Shockwave in the United States: Iowa has become the first U.S. state to remove existing protections for trans people.
By signing bill HF 583 on February 28, Republican Governor Kim Reynolds erased the concept of ‘gender identity’ from the state’s civil rights law. The consequence? Trans individuals are no longer protected against discrimination in employment, housing, education, or access to public services.
The law also redefines the term ‘sex’ based solely on the biological ability to produce eggs or sperm, a restrictive definition echoing federal attempts to erase trans rights under the Trump administration and the current policies of Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
Furthermore, the law prevents trans individuals from modifying their birth certificates without keeping a record of their sex assigned at birth. Even more disturbingly, it mandates that parents of intersex children must assign them a gender within six months. A cruel decision, especially coming from lawmakers who often oppose gender-affirming care.
Despite strong opposition, with over 2,500 protesters gathering at the Iowa Capitol and thousands of public comments denouncing the law, it passed smoothly in a Republican-controlled Senate and House. “This law tells trans people that they do not deserve the same rights as others,” said Max Mowitz, executive director of One Iowa. The ACLU of Iowa has already promised legal action.
This rollback marks a historic shift: it is the first time a U.S. state has voluntarily removed an anti-discrimination protection for a vulnerable community. A troubling signal for the future of LGBTQ+ rights in the United States
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