Newsom Signs Bill Linking Students to Trevor Project’s Unsafe Online Chatrooms

Governor Gavin Newsom marked World Mental Health Day by signing AB 727, a bill requiring that public school student ID cards, grades 7-12 and college, in California display the contact information for The Trevor Project, a suicide prevention organization that specifically targets LGBTQ-identified youth. In his statement, the governor praised the bill, claiming that it would ensure “these students don’t just have support in theory – they have it in hand, every day.”

“Every student deserves to feel safe, supported, and seen for who they are,” Newsom said. “While some in Washington turn their backs on LGBTQ youth, California is choosing compassion over cruelty. AB 727 makes it clear: your identity doesn’t disqualify you from care and community – it’s exactly why we are fighting to make it easier to reach.”

Yet behind this language of compassion lies deep concern for what this legislation actually does. California Family Council (CFC) and a growing number of law enforcement and education leaders warn that AB 727 will vulnerable children, many already struggling with identity, isolation, or trauma, into an online network rife with predatory risks and harmful anti-biblical messaging.

TrevorSpace: A Digital Doorway for Predators

At the center of the controversy is TrevorSpace, The Trevor Project’s global online “safe space,” which place the organization’s counselors troubled teen for peer support as part of its suicide prevention program. TrevorSpace describes itself as a:

“a welcoming online social community for LGBTQ+ young people between the ages of 13-24 years old. With over 400,000 members across the globe, you can find support groups and make friends in a moderated online safe space intentionally designed for you.”

Despite this description, multiple investigations, including those cited by law enforcement and school officials, reveal that anyone can create an account, set their age, and directly message minors. There is no reliable age verification, and moderation is limited. For groups of young people searching for belonging, TrevorSpace’s “global community” has become what one legal expert called  “a groomer’s paradise.”

Brenda Lebsack, a trustee for the Santa Ana Unified School District who testified against AB 727, said she was “shocked that the governor signed to have Trevor Project on the back of every ID card.”

“I saw with my own eyes that Trevor Project is putting kids in harm’s way through TrevorSpace by connecting minors with unfettered random adults on an international virtual platform to explore their genders and sexualities, and this is dangerous for our most vulnerable kids who identify as LGBTQ,” Lebsack said.

Lebsack described how she tested the system herself by pretending to be a 13-year-old child seeking help: “I gained access instantly, which showed me there was no age verification for random adults to access minors.” She reported encountering groups such as “the Gay Men’s Club – Let’s Talk about Boys,” “Guilt and Secrets Club,” “The Witchcraft Club,” “Furries Club,” and others — all accessible on school Chromebooks.

Law Enforcement and Educators Sound the Alarm

Kevin Brown, a retired police officer and founder of Lives Worth Saving (an anti-human trafficking organization), testified before the Senate Education Committee and wrote lawmakers urging opposition to AB 727.

As a law enforcement officer and advocate for trafficking victims, “I understand the strategies used by child predators and traffickers to lure their victims,” Brown wrote. “Because TrevorSpace readily admits it does not constantly monitor the site, and there are people of all ages online, the opportunity for a child to be manipulated by a predator is an exponential threat.”

Brown personally tested the site, posing as a 15-year-old boy. “Within minutes, I was able to connect with several others via a ‘club’ that is actually a chat room,” he wrote. “One person wanted to take our chat from TrevorSpace and move it to Discord, another social media site I’m familiar with. In an undercover capacity, I have made contact with people on Discord who sell and distribute  Child Sexual Abuse Materials (CSAM).”

After the bill’s signing, Brown lamented:

“In the same way Satan thought he had won when Jesus was crucified, these government officials believe they have won by exposing children in crisis to a hotline that will give them the exact opposite of what they really need. But on the third day, satan recognized it was his own defeat that had taken place. In the same way, the minds of these officials are about to be opened to the TRUTH of what they have been doing and it will lead to their own defeat.”

The Riverside County Sheriff’s Office joined the chorus of opposition. Sheriff Chad Bianco’s letter warned that TrevorSpace “operates with the same architecture as many commercial youth social media networks, complete with public posts, open commenting, and default-enabled direct messaging (DMS). These functions, combined with no real age verification, create an environment that is vulnerable to exploitation.”

He noted that a member of his department “in his 40s was able to register on TREVORspace simply by posing as a 13-year-old,” then immediately access private chats with other users. “By referencing or indirectly legitimizing TrevorSpace as a mental health support system, AB 727 opens a statutory backdoor to allow unvetted digital access to minors, without parental notification or oversight,” Bianco concluded.

The Orange County Department of Education and Orange County Board of Education also urged Governor Newsom to veto the bill. In their letter, they wrote, “While we appreciate the intent of the measure, AB 727 will create significant and harmful unintended consequences for California’s already vulnerable LGBTQ+ student population.”

They encouraged Newsom to check out the Trevor Project’s online community. “We invite your office to peruse TrevorSpace. We understand threats of dark thoughts and ideations, but respectfully submit that subjecting students to exploitation and trafficking while at their most vulnerable is a greater threat.”

CFC: Compassion Must Never Compromise Truth

California Family Council Vice President Greg Burt said AB 727 demonstrates how misguided compassion can put children in danger.

“True compassion never exposes children to harm,” Burt said. “Our government is telling hurting kids that their feelings define reality, while sending them into online spaces where predators are waiting. These young people don’t need adults to affirm their confusion. They need adults who will protect them, point them to truth, and remind them that their lives are precious because they are made in the image of God.”

Burt continued, “Parents, pastors, and policymakers must stand together to defend children from systems that exploit their pain for ideological purposes. California is not showing love by approving AB 727. It is abandoning its duty to safeguard its most vulnerable.”

A Call to Protect Life, Family, and Liberty

Scripture teaches that “the thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy” (John 10:10), but Christ came that we “may have life, and have it abundantly.” Every child deserves that abundant life, free from exploitation, confusion, and fear.

AB 727’s defenders may claim compassion, but real compassion aligns with truth. Children struggling with identity or despair need families, churches, and communities that will walk with them toward healing, not direct lines to unverified online strangers or ideologically driven counselors.

California Family Council urges parents, school leaders, and church members to:

• Educate others about the dangers of AB 727 and TrevorSpace.
• Demand accountability from legislators who supported the bill. See their votes here.
• Pray and advocate for Christ-centered ministries that speak life and truth to youth in crisis.

In a culture increasingly confused about what it means to love children, the church must remember that love “does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth” (1 Corinthians 13:6).