Iowa's Republican governor signed a law on Friday that eliminates state civil rights protections for transgender individuals, marking the first instance of a state removing such comprehensive protections. L.G.B.T.Q. rights advocates have condemned the move.
Governor Kim Reynolds, who has previously enacted laws limiting gender-transition treatments for minors and regulating sports participation for transgender women, stated in a video that the existing Civil Rights Code “blurred the biological line between the sexes.”
The Republican-backed legislation passed both chambers of the Iowa legislature with substantial support, despite protests at the State Capitol and warnings from Democratic lawmakers about potential discrimination and harassment resulting from the measure.
State Representative Beth Wessel-Kroeschell, a Democrat, criticized the bill during a debate, claiming it establishes a "caste system" that denies Iowa's transgender citizens equal rights.
The Iowa law comes amid broader national efforts by the Trump administration to limit recognition of transgender identities, including attempts to withdraw funding for gender-transition treatments for minors and restrict transgender individuals' participation in military and sports.
This new law defines sex based on a person's anatomy at birth and removes gender identity from the list of protected categories against discrimination in employment, housing, and public accommodations. However, protections for gay and lesbian individuals, established 18 years ago, remain intact.
In her remarks, Governor Reynolds asserted that the law ensures respect and dignity for all Iowans and is essential for protecting the rights of women and girls, emphasizing the need to acknowledge biological differences.
At the federal level, the Supreme Court previously ruled that the Civil Rights Act of 1964 protects gay and transgender individuals from workplace discrimination, but efforts to expand these protections have not succeeded in Congress.
More than 20 states, primarily led by Democrats, maintain explicit employment discrimination protections for transgender individuals, according to the Movement Advancement Project.
Iowa had established civil rights protections for transgender individuals in 2007, during a time when Democrats held significant power in the state government. Governor Chet Culver, who signed the protections, emphasized Iowa's commitment to inclusivity.
In recent elections, Iowa has shifted politically, with Republicans gaining substantial majorities in state legislature and winning presidential elections by significant margins since 2016.
Governor Reynolds and the Republican legislature have pursued a conservative agenda, enacting laws on issues such as abortion and educational content. Meanwhile, Democrats have faced challenges in countering these measures.
State Representative Aime Wichtendahl, a transgender Democrat, expressed her concerns about the bill's impact on the lives of transgender individuals, emphasizing that it threatens their rights to employment, housing, and credit.
Supporters of the bill, including State Senator Jason Schultz, argued that retaining protections for gender identity could expose other related laws to legal challenges.