California has many problems facing its residents, including earthquakes, wildfires, and housing crises. People are dealing with heightened crime rates in cities like Los Angeles and San Francisco. Homelessness has become a near-epidemic in the Golden State.

So, Californians should be comforted to know that Attorney General Rob Bonta is focused on making sure stores that sell children’s products are including gender-neutral sections for their customers.

Bonta’s office issued a press release on Tuesday aimed at informing residents on how to avoid shopping scams and other problems they might face as they swarm retail stores for the Christmas season. However, in one section, the press release urges residents to snitch on retailers that fail to comply with a new state law requiring them to provide gender-neutral sections for toys and childcare products in accordance with Assembly Bill 1084.

Holy authoritarianism, Batman!

The law, signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom and his hair gel in 2021, applies to retail department stores with 500 or more employees. These businesses must create a gender-neutral area where toys and childcare items marketed to boys or girls must be displayed together.

Companies that fail to comply could face fines of up to $250 for the first violation and $500 for subsequent violations, so these companies better make sure Barbie isn’t too far from the Transformers.

"By requiring large retailers to maintain a gender-neutral section, AB 1084 makes it more difficult for these retailers to engage in gender-based pricing discrimination and reduces the imposition of gender stereotypes on children,” the press release reads.

If you do not see an adequate gender-neutral product section in a large retail department store in California that you believe is covered by this law, you may take pictures, document, and file a complaint with our office at oag.ca.gov/report.

In other words, Rob Bonta’s hotline must be the only one where you call in to snitch on someone for segregating toy dinosaurs from Barbie dolls. Truly, the hard-hitting crime of our times."

Those who support this ridiculous law claim it will address systemic gender discrimination in marketing and pricing. It would also challenge stereotypes and somehow promote equality.

It’s already horrible enough that California’s legislators took time, energy, and taxpayer dollars to pass such a stupid piece of legislation. But now, Bonta is using tactics resembling those of the Soviet Union to ensure that retailers do not place boys’ products too far from girls’ products because of gender equality or some such nonsense.

This isn’t the first time the Golden State’s government has encouraged this type of Karen-like behavior. Back in 2023, they set up a hotline for people who wanted to report “hateful activity” on the part of businesses and individuals.

Next thing you know, California’s government is going to start deputizing volunteers, giving them “gender-neutral police badges” so they can start patrolling aisle layouts themselves.

At first glance, this just sounds like another example of progressive silliness. But there is something far more sinister at play here. Not only is California’s government becoming more authoritarian, but it is also enlisting the help of residents to help them exert more power over businesses and people.

Unfortunately, there are likely plenty of eager residents who will gladly turn in businesses that do not adequately comply with this law. It is enough to make one wonder: How much further will California’s government go to exercise more control over commerce?