Recently a bill, House Study Bill 242, was introduced in the Iowa House with the specific goal of removing gender identity from civil rights protections. This would make Iowa the first state to remove a protected class from such a law and would push transgender citizens out of nearly all legal protections that are based on gender identity. Furthermore, this bill would disallow changing sex on government documents, push transgender women out of domestic violence shelters, crisis centers, and healthcare locations, and allow transgender Iowans to be discriminated against when seeking housing or financial assistance. Lastly, it uses unscientific language that replaces rigorous definitions of gender, gender expression, and sex with partisan language that obfuscates and precludes any citizen from expressing their gender by striking “gender identity” from any form of civil rights protections.

Iowa Atheists and Freethinkers strongly oppose this pernicious and harmful bill.

IAF advocates for a secular government that protects and respects ALL citizens, regardless of their gender, sex, religion, age, ethnicity, race, national origin, disability, marital status, or sexual orientation. A bill like this does nothing to advance the interests and rights of citizens of Iowa and everything to advance the interests of unscientific fearmongering religious groups that seek to harm some of the most vulnerable Iowans. Civil rights legislation is designed to protect the rights of citizens, not provide additional rights or status to certain groups. This bill seeks to undermine equality under the law and carve out a special path to discriminate against transgender citizens.

This does not represent equality under the law, rather it seeks specifically to undermine it. Equality under the law, free from discrimination based on inherent individual characteristics, is a requirement that we citizens should demand in a democratic society. This bill and the advocates for it stand in stark contrast to humanistic ideals and values of a free and pluralistic society based on reason, science, and a government interested in the common good.

It is also immensely immoral and unethical to target a group of Iowans to undermine their rights and protections, especially if it is based on a religious moral panic. These are not the values that are represented in the Iowa Constitution nor are they values that IAF and their members represent. IAF is deeply saddened that political leaders in this state have decided attacking a minority group is of greater value than standing for secular values and democratic governance.

IAF, alongside scores of scientists, activists, healthcare experts, and civil rights leaders oppose this legislation and other bills like HSB 242. We are hopeful that assaults on Iowa’s civil rights cease and that the legislature embraces science and secular governance over sectarian misinformation and pernicious ostracization of our fellow citizens.

Do not pass HSB 242.

Jason Benell

President

Iowa Atheists and Freethinkers