SAN DIEGO — California’s Assembly passed a series of new laws that are taking effect in 2024. One of those new laws pertains to gendered displays in toy aisles.
Assembly Bill 1084 - Gender Neutral Toy Aisles
Under AB 1084, major retailers or companies with 500 or more employees, would be required to have a gender-neutral display for childcare items in their store and clearly labeled as such.
Retailers would need to provide a reasonable selection of toys for children regardless of whether they would have been traditionally marketed to boys or girls.
In Section 1, Part 2.57, subsection (a) of the bill's text it states, "Unjustified differences in similar products that are traditionally marketed either for girls or for boys can be more easily identified by the consumer if similar items are displayed closer to one another in one, undivided area of the retail sales floor."
What it means and where it applies
This law would only apply to retailers that are physically located and operate inside the state of California.
Companies that fail to maintain a gender-neutral toy aisle would face a civil penalty of $250 for the first time and $500 for each subsequent penalty.
The new law goes into effect on January 1, 2024.
What are the critics saying?
Some critics have noted there is very little in terms of actual enforcement of this new law and that it applies only to large companies. While the law states that a gender neutral toy aisle must exist and clearly be labeled, the exact amount of space required is still undetermined.
