Iowa Tosses Gender Identity as Special Protected Class

Gov. Reynolds signed the law, calling it a step to ’safeguard the rights of women and girls.‘ A transgender lawmaker said the law aims ’to further erase us.’

Gov. Kim Reynolds speaks at an event in Ankeny, Iowa, on Jan. 14, 2024. Madalina Vasiliu/The Epoch Times

Iowa on Feb. 28 became the first state in the nation to remove gender identity protections from its civil rights code.

A law signed by Gov. Kim Reynolds eliminates “gender identity” as a protected class and redefines legal terms related to sex and gender in state law.

Reynolds said Senate File 418 is a step to “safeguard the rights of women and girls.”

“It is common sense to acknowledge the obvious biological differences between men and women,” Reynolds said in a statement after signing the law, which takes effect on July 1.

“Before I signed this bill, the Civil Rights Code blurred the biological line between the sexes. It has also forced Iowa taxpayers to pay for gender reassignment surgeries. That is unacceptable to me, and it is unacceptable to most Iowans.”

The bill advanced through the Iowa Legislature in a single week, passing the Senate by a 33–15 vote and clearing the House 60–36. While Republicans largely supported the bill, five GOP representatives joined Democrats in opposing it.

Iowa’s civil rights code prohibits discrimination in education, employment, housing, and public accommodations. Additionally, it legally defines “male” and “female” based on reproductive anatomy and states that “gender” shall not be interpreted as a synonym for gender identity or gender expression.

Reynolds said that the bill aligns Iowa’s laws with the federal Civil Rights Act and policies in most other states. She also pointed to previous state laws restricting transgender participation in sports and the use of certain public spaces, saying this measure reinforces those protections.

“We all agree that every Iowan, without exception, deserves respect and dignity. We are all children of God, and no law changes that,” Reynolds said. “But what this bill does accomplish is to strengthen protections for women and girls, and I believe that is the right thing to do.”

The bill’s passage sparked protests at the Iowa State Capitol, where hundreds of LGBT advocates gathered on Feb. 27, chanting “No hate in our state!” and waving signs declaring “Trans rights are human rights.” A heavy police presence was in place as demonstrators rallied against the legislation.

Democratic state Rep. Aime Wichtendahl, the first openly transgender legislator in Iowa, criticized the law as “anti-trans.”

“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 bill and anti-LGBTQ bill is to make our existence illegal, to force us back into the closet.”

Before Reynolds signed the measure into law, Iowa was one of 23 states that included gender identity in its anti-discrimination protections. Her decision to remove these protections aligns Iowa with the broader efforts of President Donald Trump, whose administration has taken steps to undo the transgender policies of the prior administration at the federal level.

Trump’s stance on the issue includes an executive order reaffirming that the United States recognizes only two sexes—male and female—proclaiming that they are “not changeable and are grounded in fundamental and incontrovertible reality.” He also ended federal support for gender-reassignment procedures for minors, calling them “chemical and surgical mutilation.”

These policies have faced legal challenges, reflecting a wider national debate over gender identity.

Katabella Roberts contributed to this report.