Iowa Senate Votes to Remove Gender Identity Protections \ Newslooks \ Washington DC \ Mary Sidiqi \ Evening Edition \ The Iowa Senate approved a bill to remove gender identity protections from the state’s civil rights code, moving it to the House for final approval. The bill has sparked protests from LGBTQ+ advocates, who argue it will expose transgender individuals to discrimination. Supporters claim the change corrects past misinterpretations of gender in law, reinforcing restrictions on sports participation and bathroom access for transgender individuals.
Iowa Civil Rights Bill: Quick Looks
- Senate Approval: The Iowa Senate passed a bill removing gender identity protections from state law.
- Legislative Fast-Track: The bill advanced rapidly through the process despite strong opposition from LGBTQ+ groups.
- House Vote Expected: The House is set to approve the bill, sending it to Gov. Kim Reynolds.
- Civil Rights Impact: The bill would remove gender identity from Iowa’s list of protected classes.
- National Precedent: If signed, Iowa would be the first state to repeal existing gender identity protections.
- Protests & Opposition: Demonstrators gathered at the Capitol, chanting, “No hate in our state!”
- Supporters’ Arguments: Advocates claim the 2007 inclusion of gender identity in civil rights law was a mistake.
- Legal Definitions: The bill would explicitly define male and female based on biological sex at birth.
Deep Look
Iowa Senate Approves Bill Redefining Gender Protections
In a historic and controversial move, the Iowa Senate passed a bill Thursday that would remove gender identity from the state’s civil rights code. The measure now heads to the Iowa House for what is expected to be final approval before reaching Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds, who has supported similar legislative efforts in the past.
The bill has ignited fierce debate across the state, with LGBTQ+ advocates and civil rights groups arguing that stripping gender identity from Iowa’s anti-discrimination laws will leave transgender individuals vulnerable to discrimination in employment, housing, and public accommodations. Meanwhile, supporters of the measure argue that the 2007 decision to include gender identity protections was an overreach that blurred the legal definitions of male and female.
Legislation Moves Quickly Amid Protests
Despite intense opposition, the bill moved swiftly through the legislative process, passing the Senate just a week after being introduced. The rapid pace drew backlash from LGBTQ+ organizations, which held demonstrations at the Iowa Capitol throughout the week.
On Thursday, hundreds of protesters flooded the Capitol rotunda, waving rainbow flags and chanting “No hate in our state!” during a public hearing that lasted 90 minutes. Of the 167 people who signed up to testify before a House committee, 143 opposed the bill. Each time a speaker left the room, the sound of protesters from the rotunda filled the hearing chamber, leading to multiple pauses in the proceedings.
To prevent disruptions, state troopers established a buffer zone outside the hearing room, limiting movement in the hallways. Stephan Bayens, Commissioner of the Department of Public Safety, defended the decision, stating that it was necessary to allow the legislative process to proceed while still respecting the protesters’ First Amendment rights.
What the Bill Changes
Iowa’s current civil rights law, enacted in 1965, prohibits discrimination based on race, color, creed, sex, sexual orientation, religion, national origin, and disability status. Gender identity was added to the list of protected classes in 2007, when Democrats controlled the Legislature. The change was made with bipartisan support, including votes from about a dozen Republican lawmakers.
The new bill, however, seeks to undo that decision by:
- Removing gender identity from Iowa’s civil rights protections.
- Explicitly defining “male” and “female” based on biological sex at birth.
- Clarifying that “gender” is not interchangeable with gender identity, gender expression, or gender roles.
Proponents of the bill claim that recognizing gender identity in civil rights law has created confusion over access to gender-specific spaces such as bathrooms, locker rooms, and sports teams. They argue that the law should ensure that these spaces are protected for individuals based on their sex assigned at birth.
National and Legal Implications
If signed into law, Iowa would become the first state to explicitly remove gender identity from its civil rights code, setting a potential precedent for other Republican-led states considering similar measures.
Logan Casey, Director of Policy Research at the Movement Advancement Project, an LGBTQ+ policy think tank, called the bill “unprecedented” and warned that it could expose transgender individuals to increased discrimination.
Iowa’s move comes as part of a broader push by conservative lawmakers across the country to legally define sex and gender based on biological characteristics. Several Republican-led states are advancing bills that codify traditional definitions of male and female, following an executive order from former President Donald Trump that sought to establish similar policies at the federal level.
Georgia Lawmakers Back Away from Similar Change
Iowa’s bill stands in contrast to developments in Georgia, where lawmakers considered but ultimately abandoned an attempt to remove gender identity protections from the state’s hate crimes law.
The Georgia House initially proposed the change as part of a bill restricting transgender students’ participation in school sports. However, after pushback from Democrats, a House committee rewrote the bill to keep the word “gender” in the hate crimes law, preventing the removal of extra penalties for crimes targeting transgender individuals.
Unlike Georgia, Iowa lawmakers have remained firm in their push to redefine gender in state law.
Governor’s Decision Looms
Iowa Republicans have framed the bill as an effort to reinforce existing restrictions on transgender students’ participation in sports and access to bathrooms that align with their gender identity.
Gov. Kim Reynolds has previously signed laws banning transgender girls from competing in girls’ sports and limiting public bathroom access for transgender students. While she has not publicly stated whether she will sign this bill, she has been a strong advocate for similar policies in the past. A spokesperson for Reynolds declined to comment on her intentions.
Community Reactions: Passionate Voices on Both Sides
At the Capitol hearing, individuals on both sides of the debate spoke passionately about the bill’s potential impact.
V Fixmer-Oraiz, a transgender Iowan and county supervisor in Johnson County, warned that the legislation could increase discrimination. “Is it not the role of government to affirm rather than to deny law-abiding citizens their inalienable rights?” they asked. “The people of Iowa deserve better.”
On the other side, Shellie Flockhart of Dallas Center voiced her support for the measure, calling it a matter of protecting biological distinctions between men and women. “Identity does not change biology,” she said.
The Future of Gender Protections in the US
Currently, about half of US states explicitly include gender identity in their civil rights laws, ensuring protections in employment, housing, and public spaces. Others do not provide direct protections but have legal interpretations that extend existing anti-discrimination laws to include gender identity.
Iowa’s Supreme Court has ruled in the past that discrimination based on sex does not automatically extend to gender identity, a legal stance that aligns with the bill’s objective.
As debates over gender identity and civil rights continue to unfold across the nation, Iowa’s decision could serve as a test case for other conservative states looking to revise their civil rights laws.
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