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California court upends part of law to protect gay seniors

Scott Wiener
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SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Gay rights advocates say they will seek to challenge an appeals court decision tossing out part of a California law designed to protect older LGBTQ residents in nursing homes.

The 2017 law is intended to protect against discrimination or mistreatment based on residents’ sexual orientation or gender identity. The Third District Court of Appeal overturned the part of the law barring employees of long-term care facilities from willfully and repeatedly using anything other than residents’ preferred names and pronouns.

The court ruled Friday that the ban violates employees’ rights to free speech. Advocates said Monday they will push to overturn the decision.