Iowa has become the first state to remove civil rights protections for transgender people. Gov. Kim Reynolds signed the bill Friday, just a week after it was introduced in the state Legislature. The law takes effect in July and is already facing pushback.

Iowa City

Iowa has become the first U.S. state to remove civil rights protections for transgender individuals. Governor Kim Reynolds signed the controversial bill into law shortly after it was introduced, and it is set to take effect in several weeks. The legislation eliminates gender identity from the state's civil rights provisions, which, until now, had been in place since 2007.

The enactment of this law has sparked considerable debate and protest. Hundreds of demonstrators gathered at the Iowa State Capitol to voice their opposition. Representative Amy Wichtendall, Iowa's first openly transgender lawmaker, expressed concerns that this decision is the beginning of a broader trend to remove rights from specific groups. Meanwhile, Governor Reynolds stated the bill aims to address biological differences and strengthen protections for women and girls.

Advocacy groups like One Iowa have criticized the decision, highlighting that it ends nearly two decades of legal safeguards for transgender people in the state. Max Moitz, executive director of the group, attributed this legislative move to a growing national climate of transphobia and hostility towards the LGBTQ community. The response to the bill, both in Iowa and potentially beyond, continues to evolve as the law's implementation date approaches.



Iowa removes civil rights protections for transgender people

THE UNPRECEDENTED ACT SPARKED OUTRAGE. AS LAWMAKERS DEBATED, HUNDREDS OF DEMONSTRATORS GATHERED IN THE ROTUNDA OF THE IOWA STATE CAPITOL TO PROTEST THE LAW WHICH ELIMINATES CIVIL RIGHTS PROTECTIONS BASED ON GENDER IDENTITY. I feel it's mean, I feel it's hateful. REPRESENTATIVE AMY WICHTENDALL, THE STATE LEGISLATURE'S FIRST OPENLY TRANSGENDER MEMBER, ARGUED THIS IS JUST THE START. Vote this bill down today because this is not the end. Those think tanks will ask you again and again and again to remove rights and freedoms from your fellow Iowans until none remain. REPUBLICAN LAWMAKERS FAST-TRACKED THE BILL AND GOVERNOR KIM REYNOLDS SIGNED IT INTO LAW YESTERDAY. It's common sense to acknowledge the obvious biological differences between men and women. It defines sex based on a person's anatomy at birth, and it removes gender identity from the state's civil rights law, which protected specific groups from discrimination. Gender identity was added alongside sexual orientation back in 2007. Before I signed this bill, the civil rights code blurred the biological line between the sexes. What this bill does accomplish is to strengthen protections for women and girls. MAX MOITZ IS THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE ADVOCACY GROUP ONE IOWA. MOITZ SAYS THE MOVE ENDS NEARLY TWO DECADES OF STATE LAW PROTECTIONS FOR TRANSGENDER IOWANS LIKE HIMSELF. Why is this happening now? I can't understand what the timing would be other than a large widespread national trend towards transphobia and hostility towards the LGBTQ community. It's more acceptable to single us out and harm us. Are you worried about real harm? Absolutely. I know that this will just move the needle further. Are we going to continue to see really horrible legislation because this is the new norm? FOR CBS SATURDAY MORNING, LANA ZACK, IOWA CITY, IOWA.

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