The bill would remove gender identity as a protected class and explicitly define female and male, as well as gender, which would be 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.”.
Iowa lawmakers are expected to vote Thursday on an unprecedented bill that would strip the state civil rights code of protections based on gender identity, a move that opponents say could expose transgender people to discrimination in employment, public accommodations, housing and education.
Iowa’s civil rights law currently protects against discrimination based on race, color, creed, gender identity, sex, sexual orientation, religion, national origin or disability status.
About half of U.S. states include gender identity in their civil rights code to protect against discrimination in housing and public places, such as stores or restaurants, according to the Movement Advancement Project, an LGBTQ+ rights think tank.
The Iowa bill would be the first legislative action removing explicit nondiscrimination protections based on gender identity, said Logan Casey, director of policy research at the Movement Advancement Project.
