Iowa could be first state to revoke transgender rights
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Illustration: Shoshana Gordon/Axios
Iowa could become the first state to revoke nondiscrimination protections for transgender people under fast-tracked legislation that state lawmakers could approve as early as Thursday.
Why it matters: The rollback of safeguards based on gender identity as it relates to a person's biological sex in employment, housing, education and public accommodations in Iowa could set a precedent and influence similar measures in other states.
State of play: Gender identity was added to Iowa's Civil Rights Act when state Democrats held legislative majorities in 2007.
- Republicans in the Iowa Senate and House this week advanced two bills to strip it, Senate File 418 and House File 583, saying it's necessary to align the state's civil rights act with recent Iowa laws restricting transgender people's participation in sports and access to certain facilities.
The latest: Hundreds of people have protested at the Capitol this week, contending that removing the protection legalizes discrimination and undermines the rights of transgender Iowans.
Zoom in: About half of U.S. states include gender identity in their civil rights codes to protect against discrimination in housing and public places, according to LGBTQ+ rights think tank Movement Advancement Project.
What they're saying: "Iowa has been a trailblazer in many things, but, if this passes, we'll unfortunately be the first in the nation for something that's very bad for vulnerable people," Pete McRoberts, policy director of the ACLU of Iowa, tells Axios.
What's next: The Iowa House plans to hold a public hearing Thursday at 9:30am.
- If the full Senate and House pass the legislation, it could be sent to the governor to be signed into law the same day.