Major retailers in California are now required to have gender-neutral toy aisles under a new state law that went into effect on Monday.
The new law requires retail department stores physically located in California with 500 or more employees to “maintain a gender-neutral section or area, to be labeled at the discretion of the retailer.”
Stores that already have gender-focused toy areas won’t have to get rid of them but instead add a toy section that would apply to children of any gender, according to the law’s text.
The law passed the state Legislature and was signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom in 2021. Retailers that don’t comply with the law will initially be fined $250, followed by $500 for repeat offenders.
California Assemblymember Evan Low, D-Silicon Valley, said an 8-year-old inspired him to introduce the bill.
“I was inspired to introduce this bill after 8-year-old Britten asked, ‘Why should a store tell me what a girl’s shirt or toy is?’” Low said in a statement. “Her bill will help children express themselves freely and without bias. We need to let kids be kids.”
However, California Family Council President Jonathan Keller previously expressed his displeasure with the new law.
“We should all have compassion for individuals experiencing gender dysphoria,” Keller said in a statement. “But activists and state legislators have no right to force retailers to espouse government-approved messages about sexuality and gender. It’s a violation of free speech and it’s just plain wrong.”