Iowa governor signs nation’s first bill removing transgender civil rights

[Lori Dee]

Iowa governor signs nation's first bill removing transgender civil rights protections
Link to Full Article
The Hill - Brooke Migdon
02/28/25 4:53 PM ET

Iowa became the first state to strike anti-discrimination protections for transgender people from its civil rights code on Friday after the state's Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds signed hotly contested legislation into law.

The bill, introduced last week, sped through the Legislature despite widespread opposition from Democrats and LGBTQ rights advocates who flooded the statehouse in Des Moines to protest its passage.

Iowa's Republican-led Senate passed the measure Thursday in a 33-15 vote along party lines, and the state House voted 60-36 to approve the bill later in the evening. It will take effect July 1.

Senate File 418 removes gender identity as a protected class in the Iowa Civil Rights Act, the decades-old law protecting Iowans from employment, housing, education and public accommodations discrimination.

Iowa Rep. Aime Wichtendahl, a Democrat and the state's first openly transgender lawmaker, said the measure deprives trans people "of our life, liberty, and our pursuit of happiness."

"The purpose of this bill, the purpose of every anti-trans bill, is to further erase us from public life and to stigmatize our existence," she said.

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If you live in Iowa, it might be time to leave.

[ChrissyRyan]

That is not nice at all.


Now if everyone would treat everyone else decently, no such anti discrimination laws would be needed.  Unfortunately, people are not nice to all others.

[MaryT]

That is not nice at all.


Now if everyone would treat everyone else decently, no such anti discrimination laws would be needed.  Unfortunately, people are not nice to all others.

That's a bit ambiguous but it would probably be best if you did not expand on it.

One thing we all agree on is that you are always nice to all others.

[ChrissyRyan]

Unfortunately laws need to be in place to control behavior.  If everyone was loving and morally upright then these laws would not be needed.  But that is not part of the nature of all humans, for one reason or another.

So, desired behavior is sometimes incorporated into law.  However, who is that determines the desired behavior?  Who has that power?  Why?  How?  Sometimes laws are made or repealed via bad judgement. 

We are to show love for everyone.  You do not have to like them but it is harder to not like them the more you know them and if you love them.  It is not natural to like or love someone who hates you and who is your enemy, granted.


As a believer, I try to follow what Jesus wants us to do at all times but at times I fail. 
I need the help of the Holy Spirit to fill my heart so I get closer to the ideal as much as possible.  How can I be meek without the help of the Holy Spirit? 

Chrissy

[MaryT]

I see that the ambiguity has disappeared.

Amen.

[Sephirah]

You don't need religion to be a decent person. I am not religious but I agree with Chrissy. I feel like... I mean, I kind of think religion was created to show people how to live. In the best way. Not the whole heaven and hell stuff. But just how to be a good person.

Everyone can be a good person. Or a bad person. That's what having a big brain does for humanity.

People who choose to be a good person... yeah, Chrissy you have my vote. Girl you don't need anyone's help. You make a big difference to many peoples' lives.

We all choose how we want to live. What we want to stand behind and believe in.

You are one of the good ones, Chrissy.

[Lori Dee]

I agree.

And Chrissy, you are definitely one of the good ones.

Generally, I am against legislated morality. But when we have so many people in the world who have none, then we need the laws to keep their bigotry in check.

We don't need a bunch of laws on discrimination against this or that for this or that. Just one will do: "Thou shalt not discriminate. Period."

[Sephirah]

Wise words.

[myChai]

I was just discussing this with my wife an hour ago... they know which fights they stand to win and those they can't (yet). So of course they went the route of pulling away protections to let they're employers and conservative society open season on transgender people.

At least a few republicans broke party lines and voted against the bill. At least there's a few decent moral republicans representatives there..... but only a few.

[Sephirah]

I was just discussing this with my wife an hour ago... they know which fights they stand to win and those they can't (yet). So of course they went the route of pulling away protections to let they're employers and conservative society open season on transgender people.

At least a few republicans broke party lines and voted against the bill. At least there's a few decent moral republicans representatives there..... but only a few.

I kind of think there's more than a few. Everyone is just too scared of Trump right now to rock the boat. He is the darling of social media, populist politics. But like... he's very old. He is only a few years younger than Biden. When your country gets out of the stage of having 70-year-olds being in power, maybe things will change for the better.

[myChai]

I kind of think there's more than a few. Everyone is just too scared of Trump right now to rock the boat. He is the darling of social media, populist politics. But like... he's very old. He is only a few years younger than Biden. When your country gets out of the stage of having 70-year-olds being in power, maybe things will change for the better.

I hope you're right

[Sephirah]

I hope you're right

Well, things can't really get much worse, hon. I saw the press conference when our Prime Minister went to see Trump. It was like someone playing with a puppy. "Does someone want the state visit? Do they?! Fetch, boy! Who's a good Trump... yes you are!" *scratches behind the ears*

You just have to let him soil himself on the carpet for a few years, then everyone can move on.

[myChai]

Well, things can't really get much worse, hon. I saw the press conference when our Prime Minister went to see Trump. It was like someone playing with a puppy. "Does someone want the state visit? Do they?! Fetch, boy! Who's a good Trump... yes you are!" *scratches behind the ears*

You just have to let him soil himself on the carpet for a few years, then everyone can move on.

You must have forgotten that we're living in the timeline where this happened....

[MaryT]

I kind of think there's more than a few. Everyone is just too scared of Trump right now to rock the boat. He is the darling of social media, populist politics. But like... he's very old. He is only a few years younger than Biden. When your country gets out of the stage of having 70-year-olds being in power, maybe things will change for the better.

Steady on!  We oldies aren't the only idiots.

Like they say:

There's no fool like an old fool - unless it's a young fool.
 

[Moonflower]

We've been listening to snippets from the hearing. I understand that a huge number of pro-trans supporters showed up and behaved impeccably. Some great constituents spoke, and some whom I feel sorry for and hope that they wake up soon. I hope they listened to and learned from others' stories.
https://www.youtube.com/live/u3WvK3QF53M?si=9Nm1amnsBbBX0K-l
What would you want to say in that hearing?