Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds signed a bill last week that removes transgender policies from the state’s civil rights code.
The bill states that “gender” is “considered a synonym for sex and shall not be considered a synonym or shorthand expression for gender identity, experienced gender, gender expression, or gender role.”
“Equal” does not mean “same” or “identical,” the bill states.
Individuals born with a “medically verifiable diagnosis of disorder or difference of sex development shall be provided the legal protections and accommodations afforded under the federal Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and applicable state law,” the bill notes.
Upon signing the bill, Reynolds said, “It is common sense to acknowledge the obvious biological differences between men and women. In fact, it is necessary to secure genuine equal protection for women and girls.”
She explained that the “commonsense protections were at risk because, 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.” Reynolds declared that taxpayer dollars for transgender programs were “unacceptable.”
“We all agree that every Iowan, without exception, deserves respect and dignity. We are all children of God, and no law changes that,” she said. “What this bill does accomplish is to strengthen protections for women and girls, and I believe that is the right thing to do.”
Activists occupied Iowa’s Capitol to protest a similar bill in 2024. The bill, HSB 649, defined “sex” as “a person’s biological sex, either male or female, at birth” and used corresponding terminology such as “woman,” “girl,” “boy,” and “man.”
