California Governor Gavin Newsom has been shoving his liberal agenda on the people of The Golden State since his first day in office. While he consistently fights the minority fight for low or no cash bail while ignoring the problems it creates, he is also deeply entrenched in the fight for what he calls “equality” for people of all sexual orientations.
In his latest drive to make those who don’t measure up to his level of tolerance, he has set his sights on ground zero for childhoods- the toy department.
Assembly Bill No. 1084 was signed by Newsom back in 2021 and is set to be enacted on January 24th, 2024. Under the provisions of the Bill, toy retailers are being directed on how they need to lay their store floors out, what toys to market, and how to market them.
“This bill would require 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 to maintain a gender-neutral section or area, to be labeled at the discretion of the retailer, in which a reasonable selection of the items and toys for children that it sells shall be displayed, regardless of whether they have been traditionally marketed for either girls or for boys.”
Under this bill, they make no provisions as to how the number of employees is calculated or what they expect to change from this idea. Low-cost, high-volume stores like Dollar General or discount high-end retailers like Marshalls don’t have enough of a toy or childcare section to necessitate this kind of separate area for gender-neutral. They simply lump toys together in a common area and set like items with one another.
More prosperously, they are assuming that families are making the decisions on what toy is best for their child simply based upon the location of the toy. Or what the label on the shelf is. Or even more absurdly, by how it’s categorized by the stock clerk. The fact of the matter is that people are choosing toys for their kids based on what the toy itself is. Is it something they believe the child will like, and how dangerous it is are the factors parents are looking for.
According to the CA legislature and their “findings,” parents in CA cannot be trusted to make these decisions on their own.
Per 55.7, “a) Unjustified differences in similar products that are traditionally marketed either for girls or for boys can be more easily identified by the consumer if similar items are displayed closer to one another in one, undivided area of the retail sales floor. (b) Keeping similar items that are traditionally marketed either for girls or for boys separated makes it more difficult for the consumer to compare the products and incorrectly implies that their use by one gender is inappropriate.”
Newsom thinks parents need to compare and contrast every nuance before they can decide between buying some toys. Perhaps we need to start putting turnips beside the Bentleys so consumers can compare a useless vegetable with a high-end luxury car. You know, make sure they are making their stew properly. I mean, both could put a smile on your face. Both cost money. But that’s it. The same can be said about the board game Crossfire and a Malibu Barbie. Both are designed with separate audiences in mind, neither needs to compete with the other.
The other directive that keeping toys separate makes it harder to compare is insane. Even in large toy stores, you aren’t even comparing direct competitors GI Joe and Barbie. If you are buying a gift for a kid, you know what that kid likes based on what you’ve seen them play with and how they like it. You hear them talk about what they want. They don’t need extra options because they are going for what they want anyway.
With $500 per offense, and tickets set to be issued after the law is enacted, Newsom thinks this is something the people of California have been worried about. That minors who are being poisoned about their “gender” are confused about what toys they like because it’s not right next to them. How shameful and un-Presidential of him.
