In a pivotal decision, Iowa House members vote against advancing House File 2082, a bill seeking to eliminate the Iowa gender identity bill as a protected class under the Iowa Civil Rights Act and designate “gender dysphoria” as a disability, according to the report of Iowa Capital Dispatch. Advocates and opponents passionately debated the proposal, with chants of “trans rights are human rights” resonating during the session.
Iowa Gender Identity Bill Removed From Civil Rights Law Classifying Gender Dysphoria As Disability (Photo from Iowa Capital Dispatch)
Backlash Against Iowa Gender Identity Bill Removal
As members deliberated, LGBTQ advocates and citizens voiced concerns over potential discrimination, emphasizing the importance of safeguarding transgender individuals’ rights. The Iowa gender bill’s rejection marks a significant victory for those advocating for continued protection of “gender identity” under the Iowa Civil Rights Act.
Lawmaker Aime Wichtendahl criticized the proposal, emphasizing the human rights aspect and urging against making Iowa the first state to strip civil rights protections from a specific group of citizens.
Transgender Iowans shared personal experiences of discrimination, underlining the necessity for protections under the law and challenging the bill’s premise.
Legal and Ethical Concerns About Iowa Gender Identity Bill
Legal experts, including Pete McRoberts from the ACLU of Iowa, raised concerns about the proposal’s potential violation of the Equal Protection Clause, citing precedents like the 1996 U.S. Supreme Court decision in Romer v. Evans.
Republican representatives Charley Thomson and John Wills, who voted against the bill, expressed reservations about its implications, highlighting potential legal challenges and emphasizing the need to address concerns within Iowa’s civil rights law.
