Hundreds of Iowa residents gathered at the state Capitol Thursday, waving Pride flags in protest of a controversial bill that seeks to remove gender identity as a protected class under Iowa’s Civil Rights Act. The bill, which passed both the Iowa House and Senate, is now in the hands of Governor Kim Reynolds, who is expected to sign it into law, eliminating protections for transgender individuals in the state.
The Iowa House voted 60-36 in favor of Senate File 418, while Senate Republicans approved it 33-15, mostly along party lines. The bill would strip gender identity protections from the Civil Rights Act, which has been in place since 1965 and expanded in 2007 to include sexual orientation and gender identity. The new legislation also mandates that birth certificates reflect a person’s sex at birth, either male or female, and redefines “sex” as “the state of being either male or female as observed or clinically verified at birth.”
The protests erupted as lawmakers cast their votes, with the public gallery loudly booing and shouting “shame!” Some protesters even directed expletives at Republican lawmakers who supported the bill. Democratic lawmakers voiced strong opposition, warning that history would not look kindly on the decision. Only five Republicans voted against the bill.
BREAKING: Trans rights activists are protesting at the Iowa State Capitol.
Far right X users are claiming they “stormed the Capitol building. THIS IS A LIE.
– Notice that they ARE permitted to be there.
– There is NO violence.
– NO police have been attacked.
– NO gun… pic.twitter.com/awuHzwxo6f— Brian Krassenstein (@krassenstein) February 27, 2025
Rep. Aime Wichtendahl, Iowa’s first openly transgender legislator, passionately condemned the bill, arguing that it would strip transgender people of their rights to employment, housing, and other basic protections. “The purpose of this bill is to further erase us from public life and to stigmatize our existence,” Wichtendahl said. “The sum total of every anti-trans and anti-LGBTQ bill is to make our existence illegal.”
On the other side, Republican Rep. Steven Holt defended the bill, claiming it would not affect the rights of transgender individuals. “Transgender Iowans will have the same rights and protections as everyone else, as they should,” Holt said, adding that the bill would prevent the “infringement on the rights of others, particularly women.” He also pointed to federal protections, like the Fair Housing Act and the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2020 Bostock decision, which extended protections to transgender people in employment and housing.
Kamala Harris started a resistance.
People are protesting an anti- trans bill in Iowa. Chants of “we won’t go back”. pic.twitter.com/FDGf7nmkHW
— Winter’s Politics 🖤 (@WintersPolitics) February 27, 2025
However, critics worry that these federal protections could be undermined by future legal challenges, including anti-trans executive orders signed by former President Donald Trump. Iowa House Minority Leader Jennifer Knofrst echoed these concerns, stating, “Do not tell me the federal government will save us because they’re already attacking the communities we’re attacking today as well.”
The proposed legislation has left many transgender Iowans fearful for their future in the state. One resident, speaking to the Des Moines Register, said they were considering leaving Iowa due to the bill’s passage. However, the outpouring of support at the Capitol gave some comfort, with several cisgender Iowans also attending the protest in solidarity with the transgender community.
Rachel Gulick, a longtime Iowa resident, shared their concerns about the broader implications of the bill. “It feels like I’m watching the murder of America by Americans,” Gulick said.
Mayor Bruce Teague of Iowa City lead a crowd of Iowans in song to protest the trans civil rights removal bill. pic.twitter.com/oOV6wnX4bW
— Iowa Starting Line (@IAStartingLine) February 27, 2025
This is not the first time Iowa has proposed anti-trans legislation. In 2023, the state’s Republican-led legislature introduced a bill that would have allowed the bullying of transgender students by permitting the “deadnaming” of trans individuals in schools. Governor Reynolds and GOP lawmakers have also proposed numerous anti-LGBTQ+ bills, with 21 such bills tabled in 2023 alone.
As the bill heads to Governor Reynolds’ desk, the fight over transgender rights in Iowa continues, and many residents fear the state may soon be a more hostile environment for its transgender population.
