Apple lobbies against Iowa's trans student athlete bill

Apple Inc. stands out as the sole private business that is lobbying against a Republican-backed Iowa bill that would ban transgender girls from competing in women's sports in school.

State of play: The company has remained relatively quiet about pushing against HF2416 — a bill that prohibits trans girls from participating in girl's K-12 or collegiate sports.

• Lobbyists for the company haven't returned Axios' multiple calls for comment and none of the tech giant's representatives spoke at subcommittee meetings.

Yes, but: Apple is sending a clear "no" message in its filings, joining a sea of lobbyists representing more social justice-oriented groups in opposition.

The big picture: It's not the first time Apple has taken a stance on transgender issues. The tech giant was among the 50 companies that signed a letter back in 2018 opposing any effort by the former Trump administration to roll back trans rights.

• Apple has also more recently signed a statement opposing anti-LGBTQ legislation in Iowa and across the country.

Flashback: Republican leaders, including Gov. Kim Reynolds, lobbied hard in 2017 to attract Apple to build a more than $1 billion data center in Iowa.

• Back then, Reynolds touted the company's planned facility, saying it "puts Iowa on the world stage."

What they're saying: If the trans athlete bill becomes law, it'll become more difficult for Iowa to attract a major company like Apple and their employees who are LGBTQ or care about the LGBTQ community, said Keenan Crow of One Iowa, an LGBTQ advocacy group.

Of note: The bill's floor manager, Republican Rep. Skyler Wheeler, didn't respond to a request for comment.

What's ahead: The bill, which passed the state House last month, must be approved by the Iowa Senate before it can be sent to the governor.