California Bill Would Let Lawyers Change Kids’ Legal Gender Without Parental OK

California lawmakers are pushing a bill that could strip parents of their rights and allow children to legally change their gender identity on official documents—even against their parents’ wishes. Governor Gavin Newsom has avoided taking a clear stance, despite national attention and a potential 2028 presidential run on the horizon.

Key Facts:

Assembly Bill 1084 allows court-appointed lawyers to help minors change their name and sex on birth certificates, even if parents retain custody.
The bill permits these changes based on unverified abuse claims and without parental consent.
Introduced by Assemblyman Rick Zbur, the bill is labeled an “urgency bill” and would become law immediately upon the governor’s signature.
Parents are barred from contesting changes based on concerns over biological sex or gender identity.
If signed, the law would make California birth certificates unreliable by allowing anyone to self-identify their gender legally without medical evidence.

The Rest of The Story:

Assembly Bill 1084 is moving through the California legislature and has sparked major concern over parental rights and the authority of the state.

The bill allows court-appointed lawyers or guardians to help a child legally change their name and sex designation on birth certificates.

This process can occur even if the child remains under the legal custody of their parents.

The trigger for these legal changes can be as simple as a child making an abuse allegation—substantiated or not—which would lead to a lawyer being assigned to the case.

That lawyer, under the law, is expected to affirm a child’s declared gender identity at face value.

Once that lawyer is involved, they can petition the court to change the child’s legal documents—including a new birth certificate with a revised name and gender marker, including a “non-binary” option.

The bill was authored by Assemblyman Rick Zbur, who has previously drawn criticism for inflammatory comparisons, such as likening defenders of women’s sports to Nazis.

His legislation is framed as an “urgency bill,” which means that if signed by the governor, it will take effect immediately.

The bill specifically states that if a court believes it is “likely” the child will remain a ward of the state until age 18, the court-appointed attorney can act to change legal identity documents—no parental consent required.

Parents may attempt to contest the petition, but their opposition is severely limited.

The bill disqualifies objections based “solely on concerns that the proposed change is not the petitioner’s actual gender identity or gender assigned at birth.”

In effect, this renders any parent who holds a traditional or biological view of gender powerless in these proceedings.

Legal scholars and constitutional experts have warned that the bill appears to directly violate precedent established by the Supreme Court, including Pierce v. Society of Sisters, which affirmed that “The child is not the mere creature of the State.”

Additionally, critics say the bill runs afoul of Mahmoud v. Taylor, a more recent ruling reaffirming parental rights in child-rearing decisions.

If signed into law, it could result in widespread confusion and loss of trust in official state records, since birth certificates would no longer reflect biological realities but self-asserted identities.

It’s also being viewed by critics as part of a broader attempt to “Trump-proof” California through deeply progressive and reactionary legislation.

With the Democrat-controlled legislature poised to pass the bill, all eyes are now on Governor Gavin Newsom to decide whether he will stand by parents—or bow to the radical wing of his party.

Here is a simplified breakdown of some of the changes AB 1084 will bring about. pic.twitter.com/11Dnxf0Bf4

— WomenAreReal (@WomenAreReals) July 18, 2025

Commentary:

California Democrats are no longer hiding their agenda. This bill is a clear attack on parents, traditional values, and biological truth.

It allows the state to sideline moms and dads in favor of government-appointed lawyers who will affirm a child’s confused self-diagnosis of gender dysphoria as fact.

Let’s be clear: this is not about compassion. It’s about power.

A child can now claim abuse, get an attorney, and legally change their identity—while the parents watch helplessly.

This turns the state into the child’s new guardian, erasing the family’s authority and undermining core parental rights.

Worse, the bill blocks parents from arguing that their son is, in fact, a boy, or that their daughter is, in fact, a girl. Those arguments are labeled “not good cause.”

California is now treating basic biology like hate speech. If a parent says, “I know my child,” the state says, “You don’t get a say.”

There is no ethical justification for stripping parents of their legal rights in favor of ideologically driven strangers. This isn’t protecting children. It’s weaponizing them.

And the damage is irreversible—especially for children who later regret their transition, a growing and tragic trend.

The medical field already shows alarming data: children affirmed too early often follow a path to surgeries and irreversible damage.

Suicide rates don’t go down with transition; in many cases, they increase. Yet California is rushing headlong into this chaos without pause.

Governor Newsom’s silence is telling. If he signs this bill, it will be a death blow to his moderate image and could bury any chance he has in 2028.

No parent in America wants to be told their beliefs are illegal and their children belong to the state.

If Harry wants to be called Sally as an adult, fine. But you cannot change biology, no matter how much you wish it.

This is not a compassionate policy—it’s dangerous, delusional, and unconstitutional. This law will not stand.

It’s likely headed for the Supreme Court, and when it gets there, it could trigger a major rollback of California’s legal overreach.

Newsom’s decision will define his legacy—and may destroy it.

The Bottom Line:

California’s Assembly Bill 1084 strips parents of their rights and allows state lawyers to override families on deeply personal matters like gender identity.

It puts the power of permanent legal change into the hands of minors and court agents.

If Governor Newsom signs it, he will be choosing ideology over biology, government over family, and politics over truth.

This bill could derail his political future—and destroy countless families along the way.