Last week, Governor Kim Reynolds signed  the Civil Rights Removal Act (HSB242) into law, removing gender identity from the Iowa Civil Rights Act and making Iowa the first state in the nation to roll back existing civil rights protections on the basis of gender.

The Civil Rights Removal Act is a combination of nearly every previous anti-trans effort introduced in the Iowa legislature for the last several years. It includes a full-scale removal of transgender Iowans’ civil rights protections, restroom restrictions, birth certificate restrictions, a legal redefinition of sex, and more. 

In response, Amber Barcel, Director of Public Policy at the national youth activism nonprofit Advocates for Youth, issued the following statement:

“This new law sets an awful precedent. Other states that are hostile to transgender people will likely follow suit. This law also hurts people who are not transgender if they don’t fit into Iowa’s new definition of sex. Nondiscrimination protections keep everyone safe – this is a shameful move.

Advocates for Youth will never stop fighting for transgender young people’s right to thrive – and against cruel attempts to play politics with their lives, their futures, and their safety. Transgender youth will always be here. We must work harder than ever to build a world that meets their needs and celebrates their power.”