Transgender bills would 'cripple' Christian colleges in California, says conservative law firm

Christian colleges in California may be forced to make themselves "transgender-friendly" should new bills being considered at the statehouse become law; otherwise, they may lose state and federal funding.

"The punitive laws would undermine federal protections that have long exempted religious colleges from adopting anti-discrimination laws that violate the tenets of their faith," said non-profit law firm Advocates for Faith and Freedom in a press release. "The consequences of these bills are so dire that one pro-family watchdog group has warned that their passage would usher in Armageddon for those seeking higher education from a biblical perspective."

Supporters of the bills point out that Christian colleges that have received exemption to Title IX -- a statute that prohibits discrimination in academic institutions -- are allowed to discriminate against students and staff based on gender despite receiving funds from the government. This, they deem, goes against California's efforts to protect transgenders. They are pushing to have bills AB 1888 and SB 1146 become law.

AB 1888 would have academic institutions receiving funds through the Cal Grant program prove that they are no longer seeking to receive religious exemption and that they do not discriminate against people based on their gender, gender identity or sexual orientation. This, according to proponents, ensures that no academic institution that discriminates against transgenders would receive California taxpayers' money. SB 1146, meanwhile, narrows down protections only to coursework that tackles religious education.

Should the bills become law, Christian colleges in California will have to abide by them lest they lose financial aid for their students. This means, among other things, that male students who claim their gender to be female should be allowed to room with females in a dormitory; otherwise, the college could be sued.

"It is clear that the agenda of California's progressive legislature, including the openly gay authors of these two bills, goes well beyond their original mantra of seeking equality," said the AFF. "Their sights are now firmly set on destroying and dismantling all faith-based entities that disagree with their lifestyle."