Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds signed legislation Friday that removes gender identity as a protected class under the state’s Civil Rights Act, making Iowa the first state to roll back anti-discrimination protections for transgender individuals.
The bill, which passed along party lines, eliminates state-level protections in employment, housing, education, and public accommodations for transgender people. Reynolds defended the move, stating, “It is common sense to acknowledge the obvious biological differences between men and women.” She also argued that previous laws forced taxpayers to fund gender reassignment surgeries, which she called “unacceptable.”
The measure aligns with President Donald Trump’s recent executive order recognizing only two sexes, a policy he urged states to adopt. State Democrats and LGBTQ advocates strongly opposed the bill, with Rep. Aime Wichtendahl (D), Iowa’s first openly transgender lawmaker, calling it an effort to “erase us from public life.”
More than half of U.S. states lack explicit protections for transgender individuals, though federal law still prohibits discrimination based on gender identity in employment.
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