California to enforce 'gender neutral' toy aisles in large stores | Hacker News Reader

California to enforce 'gender neutral' toy aisles in large stores

bbc.com

10 pointsmhb14 comments

Why don't the insignificant fraction of consumers who have this preference agitate directly with retailers, indirectly via media pressure campaigns, or (God forbid) build their own retail boutique stores?

Because this is a woke smokescreen, whose ultimate purpose is to politically capture control more hearts and minds and ultimately to stigmatize and ostracize the non-compliant.

Well intentioned, but I feel government should probably spend more energy on more consequential issues.

The private sector is perfectly capable of sorting this issue out on its own based on consumer demand.

>It will apply to retailers with 500 or more employees across their California stores.

I'm trying to think of what stores it would even apply to other than Wal-mart or Target? What other large chain stores even sell toys?

It does seem extremely performative either way. I wonder if those stores will change their aisle design for toys or just get rid of the toys completely, if they are worried they could be sued if they do it wrong.

It's mostly inconsequential. Small fines per offense, and the only requirement is a "reasonable selection" of toys in a non gender-specific aisle. I'm guessing most retailers already comply since many toys are inherently gender neutral.

Just woke virtue signaling, not super important.

> I feel government should probably spend more energy on more consequential issues

Feel away, but this is about formative behavior (play!) by children. There will be consequences. Even if we cannot forecast them now.

> The private sector is perfectly capable of sorting this issue out on its own based on consumer demand.

The private sector seeks profit. Government is not supposed to seek profit, but communal well-being. The issue is not "what is the most profitable way to arrange gender-play."

I'm a pretty liberal guy, but this smacks of government over-reach. The market can sort this out on its own.

A solution in search of a problem.

So, which toys are not gender neutral?

You'd be amazed at the way people think about this. A reasoned answer would be "any that specifically require the use of genitals" but that's not how it plays out. I have friends whose family (sisters and cousins and parents) got offended that they bought their son a play kitchen because that's a "girl toy," even though he wanted it. Girls playing with swords and trucks are "cool chicks" but boys playing with dolls and animals are looked at weird. My anecdata shows that if you let kids pick instead of pointing them in a direction, all toys are gender neutral.

I'm inclined to think similarly. I think in a legal sense a non neutrally marketed toy would be something with a prominent "ONLY FOR BOYS" etc label on the packaging.

> categorising toys by gender had "led to the proliferation of science, technology, engineering and mathematics-geared toys" in boys sections

If that's what toy guns are, I'm suddenly much less anti-gun!

I know someone who was determined that her boys would never have toy guns -- only creative toys like LEGO and modeling clay.

They used the LEGO and clay to make guns.

This is from 2021.

If you read the article you'd see that the law was passed in 2021 but only took effect in 2024 (5 days ago).

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