In the American state of California, a law has been in force since the beginning of the new year that requires toy stores to have a gender-neutral department. As one MP explained, children should grow up “free and unbiased”.
The law was passed in 2021 and is now in effect. Stores with 500 or more employees must sell toys and childcare products (excluding clothing) in a gender-neutral department. This area must be “marked at the discretion of the retailer” and the amount of toys offered there must also be “appropriate,” according to the text of the law. It doesn’t matter whether the products were “traditionally marketed to girls or boys.”
MP: “We must let children be children”
The inspiration for the new regulation came from a young girl: California Rep. Evan Low, according to TV news channel CNN, explained that an eight-year-old asked him, “Why would a store tell me what a girl’s shirt or toy is?” ?” The politician took this food for thought seriously. “This bill will help children express themselves freely and without prejudice. We have to let children be children.”
Failure to comply with the new law could result in a fine of up to $250 (approximately 230 euros). Additional violations can cost business owners up to $500.
Gender-neutral toilets in schools in the future
California is considered a pioneer in this field. Just a few weeks ago, Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom signed a law requiring schools to offer gender-neutral restrooms by July 2026. “California is proud to have some of the most robust laws in the country when it comes to protecting and supporting our LGBTQ+ community,” Newsom said last September.
Source: Krone
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