California Governor Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, on Friday signed a bill that ends discrimination against LGBT people on the state's sex offender registry.

Since 1944, California has treated same-sex sex offenses harsher than heterosexual ones. The law currently treats penile-vaginal intercourse less harshly than oral sex or anal intercourse.

A judge has the discretion on whether to place an adult who has voluntary vaginal intercourse with a minor over 14 (the adult may be up to 10 years older) on the sex offender registry based on the facts in the case.

However, when the offense is oral or anal intercourse, the adult must be placed on the sex offender registry. Far-right conspiracy theorists have falsely claimed that the legislation legalizes pedophilia in California.

“Why are Joe Biden Democrats working in California to pander to the wishes of pedophiles and child rapists?” tweeted Donald Trump Jr.

Out Senator Scott Wiener, a Democrat from San Francisco, sponsored Senate Bill 145. He told the Los Angles Times that he's received hundreds of death threats over the bill.

“It’s appalling that in 2020, California continues to discriminate against LGBTQ people, by mandating that LGBTQ young people be placed on the sex offender registry in situations where straight people aren’t required to be placed on the registry,” Wiener said in a statement. “SB 145 simply ends that discrimination by treating LGBTQ young people the exact same way that straight young people have been treated since 1944.”

“I am so grateful that Governor Newsom – one of the LGBTQ community’s strongest allies ever – once again has shown that he gets it and that he’s willing to support our community even when it’s hard. And the politics here are hard, with the massive Trump/QAnon/MAGA misinformation campaign against the legislation. The facts are clear: SB 145 simply ends anti-LGBTQ discrimination. Today, California took yet another step toward an equitable society,” he said.

The legislation was co-sponsored by Equality California, the state's largest LGBT rights advocate.

“Thanks to Governor Newsom and Senator Wiener, California is one step closer to living up to our shared values of fairness, equality and justice for all,” said Equality California Director Rick Chavez Zbur.