State Rep. Charley Thomson (R-Charles City) speaks across the chambers to State Rep. Brian Meyer (D-Des Moines).
(Des Moines, IA) -- Proposed changes to the Iowa Civil Rights Act are headed to Governor Kim Reynolds' desk. House File 583 was introduced at the State Capitol a week ago, and swiftly moved through the legislative process. The legislation would remove the term "Gender Identity" from the code and replace it with "Gender Theory." If signed into law, Iowa would be the first state to remove a protected class from its civil rights code.
The House version of the bill was floor managed by State Rep. Steven Holt (R-Denison).
"The legislature of Iowa created the Civil Rights code and we believe it is absolutely in our authority to change it," Holt says. "Obvious in our authority to add classes to the Civil Rights code is our authority to alter that same code."
Opponents of the bill argue the bill is about discrimination. That includes Aime Wichtendahl (D-Hiawatha) who is the first transgender legislator in state history.
"It pains me to see how the rights of an entire group of people can be so quickly and easily discarded," Wichtendahl says. "It pains me to hear the slander, the stereotypes and the fear leveled at the trans community. My community. My friends. My family and my people."
Those who support the bill, like Rep. Holt, say it's not about discriminating against transgender people but rather about protections of women's rights.
"Every Iowan deserves to have their human rights protected," Holt says. "And to be treated with dignity and respect. That includes women. That may have been the intent in 2007 [when the legislature added transgender people to the code] but that was clearly not the result."
Legislators in support also argue that recently passed bills are able to be challenged in court because of the current language. State Sen. Jason Schultz (R-Schleswig) floor managed the Senate version.
"We've passed legislation to refuse to pay for sex change operations and hormone therapies under Iowa Medicaid," Schultz says. "That has already been struck down by a state court in Good vs. Iowa Department of Human Services. It turns out we have already spent almost $2 million on these practices."
The bill is expected to be signed by the Governor Reynolds.
