Large retailers in California will have to display toys and childcare goods in gender-neutral ways from 2024 in terms of a new state law.
California has become the first US state to legislate this requirement, according to the BBC. The law, which carries a $250 fine for a first violation, and $500 penalties for others, was signed by Governor Gavin Newsom at the weekend and will come into effect in 2024.
While it does not ban separate sections for boys and girls in shops, it compels large stores to also have a separate, gender-neutral section with a ‘a reasonable selection’ of toys and childcare items.
Clothing will not be affected, but the law will cover toys and any ‘childcare items’ intended to aid sleep, relaxation, feeding, teething or sucking.
The law says the intention is to help consumers spot ‘unjustified differences in similar products’ and tackle gender bias in children’s products.
One of the law’s co-authors, Democrat Evan Low, said in a statement: ‘The segregation of toys by a social construct of what is appropriate for which gender is the antithesis of modern thinking.’
The BBC reports that detractors have argued that it infringes on free speech, and business owners’ ability to adapt to the free market.
Image by Катерина Кучеренко from Pixabay