Musk says SpaceX, X moving HQs out of California over transgender law

Tech billionaire Elon Musk on Tuesday said he will move the headquarters for his aerospace company, SpaceX, and social media company, X, out of California, after Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) signed a bill banning school districts from requiring parents to be notified if their child decides to change their gender identity.

“This is the final straw. Because of this law and the many others that preceded it, attacking both families and companies, SpaceX will now move its HQ from Hawthorne, California, to Starbase, Texas,” Musk wrote on X Tuesday.

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“I did make it clear to Governor Newsom about a year ago that laws of this nature would force families and companies to leave California to protect their children,” the SpaceX CEO added.

He later said X, which he purchased in 2022, will move its headquarters from San Francisco to Austin, Texas.

“Have had enough of dodging gangs of violent drug addicts just to get in and out of the building,” Musk wrote.

The move comes one day after Newsom signed a bill into law that prevents school staff from “outing” a student to their parent or anyone else without their permission.

Supporters of the bill said it is a key protection for LGBTQ students as political rhetoric surrounding gender identity in schools has become increasingly tense.

The Hill reached out to Newsom’s office for comment.

Musk has faced criticism in the past for his personal posts related to the LBGTQ community, along with the content moderation changes he has made to X since purchasing the platform for $44 billion. Some civil rights groups have argued the changes have negatively impacted members of the LGBTQ community, making them more vulnerable to online harassment.

Earlier this year, X updated its abuse and harassment rules to revive regulations around content that misgenders or deadnames individuals.

The change came less than a year after X, under Musk’s leadership, revoked its ban on content that uses a transgender person’s name before they transitioned — known as a deadname — or purposefully used the wrong gender for someone.