Republicans who run the Iowa Legislature may have finally found a line they won’t cross when it comes to denying rights to transgender Iowans.
On Wednesday, a subcommittee of the House Judiciary Committee declined to move ahead with a bill that would remove “gender identity” from the list of protected classes under the Iowa Civil Rights Code. The bill sought to add “gender dysphoria” to a list of disabilities accommodated by law.
If such a bill became law, it would be the first time in U.S. history that a state had deleted a protected class previously approved. Gender identity was added to the code in 2007. We’re relieved the bill was scrapped.
Basically, the bill’s sponsor, Rep. Jeff Shipley, argued that being transgender is a mental illness. Transitioning to another gender is the equivalent of children “playing make believe.” He also contended that transgender Iowans are the real bullies, silencing opponents of their civil rights protections.
Transgender Iowans and their family members testified the bill would lead to discrimination against many members of their community. That’s because not all transgender people suffer from gender dysphoria. Without that diagnosis they could be denied jobs, house and access to public accommodations.
Dysphoria often is worsened by a lack of acceptance and a wave of hostility often faced by transgender people. So the bill would actually make mental health problems worse.
“Haven’t you taken enough,” Hiawatha City Council member Aime Wichtendahl, who is transgender, asked the panel. “Do you need another pound of flesh for the culture war altar?
“Reject this abominable bill. Reject it now” Wichtendahl said.
The ACLU argued yanking gender identity out of the code could be a discriminatory act in the eyes of the federal courts. Others argued sending an unwelcoming signal to LGBTQ workers and young workers who value diversity.
A nonbinary high school student told the panel she is “terrified” of the bill’s consequences and would not stay in Iowa if it passes.
Two Republicans on the subcommittee declined to sign off on the bill, along with Rep. Sami Scheetz, D-Cedar Rapids. “We as a Legislature should not be taking civil rights in our state,” Scheetz said.
We agree. But on Thursday, Gov. Kim Reynolds filed yet another bill targeting transgender Iowans. This has to stop. Enough is enough.
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