Victory for Religious Liberty: Private Schools Exempted

A significant shift occurred just prior to the hearing, as Assemblyman Mark Gonzalez, the bill's author, reluctantly agreed to amend AB 727. The original version mandated all California schools—including private and religious institutions—print The Trevor Project's hotline number on student IDs. Faith-based organizations and legal experts warned this would violate the First Amendment by compelling speech that contradicts the religious beliefs of private schools.

Thanks to advocacy efforts led by California Family Council and the National Center for Law and Policy, Gonzalez agreed to drop the private school requirement. "They fought hard to keep it in," said Greg Burt of California Family Council, "but the First Amendment wouldn't let them win this one." Nonetheless, the author expressed frustration about the change during the hearing, emphasizing his belief that all students, regardless of school type, need the resource.

Ironically, by exempting private schools, the legislature acknowledged—albeit implicitly—that not every mental health organization is neutral. When a "suicide hotline" also promotes a worldview, it stops being just a public health tool and becomes an ideological Trojan horse.

Parental Rights Under Siege

Despite the amendment, serious constitutional concerns remain. Constitutional attorney Dean Broyles, president of the National Center for Law and Policy, warned the committee:

"This fundamental right of parents includes the right to inculcate religious beliefs and make health care decisions, including directing mental health care and counseling when their children are in distress, Broyes explained. "Parents are best situated to know, love, and care for their children. Neither the state nor the Trevor Project has the authority to circumvent, question, or undermine parental authority for minor children. The only exception is when parents are unfit, and the state may not assume that parents are unfit merely because they do not affirm the state's sexual orientation and gender identity ideologies."

He called the bill "a groomer's paradise," referencing the unregulated online environment promoted by The Trevor Project. "Children don't need protection from their parents. They need protection from the Trevor Project and this bill," he concluded.

TrevorSpace: A Dangerous Online Network

The most alarming revelation came from an undercover test conducted by California Family Council. Pretending to be a lonely 13-year-old questioning his gender identity, a CFC staff member texted The Trevor Project's hotline and was quickly referred to TrevorSpace.org, the group's social networking platform. Within minutes, he created an account with no age verification required.

TrevorSpace claims to be a "safe" community for LGBTQ youth aged 13 to 24. Alarm bells should be going off right there. Why are unvetted adults being encouraged to socialize with those in their early 20s? But there is more:

• No system verifies the age of participants, meaning adults of any age can easily pose as teens.
• Users can send private messages and images to each other.
• Clubs on the site include disturbing titles like "Our Dad Sucks Club," "Moms Are Overrated," "Chosen Family," and even "Lovesick Lesbian Club."
• Other clubs include satanism, witchcraft, anarchism, furries, polyamory, and "alter humans."

One group—"Chosen Family Club"—encourages teens to replace their biological family with "siblings and parents" who affirm their chosen identities. "They're not hiding it," Burt said. "They're actively recruiting kids to abandon their families and embrace a hyper-sexualized community of strangers."

The parallels to the online grooming described in the recent Orange County Register exposé on "sextortion" are chilling. Predators posing as teens build relationships with minors and coerce them into sending explicit photos—sometimes leading to blackmail or suicide.

Theological Distortion at the Capitol

Assemblyman Gonzalez, the openly gay Catholic legislator, concluded the hearing by framing the bill as an expression of his Christian faith and moral duty to protect vulnerable youth by invoking Scripture and presenting the bill as an act of Christian compassion. In an emotional speech before the committee, Gonzalez cited Matthew 25:40 (loving the least of these is loving God), Mark 12:31 (love your neighbor as yourself), and Catholic teachings on compassion, arguing that placing The Trevor Project's contact information on student IDs is a practical way to show marginalized LGBTQ+ students they are loved and not alone. Gonzalez claimed that his faith compels him to support these students, especially those struggling with suicidal thoughts due to rejection or bullying. "This is about saving lives," he said.

But Greg Burt, in a post-hearing podcast, challenged Gonzalez's Biblical interpretation:

"Jesus told us that He came to save us from our sins. He didn't come to affirm our sin. He didn't come to affirm whatever identity that we chose for ourselves. He came to give us a new identity. ..."

The Gospel is "about repentance..., being honest about our lost state, and then throwing ourselves on God's mercy. And then God spends the rest of our lives—after we got forgiven for our sins— transforming us. ...

We're to pick up our cross, to deny ourselves—deny your natural inclinations—and follow Jesus. That's the Gospel. And God's going to help you. And you do it guilt-free because you know He's died for all your sins. And so it's a great journey." Subscribe for free to Breaking Christian News here

A Call to Action

AB 727 still has more hurdles to clear before becoming law. California Family Council urges parents, pastors, and concerned citizens to make their voices heard. "Our children don't need a hotline that circumvents parental wisdom and funnels them into dangerous online environments," said CFC President Jonathan Keller. "They need their families. They need the truth. And they need protection from ideology disguised as compassion."

Click here to: Urge Your Assembly Member to vote "NO" on AB 727, a bill to force all Student ID Cards to list an LGBTQ Advocacy Group

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