Petition Against
Students' Rights Falls Short

A signature-gathering drive to overturn civil rights protections for California students has failed, according to a joint press release from five LGBT organizations.

The Student Civil Rights Act, which went into effect on January 1, prohibits in publicly funded schools and activities discrimination that is based on religion, race, disability, gender, or sexual orientation. Opponents, led by the Alliance Defense Fund and Advocates for Faith and Freedom, were able to garner just 350,000 signatures, far fewer than the necessary 433,000 to qualify for a June referendum. According to a joint press release from Equality California, Lambda Legal, the Gay-Straight Alliance Network, the Transgender Law Center, and the National Center for Lesbian Rights, state law prohibits discrimination but SB 777 updates the state's education code to reflect current law so school administrators and teachers are better trained to protect students.

The Gay-Straight Alliance Network and Equality California filed a motion in December to intervene, along with legal representation by the other three organizations in addition to the law firms of Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton and David C. Codell.

Geoff Kors, executive director of Equality California, said in the statement that policy opponents have been on a campaign to spread misinformation. "With no money or visible evidence of signature gathering, we will never know if they actually collected the 350,000 signatures they claim," he said. "What is clear is that they failed. Despite their vicious attack, Californians stood with us and said 'no' to turning back the clock on civil rights and protecting all youth from discrimination in our schools."

The California legislature passed the bill in September 2007, and Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed the bill into law the following month. (The Advocate)