Iowa lawmakers are the first in the nation to pass legislation removing gender identity protections from the state’s civil rights code on Thursday as hundreds of LGBTQ+ activists protested in the Capitol rotunda in opposition to the unprecedented measure.
Senate File 583, to remove gender identity as a protected class was introduced last week and expedited through the legislative process. The Iowa senate approved the bill on party lines, and an hour later, the House approved the measure.
Five House Republicans joined Democrats in voting against it.
Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds will likely sign the legislation, which would go into effect on July 1.
Under the legislation, gender identity is no longer a protected class from the state’s civil rights laws while “male” and “female” are explicitly defined and gender “shall not be considered a synonym or shorthand expression for gender identity, experienced gender, gender expression, or gender role.”
If enacted, the new law would mark the first legislative action in the US to rescind nondiscrimination protections based on gender identity.
LGBTQ+ advocates stormed into the Capitol building in a protest that Democrat lawmakers would consider an “insurrection” if organized by Trump supporters.
“No hate in our state!” the trans activists chanted, waving rainbow flags while surrounded by police and state troopers around the rotunda.
TRANSGENDER INSURRECTION AT IOWA STATE CAPITOL.pic.twitter.com/hS9GAUPQRJ
— Citizen Free Press (@CitizenFreePres) February 27, 2025
As The Guardian reports:
Of the 167 people who signed up to testify at the public hearing before a house committee, all but 24 were opposed to the bill. Each time a person who had spoken opened the hearing room door to leave, the roar of protesters outside filled the room, forcing repeated pauses.
To avoid delays, state troopers blocked off the hallway outside the room, creating a “natural buffer”, said the department of public safety commissioner, Stephan Bayens. The move was intended to allow the public hearing to proceed while also protecting first amendment rights to demonstrate, Bayens said.
Iowa currently protects against discrimination based on race, color, creed, gender identity, sex, sexual orientation, religion, national origin or disability status under the state’s current civil rights laws. Gender identity was added to the civil rights code in 2007 under Democrat control of the legislature.
