State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond and Equality California have introduced AB 493, which will provide California schools with resources to support LGBTQ students and create safer school environments.

Similar legislation (AB 2153) authored by Thurmond and Equality California was approved by the California Legislature in 2018, with bipartisan support in the Assembly and Senate, but the bill was vetoed by then-Gov. Jerry Brown.

AB 493 will create more safe and supportive learning environments for LGBTQ students by requiring that schools provide teachers and staff with professional development and information. The bill will enable educators to better support students facing bullying or harassment at school, a lack of acceptance at home or discrimination in the community.

According to the 2017 National School Climate Survey, 82 percent of LGBTQ students reported hearing anti-LGBTQ remarks in their school. Approximately seven in 10 reported being called names or threatened because of their sexual orientation, and more than a third of students who identify as LGBTQ reported missing at least one day of school because of feeling unsafe.

For information, visit cde.ca.gov.