A bill has been introduced in the Iowa House which would rewrite the state's civil rights law to exclude transgender people from some of the protections that were granted in public accommodations, education, and housing.
What the bill just says is that schools and businesses are allowed to take action to protect women and girls by preserving access (to toilet facilities and locker rooms) based on biological sex.
--Rep. Sandy Salmon (R-Janesville), sponsor of the bill
The legislation is supported by a dozen House Republicans as well as Christian conservative organization The Family Leader. But a key committee chairman said the issue is unlikely to survive a looming legislative deadline.
We’ve got several hundred bills assigned to Judiciary, and we’re going to be looking at all of them.
At this point, I don’t see that (bill) being in the top tier.
--Zach Nunn (R-Bonsurant), Judiciary Committee Chair
The gender identity protection in the Civil Rights Act has been included for more than a decade. Has there been a problem of people harassing women in the bathrooms since then? No. This is simply a tactic of the extreme right who will use any excuse they can to harass and intimidate us out of public life.
--Aime Wichtendahl, transgender member of Hiawatha City Council
The argument that this type of bill protects women and girls from sexual violence is a “fallacy,”
The scenarios that some legislators have suggested perpetuate dangerous stereotypes of strangers hiding in bathrooms or jumping out of bushes, rather than addressing the underlying issue of sexual assault head-on.
Legislation like House File 2164 does nothing to make survivors (of sexual violence) safer.
--Kerri True-Funk, Iowa Coalition Against Sexual Assault
Nate Monson, executive director of Iowa Safe Schools, an advocacy group for LGBTQ youth, said he was “completely disheartened” lawmakers would introduce a bill that would so greatly effect such a small population.
What this comes down to is the far right has lost on marriage equality and on other civil rights and they are looking for ways to attack the LGBTQ community. This bill is just meant to hurt, not to help Iowa’s kids, so we are going to find ways to fight this bill and support LGBTQ youth and others across the spectrum.
--Monson