'regardless of whether they have been traditionally marketed for either girls or for boys,' the bill said.
The legislation, Assembly Bill No. 10584, will be enacted on January 1, 2024, and if retail department stores choose not to comply, they will have to dish out a civil penalty of $250 or $500.
Department stores that are subject to the new laws will have to have a total of 500 or more employees, be physically located in California and sell 'childcare items or toys'.
Governor Gavin Newsom's bill will require some retail stores in the Golden State to have a gender- neutral section for children from January 1,2024
Target was under pressure in June 2023 after they presented their yearly pride collection that included gender inclusive options like this 'tuck-friendly' bathing suit
Target CEO Brian Cornell told CNBC the Pride controversy was the first time his staff had told him 'it's not safe to come to work'. He decided to pull all related items from the shelves after the threats
According to the bill, 'childcare items' refer to any product that is designed to facilitate sleep, feeding children, relaxation, or 'to help children with sucking or teething'.
The age range of the 'children' that the legislation refers to is 12 years of age and under.
'Toys' were defined as a product designed or intended to be used by children by the manufacturer.
Californian Democratic Congressman Evan Low backed the bill to the Associated Press
'We need to stop stigmatizing what's acceptable for certain genders and just let kids be kids,' he said.
'My hope is this bill encourages more businesses across California and the U.S. to avoid reinforcing harmful and outdated stereotypes,' Low said.
The Congressman added that he was 'incredibly grateful' to receive Governor Newsom's signature and support on the bill.
This legislation comes after the popular American retailer Target was slammed for its sale of Pride seasonal items in spring of 2023.
CEO Brian Cornell decided to pull all related items from the shelf after critics threatened to burn down stores and attack employees.
Target faced a violent backlash to outfits including 'tuck-friendly' bathing suits for adults and pro-trans T-shirts for kids, as well as a plunging share price that wiped $10billion from the firm's value in just over a week.
Cornell told CBNC that he ordered staff to remove the displays just days before the start of June's Pride Month because the backlash was getting dangerous.
Target announced that it was ending the policy of dividing products like children's toys by gender with a gender-neutral line for children introduced in April 2016
'I've seen natural disasters, the impact of COVID, the violence that took place after George Floyd's murder,' he said.
'But I will tell you what I saw back in May is the first time since I've been in this job where I had store team members saying, 'It's not safe to come to work.''
The retailer has publicly supported Pride through the month of June every year since 2013 and in 2014 Target endorsed marriage equality.
In 2015, the store announced that it was ending the policy of dividing products such as children's toys by gender and in 2016 introduced a gender-neutral line for children.
Then, amid a nationwide discussion about bathroom access, Target announced that transgender people were free to use whichever bathroom they chose.
Three months later, it responded to protests by spending $20 million to add a private bathroom to each of its stores.
'I think those are just good business decisions, and it's the right thing for society, and it's the great thing for our brand,' Cornell said in May.
The retailer has publicly supported Pride through the month of June, every year since 2013 and in 2014 Target endorsed marriage equality
When the California bill was first introduced in 2021, Lego issued a statement that the company was working to make its toys more inclusive for girls
'The things we've done from a DE&I (diversity, equity, and inclusion) standpoint, it's adding value.
'It's helping us drive sales, it's building greater engagement with both our teams and our guests, and those are just the right things for our business today.'
When the California bill was first introduced in 2021, Lego issued a statement that the company was working to make its toys more inclusive for girls.
'The company is committed to making Lego play more inclusive and ensuring that children's creative ambitions – both now in the future – are not limited by gender stereotypes,' a statement from Lego said.
English (US)