California and New York appear to be locked in a competition to see which state can pass the most intrusive laws. A new measure in the Golden State is set to take effect in 2024 that will place an undue burden on businesses.
AB 1084 will require large retail stores to include gender-neutral toy sections or face fines and other punishments.
The legislation is supposedly intended to address gender stereotypes. But in reality, it is nothing more than an effort to force progressive gender ideology further into the corporate world.
It seems like scarcely a day goes by without news of more California lunacy. Now it's toys; the government of the state of California, having solved every other problem vexing the people of that state, is set now to fine (read that, punish) stores that eschew carrying woke "gender neutral" toys.
California stores with more than 500 employees will soon be fined for not having a "gender-neutral" toy section once a new state law kicks in Jan. 1.
The bill, signed in 2021 by Democrat Gov. Gavin Newsom, will force stores that sell childcare items or toys to pay a $500 fine should the store fail to create a gender-neutral toy section for kids 12 years old and under.
A childcare item, according to the legislation text, "means any product designed or intended by the manufacturer to facilitate sleep, relaxation, or the feeding of children, or to help children with sucking or teething."
Traditional boys and girls sections won't be outlawed, but a gender-neutral section must also be created.
As with most laws passed by California’s government, this one has several flaws.
At the outset, there is the immediate concern of the economic impact on retailers. Forcing these companies to create a whole new gender-neutral section means that they will have to spend money and resources to reorganize store layouts, inventory management, and possibly, hire new staff to comply with the rules.
This is not a simple matter of moving some shelves around. It involves altering the entire marketing and logistical approach to how these products will be sold. For smaller businesses with a staff that is slightly above 500 employees, this will be a burdensome undertaking.
The next issue to consider is the blatant government overreach inherent in this policy. California’s lawmakers love regulating business more than CNN’s Jim Acosta loves his reflection in the mirror. Stretching the state’s fingers into the minutiae of business operations for the sake of promoting an ideological agenda is par for the course for progressives in the Golden State.
The reality is that the government has no business imposing these types of measures and meddling in how a private enterprise chooses to conduct its operations. It is the type of authoritarianism that further establishes the state as the arbiter of progressive ideological morality, forcing companies to adhere to their skewed ideas on gender.
What is even more galling about this law is that it is completely unnecessary. Most stores that carry toys for children already include gender-neutral products. Not all toys are tailored to one sex or the other. If parents want these types of products, they don’t need the state to force companies to open up a whole new section to offer them. If the market demands it, which it does, companies will provide it.
The reality is that Gov. Gavin Newsom and his ilk aren’t doing this because it will foster inclusivity. This entire piece of legislation is nothing more than a virtue signal designed to endear California’s officials to the far left and establish their Marxist credentials. Imposing this additional regulation won’t do anything to help anyone, especially children. If anything, it could make these products even more expensive for the consumer. Does anyone need yet another reason to flee California?
