Chicago mother, Jeannette Cooper, is expressing her concerns about AB 957, a contentious bill in California that could hold parents liable for child abuse if they do not affirm their child’s gender identity during custody disputes. Cooper, who appeared on “The Ingraham Angle,” argued that disagreements about belief systems should not be equated with abuse. She emphasized that denying a child’s preferred pronouns is not the same as physical abuse or neglect, and that comparing the two undermines the experiences of children who are truly suffering.

Cooper shared her own personal story of losing custody of her 12-year-old daughter after she identified as male during a visit with her father. While Cooper accepted her daughter’s new name and pronouns, her belief that people cannot be born in the “wrong body” resulted in accusations of providing an unsafe environment, ultimately leading to the loss of her custodial rights.

AB 957, the disputed California bill, recently passed the State Assembly on May 3. This bill includes an amendment that makes it mandatory for parents to affirm their child’s gender identity in court as part of their parental responsibilities for safeguarding the child’s health, safety, and welfare.

The consequences of this legislation are significant, as parents who fail to adhere to this new standard may be deemed guilty of child abuse, potentially resulting in their children being removed from their homes. State Representative Lori Wilson, a Democrat and one of the bill’s authors, defended it by arguing that affirming a child’s gender identity is in the child’s best interest and protects transgender and gender nonconforming children from non-affirming or abusive caretakers.

Cooper, however, believes that the prevailing far-left gender ideology is influencing young children without providing them with healthy boundaries. As the debate over the bill and its implications continues, a State Senate hearing on AB 957 is scheduled for Tuesday.