More Bills Like This, Please

Senate File 51, introduced by legislators who are NOT Christian Nationalists, would require hospitals to prominently post policies related to admission, nondiscrimination, and reproductive healthcare. In other words, they would have to clearly explain on their website policies related to LGBTQ patients, religious minorities, and abortion-related care, among other important matters. Catholic hospitals, in particular, go out of their way to NOT make this information publicly available. They are morally obligated to make this information available, but they do not. This bill would force them to do the right thing.

I do occasionally talk about good bills that should be enacted. I don’t really expect any of them to pass this year.The odds of this bill becoming a law in Iowa approach zero. But it should be the law everywhere.

The thing is, greater than zero means there is still a chance that it will pass. If we all do nothing, then the odds really are zero. Talking about it now can change people’s minds next year in the general election. Don’t give up. We have important things to do and lives to save.

Two Anti-LGBTQ/ Anti-teacher Bills Filed Today

Conservative Representatives filed two related anti-LGBTQ/anti-teacher bills today. House File 8 prohibits public schools from teaching anything about gender identity or sexual orientation from Kindergarten through grade three. I haven’t compared it line for line to Florida’s infamous “Don’t Say Gay” bill but it seems equivalent.

I’ll admit, there aren’t a lot of situations where teachers need to discuss gender identity or sexual orientation with kids this young, but the exceptions seem incredibly important. Imagine the following conversation in a grade school in Florida, or Iowa after this bill passes:

Bobby: “My two dads took me to DisneyLand this weekend.”

Johnny: “You have two dads? What happened to your Mom? You’re Weird!

Teacher: “Johnny, There are all kinds of families. Lots of families have a Mom and Dad. Some have two Dads, and some have two Moms. But they are all families and there is nothing wrong with that.”

Question: Did the Teacher just violate the law? Seems like it to me. Teachers Have to be able to talk about these subjects honestly without fear of losing their livelihoods. The only “sinister agenda” here is that of Christian conservatives who hate all things LGBTQ and have no problem smearing the entire education profession in order to own the libs in their culture war.

House File 9 would require written consent from parents for any accommodation meant to affirm a student’s gender identity if that identity differs from that assigned at birth. That’s not a problem if the parents recognize and accept their LGBTQ kids. But if parents are NOT accepting of their LGBTQ child, What happens then? Those kids are way more likely to suffer mental illness, depression, and suicide. This bill would compel teachers to out children to hostile parents.

That seems pointlessly cruel to me. But for bills like this, cruelty is the point.

A couple years ago, when conservatives filed dozens of anti-LGBTQ bills, OneIowa was able to muster such an overwhelming outcry against them that the GOP sponsors nixed all most all of their own bills, letting them die in committee. It was an awesome sight to behold, and gives me hope that we can successfully push back now if we complain loudly enough.

Iowa Legislature Day 1: The Obligatory Magic Spell

It is opening day of the 2023 Iowa Legislature. It starts with a flurry of activity. Our legislators have a lot to do and only 110 days to get it all done. One of the first and most important items of business is to resolve that each daily session begins with a magic spell to appease Big Daddy Who Lives In the Sky.

If you don’t cast the magic spell, Big Daddy Who Lives in the Sky gets very, very angry and donors threaten to stop sending money.

And there it is, House Resolution 2, filed by Siegrist:

A Resolution to arrange for opening the sessions with prayer.

BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, That a committee of one be appointed to arrange for opening the sessions with prayer.

Theocracy Is UnAmerican: A Rally for Secular Government 2023

The red wave fizzled in the midterm elections across the country — everywhere except here. In Iowa, Christian Nationalists actually gained seats, achieving a supermajority in both legislative houses. They have the numbers to pass any bills they feel like and no reason to hold back. I expect this year to be so much worse than last year, and 2022 was a bad year for secular-minded Iowans.

Yeah, I know, I’ve said that every year since 2017. Unfortunately,  I’ve been proven right every single year. But there are some things atheists and humanists can do to push back against the theocratic agenda; to make our voices heard at the Capitol and express our frustration and disapproval.

One of those things is Theocracy Is UnAmerican: A Rally for Secular Government. 

Sponsored by Iowa Atheists and Freethinkers in the Capitol Rotunda, this event will take place 1:00 PM Thursday, March 23, 2023.

Our speakers will defend secular government, protect church/state separation, and push back against the Christian Nationalists who seek to tear down our democratic republic. 

I plan to give the opening remarks. Other speakers include our Press Officer Jason Bennell, Connie Ryan of Interfaith Alliance of Iowa, and FFRF constitutional attorney Ryan Jayne. As we confirm more speakers I will update the list accordingly.

Prior to the rally, Iowa Atheists and Freethinkers and other like-minded groups will host outreach tables for legislators, staff, and visitors to the Capitol (set up at 9:00 AM).

Please attend if you can. There is power in numbers.  Ask for the day off now, put it in your calendar, and come to this rally. We need a crowd so large that Legislators and the Media cannot ignore us.

Christian Nationalists control the Iowa House and Senate but a third our our legislators still support secular government and our Constitutional rights. Let’s add our voices to theirs and inspire all the other secular citizens of Iowa to join us.