Gavin Christopher Newsom (born October 10, 1967) is an American politician and businessman who is the 40th governor of California, serving since January 2019. A member of the Democratic Party, he previously served as the 49th lieutenant governor of California from 2011 to 2019 and as the 42nd mayor of San Francisco from 2004 to 2011.
California Targets Without Gender-Neutral Toys Will Be Fined in 2024
Gavin Newsom signed legislation, titled Assembly Bill No. 1084, which will require some retail stores in the state to have a gender-neutral section for children "regardless of whether they have been traditionally marketed for either girls or for boys."The bill is set to go into effect on January 1, 2024, and states that stores failing to comply will be "liable for a civil penalty not to exceed $250 for a first violation or $500 for a subsequent violation, as provided."The legislation applies to "a retail department store that is physically located in California that has a total of 500 or more employees across all California retail department store locations that sells childcare items or toys."The legislation comes shortly after some stores and brands faced widespread criticism and calls for boycotts over LGBTQ+ items sold during Pride season.
Bud Light and its parent company, Anheuser-Busch, were slammed by conservatives after partnering with Dylan Mulvaney, a transgender influencer and activist.Similarly, Target faced calls for a boycott over its 2023 Pride season items, which included clothing supporting the LGBTQ+ community.
Many conservatives became angered over Target's decision to sell "tuck friendly" swimsuits, which are worn by transgender individuals to conceal their private areas.Following backlash, Target issued a statement announcing that it was removing some of the 2023 Pride season items "that have been at the center of the most significant confrontational behavior.""Since introducing this year's collection, we've experienced threats impacting our team members' sense of safety and well-being while at work," the statement said. "Our focus now is on moving forward with our continuing commitment to the LGBTQIA+ community and standing with them as we celebrate Pride Month and throughout the year."In 2021, California Democratic Congressman Evan Low spoke to the Associated Press about authoring Assembly Bill No.
