California could ban boys and girls sections in toy and clothes stores

California wants to ban boys and girls toy or clothes sections in large stores in order to enforce the gender-neutral presentation of products.

The bill would make it illegal for retailers to put up signs saying 'boys' and 'girls' over displays of toys, clothes or childcare items under the threat of a $1,000 fine.

Meanwhile, stores located in the state that have a website would be required to use titles like 'kids', 'unisex', or 'gender-neutral' rather than dividing goods by sex.

Assembly Bill 1084 requires retailers with 500 or more employees 'to maintain undivided areas of its sales floor where the majority of those items being offered are displayed, regardless of whether an item has traditionally been marketed for either girls or for boys,' according to the Legislative Counsel's digest of the bill.

The bill, which if passed would go into effect on January 1, 2024, was co-authored by Assemblyman Evan Low, D-Campbell, who chairs the California Legislative LGBT Caucus, and Assemblywoman Cristina Garcia, D-Bell Gardens, who chairs the California Legislative Women's Caucus.

The text of the legislation claims the ban is necessary to prevent people from being treated differently due to their sex.

An earlier version of the bill was introduced in 2020, but Low decided to withdraw it to avoid distracting from the COVID pandemic, reported the Sacramento Bee.

Introducing the bill, Low said he was inspired by Target's decision in 2015 to abolish gendered children's sections.

'As much as I'd like to think of this as watershed legislation, this is something the industry is already doing. We're just trying to play catch up,' he said.

Low also cited as inspiration a staffer's nine-year-old daughter, who was confused why she had to go into the boys aisle to find science toys.

'That was the impetus of this, which is how do we make a safe space today for children in society,' he said.

The bill has already come in for criticism, with lawmakers blasted for 'wasting time on trivial legislation' in the midst of a pandemic.

Opponents also asked why the Legislature was trying to 'micromanage' businesses with its 'Nanny State nonsense'.

Gregg Bilson tweeted: 'This is why California is laughed at, there are serious issues facing CA, this isn't one of them!'

A second Twitter branded the bill 'a waste of time' while a third wrote: 'Because there aren't more serio... (Read more)

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