Want to hear something really scary? This Halloween, there is one treat that is actually a dangerous trick that could harm young people everywhere: Jelly Belly candies.
And the trick isn't the few seconds of horror that may result from biting into the dreaded canned dog food, vomit, or even the baby wipe flavored jelly beans (yes, those are real flavors).
Jelly Belly Chair Herman Rowland Sr., who previously helped fund Rick Santorum's failed presidential bid and invited him to speak at Jelly Belly's northern California headquarters in Fairfield, is now using some of his fortune to fund an effort to overturn California's new School Success and Opportunity Act, which ensures that all students �" including transgender students �" can succeed. Rather than helping protect youth �" many of whom likely buy and consume his company's product �" he has chosen to attack some of the most vulnerable youth in our state.
Too often, transgender young people are prevented from participating in gym classes and can't get the credits they need to graduate. In some schools, transgender students are singled out and treated differently and not allowed to participate in the same activities or use the same facilities as other students. This is happening in many school districts across California even though existing federal and state law already prohibit discrimination against transgender and gender non-conforming students.
The School Success and Opportunity Act (AB 1266) is designed to make sure that every school in California provides transgender students equal opportunities to participate and succeed in school. By restating the requirements of existing federal and state law in a clear and direct way, this new law will ensure that school administrators, teachers, parents, and students understand that transgender students must be allowed to participate in activities and have access to facilities consistent with their gender identity. This legislation was authored by out Assemblyman Tom Ammiano (D-San Francisco) and sponsored by the National Center for Lesbian Rights, Equality California, Transgender Law Center, GSA Network, and Gender Spectrum. It passed both the state Assembly and state Senate and was signed by California Governor Jerry Brown this past August.
But if Jelly Belly's Rowland gets his way, the law will be stopped and overturned. He is funding a campaign �" run by marriage foe and architect of the Proposition 8 campaign, Frank Schubert �" to repeal this law. This hateful campaign is led by fringe anti-LGBT organizations, like the National Organization for Marriage and the Capitol Resource Institute, which are trafficking in lies about the new law and terrorizing our youth. This effort is especially outrageous since these groups know that overturning this law will do nothing to change the existing federal and state requirements that schools allow transgender students to participate in programs and use facilities based on their gender identity. In fact the only thing that will result from this referendum is the hurting of young people through fear and lies. Of course that hasn't stopped the California Republican Party or Rowland from supporting this campaign.
Those who oppose equality for LGBT youth have until November 10 to collect just over 505,000 valid signatures to qualify for the November 2014 ballot. The Capitol Resource Institute has tried to qualify other measures to overturn laws protecting LGBT youth and every time thus far they have failed to submit a single signature despite their claims they collected them.
While we believe they will once again fail to collect enough signatures to qualify their mean-spirited referendum, we are monitoring their activity and asking anyone who sees a signature gatherer to call EQCA's hotline at: 866-377-0578.
And we are asking everyone to sign a petition to let Jelly Belly chair Rowland know that you believe all students should be treated equally and have the same opportunities to succeed in school. Go to http://www.TinyURL.com/JellyBellyPetition and sign the petition telling Jelly Belly's chair to stop attacking transgender students and to support all California students.
So, this Halloween, keep the tricks harmless and the treats sweet and bigotry-free. Because if these dangerous efforts succeed, it will be really scary for many young people.
Geoff Kors is senior legislative and policy strategist at the National Center for Lesbian Rights. A shorter version of this op-ed appeared on NCLR's blog: Jelly Belly Chair: Stop Hurting Kids.