Assembly Bill 132, passed in 2021, provides funding to California Community Colleges to better support LGBTQ+ students on campus. The law directs the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office to distribute grants to participating colleges based on student population and equity needs, including support for smaller rural colleges.

Colleges that receive these funds must use them to provide services and programs that support LGBTQ+ students using established best practices. These services may include identity-affirming resources, student support programs, mental health services, educational programming, staff training, and efforts to create safer and more inclusive campus environments.

Cerritos in Action:  this bill is how the LGBTQ+ Program and the Equity Center came to be!  Explore our website for information about all the excellent programming and resources we provide.

Read Assembly Bill 132 & Senate Bill 132

Assembly Bill 620, also known as the Equity in Higher Education Act, strengthens protections and support for LGBTQ+ students, staff, and faculty in California’s public colleges and universities.

The law affirms that all students have the right to equal opportunities and protections regardless of sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression. It also expands the definition of gender to include gender identity and gender expression.

Under this law, California community colleges are encouraged to designate a campus employee as a point of contact for LGBTQ+ students and employees, and to make that information publicly available. The law also encourages colleges to adopt and publish policies addressing harassment, intimidation, and bullying to help create safer and more inclusive campus environments for LGBTQ+ communities.

Cerritos in Action:  Here at Cerritos College, we are dedicated to serving our LGBTQ+ students. You can find the LGBTQ+ Program in the Equity Center at the Santa Barbara Building.  Our team works on initiatives like strengthening the name change process, ensuring gender inclusive restrooms are available and clearly identified, providing allyship workshops, and so much more.

Read Assembly Bill 620

Assembly Bill 1955, also known as the SAFETY Act (Support Academic Futures and Educators for Today’s Youth Act), strengthens privacy protections and support for LGBTQ+ students in California schools.

The law affirms that students have the right to decide if, when, and how they share information about their sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression. It prohibits schools from requiring employees to disclose a student's LGBTQ+ identity to others, including parents or guardians, without the student's consent unless disclosure is otherwise required by law.

AB 1955 also expands resources available to families of LGBTQ+ students and protects educators and school employees from retaliation when they support students’ legal rights, privacy, safety, and inclusion. The law is intended to help create school environments where LGBTQ+ students feel safe, respected, and supported while maintaining control over their personal information.

Read Assembly Bill 1955

Assembly Bill 2315 requires California Community Colleges to provide a process that allows current students, staff, and faculty to use an affirmed name, affirmed gender, or both in college records whenever a legal name is not required by law.

The law was created to reduce "deadnaming"—the use of a person's former name after they have adopted an affirmed name—which can lead to unwanted disclosure of a person's transgender or nonbinary identity, as well as discrimination and other negative impacts.

Under this law, colleges must be able to update records such as campus email addresses, identification cards, class rosters, transcripts, diplomas, and certificates to reflect a person's affirmed name and/or gender. Colleges also cannot charge higher fees for updating or reissuing documents due to an affirmed name or gender change than they would for any other correction or reissue.

This law helps ensure that transgender, nonbinary, and gender-diverse students, staff, and faculty are recognized and respected in their educational environment.

Cerritos in Action:  Cerritos College is dedicated to remaining compliant and supporting students. Students and staff interested in updating Cerritos's records with a preferred name or pronouns can submit a Preferred Name Change Request. 

Read Assembly Bill 2315

Assembly Bill 1491 requires every California Community College campus to designate a confidential LGBTQIA+ liaison who serves as a trusted point of contact for LGBTQIA+ students, staff, and faculty.

The liaison can provide information, support, referrals, and assistance with campus resources while maintaining confidentiality to the extent allowed by law. This law helps ensure that LGBTQIA+ community members have access to a knowledgeable campus professional who can assist with concerns related to inclusion, discrimination, safety, belonging, and access to resources.

By creating confidential points of contact, SB 1491 strengthens privacy protections and expands support for LGBTQIA+ individuals across California’s public colleges and universities.

Cerritos in Action: Cerritos College designates a Confidential LGBTQIA+ Liaison through the LGBTQ+ Program. Students can connect with Antonio "Nio" Lavermon to receive support, referrals, advocacy, and information about campus and community resources in a confidential and affirming environment.

Read Assembly Bill 1491