Protect Children from Grooming in Schools – Oppose AB-727

Subject: Oppose AB-727: Protect Student Safety and Parental Rights from Unregulated Online Access

My name is [Full Name], and I am writing to express my strong opposition to AB-727. This bill would require all California public schools to print The Trevor Project’s contact information on student ID cards, granting school-endorsed access to a third-party platform that lacks parental oversight, age safeguards, and basic accountability. While the intent to support LGBTQ+ youth may be well-meaning, this bill promotes access to an unregulated online space where minors as young as 13 can privately interact with users up to age 24, without age verification. The Trevor Project’s platform includes group chats and private messaging that parents are not informed about, and the site encourages secrecy with features like a “quick exit” button to hide activity from adults. Especially troubling is the content found in many of these chat rooms. Users may encounter discussions and groups that are not age-appropriate, including highly sexual content, the "furry" subculture, and spaces that encourage youth to cut off contact with their families. These messages can be destabilizing for vulnerable youth already facing challenges with identity, mental health, or family life. California already requires the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline to be included on student ID cards. That service is professionally staffed, broadly accessible, and appropriate for all youth, including LGBTQ+ students. If more targeted support is needed, it should be developed within that framework – not through anonymous third-party platforms lacking proper safeguards. AB-727 reflects a broader pattern of state policies enabling minors to make major life decisions without family involvement. Promoting outside influence while hiding it from parents is not protection – it’s alienation, and it puts children at risk. Parents are not the enemy. Schools should not serve as gateways to unsupervised platforms exposing youth to adult content and ideologies that discourage family connection. Please vote NO on AB-727 and support safe, transparent, and family-inclusive mental health support. Sincerely,