California Attorney General Rob Bonta has joined a coalition of 19 attorneys general in filing an amicus brief supporting transgender students in their lawsuit challenging an Idaho law that prohibits them from using school bathrooms consistent with their gender identity.
The amicus brief, filed Aug. 5 in the U.S. District Court for the District of Idaho, argues that Idaho's House Bill 264 is unconstitutional and disregards what the coalition says are the demonstrable benefits of inclusive laws and policies.
The law bans transgender people from using restrooms and other sex-separated facilities consistent with their gender identity at certain locations, including public educational institutions such as Idaho's public universities and community colleges.
Two transgender college students sued Idaho in July 2025, alleging the law violates the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment and federal civil rights protections under Title VII and Title IX. They also asked the court to block enforcement of the law while the lawsuit proceeds.
"Idaho's law is an unconstitutional threat to the safety and privacy of transgender and gender-conforming students," Bonta said. "No one should feel uncomfortable or be afraid to use a public restroom because of their gender identity. Inclusive policies like those in California have been demonstrated to help protect transgender individuals from physical and mental harms without diminishing the rights of any other students."
The amicus brief argues the Idaho law violates the Equal Protection Clause of the U.S. Constitution by stigmatizing transgender students and denying them access to common school facilities based on their gender identity. It also argues that inclusive laws and policies, such as those in California, protect transgender people without compromising the privacy and safety of others.
Since 2014, California public schools have been required to allow students to use single-sex facilities consistent with their gender identity.
Assemblymember Chris Ward, chair of the California Legislative LGBTQ Caucus, praised Bonta's decision to join the coalition's efforts.
"I applaud Attorney General Bonta for standing up against this harmful law and reaffirming that every student deserves dignity, equal protection and a safe learning environment," Ward said. "For more than a decade, California has shown that protecting transgender students also protects the privacy, safety and dignity of all students. As LGBTQ+ youth face growing attacks across the country, California will continue to defend their right to learn, thrive and be their authentic selves."
The California Family Council, a nonprofit advocacy group that says it promotes God's design for life, family and liberty through churches, government and culture in California, criticized the filing.
"This is not a civil rights issue. It is really a philosophical debate about what it means to be human, and civil rights language is just a debate tactic. Are human beings male and female as determined by biology, or are there an unlimited number of genders, determined by how a person feels? That's the question Idaho's voters, through their own legislature, have the right to answer for themselves. Nineteen attorneys general from more liberal states don't get to answer it for them," Greg Burt, vice president of the California Family Council, said. "Both sexes want privacy from each other in shared spaces. That's not bigotry. That's basic human dignity, and Idaho's legislature has every right to protect it."
The coalition includes the attorneys general of California, Washington, New York, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia and the District of Columbia.
This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Why California backs lawsuit over Idaho transgender bathroom ban