Iowa bans transgender care for minors
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Iowa is among more than 20 states where legislators are trying to limit gender-affirming care for transgender people, according to data collected by the ACLU.
Why it matters: The wave of more than 100 pieces of legislation this year across the country highlights a broad effort driven by people and politics that reach far outside Iowa.
Driving the news: Gov. Kim Reynolds signed two bills late Wednesday:
- A ban on gender-affirming medical care for minors.
- Bathroom restrictions so that people in elementary schools can only use the facilities corresponding with their sex assigned at birth.
State of play: Leading medical associations such as the American Academy of Pediatrics have deemed gender-affirming procedures as medically necessary or potentially life-saving.
- Proponents of the legislation have characterized gender-affirming care as harmful or experimental medical procedures, Axios' Oriana González reports.
What's happening: Iowa Republican lawmakers have introduced dozens of anti-LGBTQ+ bills this year, according to legislative tracking conducted by civil rights advocacy group One Iowa Action.
- About half — many that are considered dead this legislative session — would restrict transgender rights, including a ban on drag performances in the presence of children
Zoom in: At least 12 of the bills tracked by One Iowa have already passed committees and survived so-called "funnel deadlines" that lawmakers use to winnow legislation, including:
- Bans on mentioning sexual orientation in elementary schools.
- Requiring parental consent prior to accommodating a student's identity requests.
The intrigue: The majority of Iowans support legislation to restrict LGBTQ+ topics in schools and ban gender-affirming care for minors, according to a recent Des Moines Register Iowa Poll.
The big picture: Leaked emails between anti-trans activists and a South Dakota state representative give a glimpse into the playbook for transgender health care bans, according to Mother Jones.
- Meanwhile, lawmakers in multiple other states are working on "trans refugee laws" that would allow out-of-state patients to seek care without threat of criminal prosecution, Elliot Imse, executive director of national advocacy group LGBTQ Victory Institute, tells Axios.
Go deeper: Axios Explains: Gender-affirming care in the U.S.