Tuesday, June 29, 2021

CA Bans State Travel To Five More States

 

In solidarity with the LGBTQ+ community, the State of California has banned most state-funded travel to five states in view of their laws that discriminate against LGBTQ+ people. California's Attorney General Rob Bonta announced the ban, which includes Arkansas, Florida, Montana, North Dakota and West Virginia, to the list which now includes a total of 17 states with discriminatory laws.

"[California] lawmakers in 2016 banned non-essential travel to states with laws that discriminate against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people. The 12 other states on the list are: Texas, Alabama, Idaho, Iowa, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Kentucky, North Carolina, Kansas, Mississippi, Tennessee.

The five states newly added to the list have introduced bills in their legislatures this year that prevent transgender women and girls from participating in school sports consistent with their gender identity, block access to health care and allow the discrimination of the LGBTQ community, Bonta said."  (our emphasis)

Some exceptions to the travel ban are travel to enforce California laws, and to abide by contracts with those states that were signed before the discriminatory laws were passed. The primary effect will be on travel for conferences and training.

Right-wing bigots will assuredly cite this as an example of what they hypocritically call "cancel culture," when in fact it's an example of accountability, or "consequences culture." For too long, the right has suffered few consequence from their actions and words, giving them what they thought was "permission" from the general public to do their worst. The malignant "former guy" was the major practitioner of their hate speech. That has to end, and California's action is a decent start that other states should emulate.

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