Is Huntington Beach Ahead of the California Curve?

Crowds gather for the U.S. Open of Surfing in Huntington Beach, Calif., on Aug. 4, 2023. John Fredricks/The Epoch Times

Commentary

Once again, Surf City in California appears to be ahead of the curve on common sense issues.

For years, Huntington Beach officials have fought for ideas like voter ID requirements in political elections and for greater local autonomy regarding residential housing construction in the city over the next decade. The city has also pushed back against the concept of California as a sanctuary state.

Along with a few other city councils and school boards in California, including the Chino Valley Unified School District, Huntington Beach City Council has battled for the protection of parental rights regarding their own children’s wellbeing in the schools.

The council has filed a lawsuit against several state officials over Assembly Bill 1955 (labeled the “Safety Act”), which mandates that public schools hide any changes in the gender identity or sexual orientation of students from parents, unless the student gives permission to share the information.

This month, the Huntington Beach City Council filed suit with support from America First Legal Foundation in its fight to protect parental rights. A number of parents have also signed on to the recent lawsuit against the state. Under the Education Code, parents have the “absolute right” to access student records.

Huntington Beach Mayor Gracey Van Der Mark has called the bill an “egregious piece of legislation that seeks to compel educators to keep secret from parents sensitive, private, and often life-saving information related to their child’s gender issues and/or expression.”

Why would any school official want to hide critical information from parents regarding this issue unless they have something to hide? Students are in the community and with their families about 80 percent of an average week, so why would any school think they can dictate terms to parents? While some parents do abandon children or are derelict in their duties, most parents are in charge of their children’s upbringing and protection. Their children don’t belong to government entities.

One would hope that state leaders would have recognized by now that the unscientific transgender issue is primarily a social contagion. It is being advanced by social media influencers and some medical personnel who haven’t clearly thought out the moderate to longterm effects of gender transitions. What they label as “gender-affirming care” actually condemns healthy young people, who might have some gender identity confusion, to a life of regret and suffering.

Indeed, some nations in Europe and elsewhere have paused cross-sex hormones and radical sex change surgeries for children. They have begun to realize the devastating effects and suffering of transition recipients who were not fully informed about the mental and physical consequences of such life-altering decisions.

Whether the state’s intentions are good or not, controversial gender issues and political activism aren’t within the province of public education. The role of public education is to impart a rigorous curriculum that will build character and prepare students for higher education and for life in general. Public education should not be using minors as guinea pigs in an experiment that defies moral and natural laws.

Most children have challenges as they experience puberty. These youngsters learn to deal with the process of growing up with some counseling, guidance, and spiritual advice from parents and others who genuinely care about their entire wellbeing. Despite individual human flaws, most can celebrate the gender they were born with, as it was gifted by God and their parents.

In recent years, Sacramento has waded into the culture wars that have an impact on businesses and taxpayer-funded government agencies such as public schools. Sacramento ought to stick to providing essential services, such as educational improvements, fire prevention and suppression resources, infrastructure repair, law enforcement, water storage facilities, etc. Leave personal and sensitive issues out of the classroom, because students already have enough challenges to cope with on a daily basis.

Moreover, instead of inserting divisive issues into the schools and keeping parents in the dark, school officials at all levels ought to focus on raising test scores in the public schools. They should approve additional charter schools, keep phones out of the hands of students during the school day, and teach both academic and occupational courses to secondary students. Kudos to the “Parents’ Rights” city of Huntington Beach and other governing bodies that fight back against the pervasive unlawful intrusions of Sacramento politicians.

Views expressed in this article are opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.