The Protect Kids of California Act of 2024, which was heavily supported by the Korean American community, will not make it to the November ballot due to insufficient signatures.
The California Secretary of State’s office announced on May 28 that the proposal lacks the required number of signatures to qualify as an initiative.
The proposal would have required schools to notify parents when their children transition gender or change their name, and prohibited schools or healthcare providers from recommending that children undergo gender reassignment, referring them for mental health counseling, or performing gender transition procedures without parental consent.
Other provisions include requiring public schools, colleges, and universities to use gender-specific restrooms, showers, and locker rooms, prohibiting boys from participating in women’s sports even if they transition to female, and prohibiting California taxpayer dollars from being used for transgender health care for minors.
To get on the ballot, supporters must submit the signatures of 550,000 California voters by a deadline set by the California Secretary of State. However, the number of signatures required is practically higher than that because the California government invalidates some signatures during counting.
In response, the Korean American community established the Southern California Petition Campaign Headquarters in February and has been conducting an emergency signature drive to get the initiative on the ballot. This is the first time the Korean American community has led a signature drive for a ballot measure since the 2008 campaign of Proposition 8, which sought to prevent the legalization of same-sex marriage.
As of the signature submission date, which ended on May 28, only about 400,000 signatures had been collected.
“With a little more time and resources, it could have gotten it on the ballot,” Jonathan Zachreson, a Roseville City School District board member who initially started the signature drive to get the initiative on the ballot, said in a statement on May 29. The petition has since raised about $200,000, according to Zachreson.
Korean-American church leaders who joined the petition expressed disappointment. Rev. Casey Lee at Onnuri Church said, “The state made the signature verification process very difficult. I understand that the state invalidates the signatures of all signatories even if one word was wrong, making it difficult to meet the number of signatures. It’s disappointing because many first-generation Korean Americans actively participated in signing the petition.”
“Despite the defeat of the legislative initiative to protect children in California, we are grateful for the extraordinary efforts of churches, organizations, and the immigrant community. Given the short time and lack of support, the united volunteer effort demonstrated an incredible sense of solidarity,” said Pastor Jonggi Min, board chairman at Korean Christian Mission USA (KCMUSA).
“While the outcome was unfortunate, the movement to restore traditional family values and protect children from the ideological radicalization of sexual politics has just begun. We need to renew our efforts to combat similar issues.”
California is continuing its legislative process and legal actions to protect transgender youth. The California legislature recently introduced a bill that would prohibit parents from informing their children of their gender identity, and the California Attorney General’s Office is suing school districts that allow it. It also won a court challenge last month to change the ballot title of the initiative from “Protect Kids of California Act” to “Restricts Rights of Transgender Youth”.
BY NICOLE CHANG, HOONSIK WOO [chang.nicole@koreadaily.com]
