California Governor Jerry Brown today signed into law a bill that will provide unprecedented protections for transgender students in the Golden State, the San Jose Mercury News reports:

California on Monday
became the first state to enshrine certain rights for transgender K-12
students in state law, requiring public schools to allow those students
access to whichever restroom and locker room they want.

Democratic
Gov. Jerry Brown announced that he had signed AB1266, which also will
allow transgender students to choose whether they want to play boys' or
girls' sports. The new law gives students the right "to participate in
sex-segregated programs, activities and facilities" based on their
self-perception and regardless of their birth gender.

Supporters
said it will help reduce bullying and discrimination against transgender
students. It comes as the families of transgender students have been
waging local battles with school districts across the country over what
restrooms and locker rooms their children can use, disagreements that
have sometimes landed in court.

Prior to signing the bill, Governor Brown received a petition from transgender high school student Ashton Leigh who had garnered 6,000 signatures in support of the proposed legislation. The bill, named the School Success and Opportunity Act, was introduced by assembly member Tom Ammiano and coauthored by Senator Mark Leno and Senator Ricardo Lara. Carlos Alcala, a spokesman for Ammiano, commented that the bill will help transgendered students have a more normal life during their high school tenure:

"They're not interested in going into bathrooms and flaunting their physiology…Clearly, there are some
parents who are not going to like it. We are hopeful
school districts will work with them so no students are put in an
uncomfortable position."

Wilson Cruz, GLAAD's national spokesman, praised the bill's passing:

"Well done California for passing a law that protects transgender
students from discrimination in their own schools and affirms their
identities. This is
another step to ensuring that transgender
students have the same opportunities at learning and school involvement
as all other students."

This comes as the second victory for transgender students in California within the last month. At the end of July, the Departments of Education and Justice found that transgendered students were protected under Title IX and Title VII. The DOJ and DOE's findings were related to a discrimination complaint brought against Arcadia Unified School District in California.