A new state law in California is supposed to take effect starting January 1st, which will demand all stores with more than 500 employees to have a “gender neutral” toy section, or else they will be fined.
The bill was signed in 2021 by Gavin Newsom and states that stores that carry childcare items and toys will have to pay a $500 fine for not creating a “gender-neutral” section. According to the legislative text, the childcare section is considered to “mean any product designed or intended by the manufacturer to facilitate sleep, relaxation, or the feeding of children, or to help children with sucking or teething.”
Some said that this law violates the First Amendment and that it’s not an abiding law, necessarily. There was a lot of pushback on this situation, especially from the Vice President of California Family Research Center, Greg Burt who told Fox News, “The government is deciding to tell a religious person, could be a Muslim-owned business, that they have to use certain words to advertise toys, and those words might violate the belief systems of that particular Muslim-owned business.”
“You got the government now dictating the signage in stores, about what words can be used to advertise products,” he continued. “This is opening a Pandora’s Box.”
Legislation argued with the comments above by saying, “Keeping similar items that are traditionally marketed either for girls or for boys separated makes it more difficult for the consumer to compare the products and incorrectly implies that their use by one gender is inappropriate.”
“A reasonable selection of the items and toys for children that it sells shall be displayed, regardless of whether they have been traditionally marketed for either girls or for boys.”
Many people in California and other states have said that this can help to eliminate the stigmas and stereotypes associated with toys and the toys that parents buy each child.
This bill is rather controversial, especially after the recent events of Target releasing trans-friendly bathing suits and Bud Light being slammed for their advertisements featuring influencer, Dylan Mulvaney.
Many hope that this is the start of breaking stigmas everywhere. The main writer of the legislation, Evan Low, told CBS News in 2021, “My hope is this bill encourages more businesses across California and the U.S. to avoid reinforcing harmful and outdated stereotypes.”
