Gender-neutral child products may soon be a requirement in large California department stores.
The California State Legislature passed a bill on Wednesday intended to replace classic pink and blue gender-based marketing with gender-neutral toys and childcare sections.
Assemblymember Evan Low, the author of the bill, believes that the division of children’s items stigmatizes children who may want to play with an item marketed for a specific gender.
The bill would not outlaw traditional boys and girls sections, but instead would require stores to maintain a gender-neutral section where a "reasonable selection of items and toys for children shall be displayed, regardless of whether they have been traditionally marketed for either girls or for boys."
Low specified that the bill will only be applied to large-scale retail stores with upwards of 500 employees and would not include children’s clothing.
The bill has been sent back to the Assembly for a procedural vote before it heads to Gov. Gavin Newsom’s desk. If passed, California will become the first state to require these neutral sections in stores.
Retail department stores that fail to comply with these provisions will face a civil penalty of no more than $250 for the first violation and $500 for subsequent violations.
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