California Legislature Passes Bill Requiring Child Custody Cases to Consider ‘Affirming Gender Identity’

The California Assembly passed legislation requiring judges to consider whether a parent ‘affirms a child’s gender identity’ when making custody decisions.

Assembly Bill 957, which passed both chambers in the California State Legislature, reads:

Existing law governs the determination of child custody and visitation in contested proceedings and requires the court, for purposes of deciding custody, to determine the best interests of the child based on certain factors, including, among other things, the health, safety, and welfare of the child.

This bill, for purposes of this provision, would include a parent’s affirmation of the child’s gender identity or gender expression as part of the health, safety, and welfare of the child.

This bill would incorporate additional changes to Section 3011 of the Family Code proposed

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