California Bans Travel to GOP States
The state of California will no longer fund trips to Florida, Arkansas, Montana, North Dakota, or West Virginia based on laws in those states that ‘directly target transgender youth,’ announced California Attorney General Rob Bonta on Monday. The announcement brings the total number of states on California’s travel ban list to 17.
“California must take action to avoid supporting or financing discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people,” said Bonta. “Make no mistake: we’re in the midst of an unprecedented wave of bigotry and discrimination in this country – and the State of California is not going to support it.”
In 2016, California lawmakers approved a measure prohibiting taxpayer-funded travel to states with laws discriminatory towards the LGBTQ community. The move was a direct response to a North Carolina law requiring people to use public bathrooms matching the gender listed on their birth certificate.
Texas made the list in 2017 when it passed a law allowing adoption agencies to reject same-sex couples. Arkansas was also added to the list after passing a law prohibiting physicians from offering gender reassignment services to minors.
California’s travel ban includes some exceptions, such as travel necessary to protect public health or to participate in litigation. But it does force college teams to use private funds when traveling to banned states for athletic events.
Athletics has become a major issue for transgender youth. In fact, the state of Florida was added to the travel ban list based on a law prohibiting transgender girls from participating in boys’ sports.
“Congratulations to California for somehow managing to create a new way to politicize its bureaucracy,” said Christina Pushaw, a spokesperson for Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R). “The bill Governor DeSantis signed is not discriminatory; in fact, it’s the opposite – the legislation ensures that women’s sports remain fair…On the contrary, allowing biological males to compete in women’s sports is discriminatory, because it puts girls and women at a disadvantage based on immutable, innate characteristics.”
Author’s Note: This may be California’s stupidest decision ever. Laws in other states are not California’s business and this “travel ban” is likely violating interstate commerce laws. Aside from that, the laws with which California takes issue are commonsense; they are not “anti” anything.
Ah, California. The idiocy never stops.
California has become the cesspool of America, thanks to being run by liberal idiots, they are probably afraid that if people travel out , they will see how real Americans live and never want to return, thus giving them less house seats.
Who gives a shit about California anyway it is going to hell anyway, till the people get smart and vote out every one of them LOW LIFE, COMMUNIST SCUMBAGS, DEMMOCRATS the keep voting in office, Federal and State. Until they get smart, I reckon they can burn in HELL. GOD BLESS THE USA
Alice’s headline ; “CALIFORNIA BANS TRAVEL TO GOP STATES “
Alice, this is a tremendous self own. No where does California say they are banning travel to GOP States. California explicitly says why the State will not fund travel “ California must take action to avoid supporting or financing discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people,” said Bonta. “Make no mistake: we’re in the midst of an unprecedented wave of bigotry and discrimination in this country – and the State of California is not going to support it.”
It seems like you are admitting that GOP States are discriminatory and bigoted.
I live in the banned state of NC. We do not miss CA.
Let’s see, a state uses taxpayer money to pay for travel for elected officials, who could pay their own way, various business executives, and sports teams in regional or national competitions. None of this money goes to the destination state, so no “supporting or financing discrimination” going on, at least, not with travel funds. Perhaps it is time to create another class of sports teams consisting entirely of transgender players. (Not likely to happen, so it’s just a thought) The only other viable alternative to banning transgender players would be to demand a complete blood workup before every match, to ensure that no one has an unfair testosterone advantage. Allowing transgender women with a testosterone advantage to play on the women’s teams would be unfair to the biological women.
Rat, so much for less government huh?
No one wants them anyway, keep their perversions in CA where they belong.
I hope they ban travel to Texas too. Got no use for anybody who’d tolerate living in that shit-hole.
All these brain washed cultist talking about not needing California. California is a net producer to the Federal Coffers. Unlike a vast majority of southern red states.
Alice, if you want to state your opinion, just do it… don’t try to give the rest of the article some aura of being actual news by putting a very obvious opinion in a separate note. You’ve already stated your opinion in the title and the rest of the article, don’t bother trying to cover it up. If you want to separate news from opinion, just add a paragraph that says, “in my opinion…”, or “in this author’s opinion…” if you want to be a little more formal. This is “Writing 101″…
But about that opinion – California has not “banned” travel to anywhere. It has said it will not pay for government employees to travel to those locations, unless it is for specific safety-related issues. How would it violate interstate commerce laws? They are not preventing travel to anywhere, just refusing to pay for it. This is a purely statement made by the Legislature to comment on the policies or laws of other states with which they disagree.
If a state representative wants to go on a fact-finding mission at Bob Jones University in SC, they’ll have to pay for it themselves. If medical officials want to visit the CDC in Atlanta, I’m sure that would be paid for. Where’s the problem? Your article is just another attempt to bash a Democrat-majority state.
Thanks nice post.
Sadly, we can’t think for ourselves. In California, anyone that thinks differently than the Libs is shunned.