Newsom enacts LGBTQ youth bills into law

Fulfilling a promise he had made in the spring, Governor Gavin Newsom has signed into law legislation aimed at combatting the high rates of suicide and depression in LGBTQ youth. It was one of several bills addressing LGBTQ youth issues he approved in recent days.

On October 10 Newsom signed Assembly Bill 727 authored by gay Assemblymember Mark González (D-Los Angeles) to require public schools with grades 7-12, plus colleges and universities, add The Trevor Project’s 24 hours per day, 7 days per week suicide hotline to their student identification cards. González had introduced AB 727 in response to the inflated rates of suicidal ideation in LGBTQ youth.

Education officials at the campuses covered by the bill have until July 1, 2026, to update their ID cards for pupils. As the new law specifies, the telephone number used by the national LGBTQ youth-focused nonprofit is 1-866-488-7386, while the text line can be accessed by texting START to 678-678.

In a rare instance of his weighing in on legislation prior to it reaching his desk, Newsom earlier this year had announced he would sign AB 727 into law once it passed out of the Legislature. He had done so months prior to the Trump administration canceling in July the specially trained LGBTQ crisis counselors youth under the age of 25 could request when calling the national 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.

Since then, California and several other states have moved to provide such specialty counselors via their state-based suicide hotlines. But as the Bay Area Reporter noted in July, officials in Sacramento and staffers at The Trevor Project, a national nonprofit focused on the needs of LGBTQ youth, have said it will take months to provide the hundreds of crisis counselors across California's 12 centers with the extra training and skills development to support LGBTQ+ youth in crisis.

Speaking to the B.A.R. earlier this summer, González equated his legislation with providing a “beacon of hope” to LGBTQ young people who may be struggling mentally and contemplating taking their own life. It does so by making The Trevor Project’s helpline number readily available to them in such times of crisis since they just need to look at their ID card to find it.

Newsom chose Friday to sign the bill, as it is World Mental Health Day.

“Every student deserves to feel safe, supported, and seen for who they are. While some in Washington turn their backs on LGBTQ youth, California is choosing compassion over cruelty,” stated Newsom. “AB 727 makes it clear: your identity doesn’t disqualify you from care and community – it’s exactly why we are fighting to make it easier to reach.”

He invited González to a bill signing ceremony along with his wife, Jennifer Siebel Newsom, the state’s first partner. Also invited was Bridget McCarthy, who lost her 16-year-old transgender son, Riley Chart, to suicide just over 5 years ago due to his struggles related to his gender identity.

“When Donald Trump and the federal government turn their backs on LGBTQ+ youth, California steps up,” stated González. “With the signing of AB 727, we’re sending a clear message: our LGBTQ+ youth are seen, valued, and never alone. AB 727 is not just a piece of legislation; it is a lifeline for our queer youth. Thank you, Governor Newsom, for standing with us to protect and affirm every young person in California.”

October 7 Newsom signed into law two bills aimed at confronting bigotry inside the state’s public school classrooms. AB 715 establishes a new Office of Civil Rights and establishes an Antisemitism Prevention Coordinator to develop training, resources, and enforcement strategies for K-12 schools.

Gay Assemblymember Rick Chavez Zbur (D-Hollywood) used the gut-and-amend process to swap out the original bill language - focused on protecting attorneys who offer legal services for such things as gender-affirming health care and reproductive services from facing disciplinary action by states that have outlawed those services - and add in the classroom policy language. AB 715 requires districts to investigate and take corrective action when discriminatory content is used in classrooms or professional development.

At the same time Newsom signed Senate Bill 48 to create four statewide Discrimination Prevention Coordinators – focused on religious, racial, ethnic, gender, and LGBTQ discrimination – to provide resources and training to prevent and consistently address bias and discrimination in schools. Among its four co-authors was gay Assemblymember Chris Ward (D-San Diego).

“As both a proud member of the Jewish Caucus and Chair of the LGBTQ Caucus, I know that when hate goes unaddressed in our schools, it endangers every community,” stated Ward. “As antisemitic incidents surge in California, today California leaders have taken decisive action towards stamping out antisemitism and all forms of hate before they spread further.”

Joining Ward in authoring SB 48 were Assemblymember Mike Fong (D-Alhambra) and state Senators Akilah Weber Pierson (D-San Diego) and Lena Gonzalez (D- Long Beach). The trio of straight allies were also among the coauthors of AB 715, which Assemblymember Dawn Addis (D–Morro Bay) had joined Zbur as a lead author.

By enacting the two bills, Newsom noted, “California is taking action to confront hate in all its forms. At a time when antisemitism and bigotry are rising nationwide and globally, these laws make clear: our schools must be places of learning, not hate."

Newsom on October 13 signed SB 450 authored by lesbian Senator Caroline Menjivar (D-San Fernando Valley), now LGBTQ+ parents in other states can access California courts to protect their parentage rights as long as their child was born in California through adoption proceedings.

If you are experiencing a crisis, call The Trevor Project at 1-866-488-7386 or visit thetrevorproject.org .

Updated, 10/13/25: This article has been updated with Governor Newsom signing a bill for LGBTQ+ parents.