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California became the first state to require large retailers to have gender-neutral sections for products like toys and toothbrushes – a law pushed by LGBT advocates who say pink and blue marketing reinforces stereotypes of kind and is harmful to children.
Gov. Gavin Newsom on Saturday signed new law that requires department stores to offer a gender-neutral section to display “a reasonable selection” of items “whether they are traditionally marketed for girls or boys.”
The legislation only concerns toys and “childcare articles”, including hygiene and teething products.
Only stores with at least 500 employees will be subject to the new legislation, which does not prohibit traditional sections for boys and girls.
Evan Low, a member of the Democratic State Assembly who drafted the bill, said he was “incredibly grateful” that Newsom signed the bill this year.
“We have to stop stigmatizing what is acceptable for certain genders and let children be children,” Low said. “I hope this bill encourages more businesses in California and the United States to avoid reinforcing harmful and outdated stereotypes.”
This was the third time Democrats in the state legislature have attempted to pass the law, with similar bills failing in 2019 and 2020.
Republicans and some conservative groups have fought against the legislation, arguing that the government should not tell parents how to buy for their children.
With post wires
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