In a stunning turn of events, the California legislature purged itself of one the worst pieces of legislation ever crafted, known as the “You Must Stay Gay” bill. In a statement on his website, author of the bill Assemblymember Evan Low, a Democrat, said, “I knew this was an emotionally charged issue, so I spent the past few months traveling up and down the state meeting with a wide variety of faith leaders” and says he was “heartened” by the conversations.
The bill, AB 2943, was deeply troubling for faith leaders, pastors, professional counselors, and parents across the state and across the country, leading to national attention. If it had been signed into law, the bill would have made it illegal for minors to receive counseling services of their choice for gender confusion and same-sex attraction issues.
The bill had been passed by both chambers in the California legislature, but Low decided to withdraw it rather than send to the governor for signature. This is an unprecedented action, especially for such a hotly contested bill, and proves why faith-based families, ministries, and policy leaders can and should engage their representatives in government. The system works.
While the progressive Left consistently pushes the myth of so-called “separation of church and state,” the reality of our constitutional framework is that every American, regardless of their individual sincerely held beliefs, has the equal opportunity (and the duty and obligation) to be strongly engaged in our government.
We can and should make our voices heard through our vote and through our elected officials, reaching out even to those like Low, whose platform and policies generally differ from the faith-based communities. This is a defining moment for how people of faith can respectfully engage the conversation and truly affect law and policy with our actions.
The rule of law and implementation of policy matters to every family and individual, especially on the state level. Civil society has a proper, limited role, and we have the obligation to ensure that our government fulfills its mandate to protect and preserve our fundamental unalienable rights that our Declaration of Independence recognizes are endowed by God our creator.
The Dobson Policy Center and many other family policy organizations have been strongly opposed to this bill from the beginning because of its potential impact on freedom of speech and free exercise of religion, and encouraged faith-based concerned citizens to actively fight against it.
James Dobson said of the decision to withdraw the legislation, “I am very grateful to all of the pastors, counselors, and our families in California and across the country who spoke up and made their voices heard. It is incumbent on us to make sure we still have the right to make the best mental health decisions for our children, our loved ones, and ourselves and that parental rights are protected now and for generations to come.”
California Family Council President Jonathan Keller also expressed gratitude to Low for his decision to withdraw the bill. “We are inexpressibly grateful to Assemblymember Low for meeting personally with faith leaders over the last several months and sincerely listening to our concerns.” He said, “Today is also a testament to the courageous counselors, ministry leaders, pastors and OnceGay individuals who bravely shared their personal stories, ensuring that these vital perspectives were not overlooked in the process.”
Jenna Ellis (@jennaellisJDFI) is a contributor to the Washington Examiner’s Beltway Confidential blog. She is director of public policy at the James Dobson Family Institute. She is a constitutional law attorney, radio host, and the author of The Legal Basis for a Moral Constitution. She can be reached at [email protected].
