Gov. Kim Reynolds introduced a bill Thursday that would define the words “sex,” “man” and “woman” in state law, requiring changes to the way the government collects public health data, issues birth certificates and drivers’ licenses, and offers anti-discrimination protections.
"We refer to it as the LBGTQ erasure act," said Keenan Crow, director of policy and advocacy for One Iowa.
The legislation, House Study Bill 649, creates a new section of code defining a person’s sex as their sex assigned at birth.
The bill defines a “female” as a person whose biological reproductive system is developed to produce ova and a “male” as a person whose biological reproductive system is developed to fertilize the ova of a female.
“Women and men are not identical; they possess unique biological differences,” Reynolds said in a statement provided to the Des Moines Register. “That’s not controversial, it’s common sense.
“Just like we did with girls' sports, this bill protects women’s spaces and rights afforded to us by Iowa law and the constitution. It’s unfortunate that defining a woman in code has become necessary to protect spaces where women’s health, safety, and privacy are being threatened like domestic violence shelters and rape crisis centers. The bill allows the law to recognize biological differences while forbidding unfair discrimination.”
The bill says that if a person is issued a new birth certificate, driver’s license or non-operator’s ID card following a sex-change operation, the new document will list the person’s sex at birth and their sex following the operation.
It also says that when the state, cities or school districts collect data — for public health reasons, crime statistics, or to comply with antidiscrimination laws — they will identify people as only “male” or “female.”
Intersex people, who are born with sex characteristics that do not fall under male or female, are not explicitly mentioned in the legislation.
The legislation does say that a person “born with a medically verifiable diagnosis of disorder or difference of sex development shall be provided the legal protections and accommodations afforded under the federal Americans with Disabilities Act.”
In a statement, Iowa Safe Schools said the bill could be interpreted “as segregating transgender Iowans in facilities owned, operated, or funded by state government.”
“This bill is an affront to everything we’re about as Iowans,” Becky Tayler, executive director for Iowa Safe Schools, said in the statement. “Gov. Reynolds has made it crystal clear that transgender Iowans are not welcome in their own state.
Reynolds' proposal could require transgender Iowans to have unique birth certificates and drivers' licenses — which advocates said would mean disclosing personal medical information while purchasing alcohol or other unrelated activities that require a form of ID.
Pete McRoberts, policy director for the ACLU of Iowa, called the language an "astonishing violation" of privacy.
"Can you imagine if Gov. Reynolds had wanted you to put your COVID vaccination status on your license? Why would this medical information be any different?" McRoberts said.
"We're not talking slippery slope here," he added. "The slope is in the rearview mirror. The damage is done."
The legislation's definition of "mother" ("a parent who is female") and "father" ("a parent who is male") could also complicate circumstances for children with same-sex parents, Crow said.
"We refer to it as the LBGTQ erasure act," said Keenan Crow, director of policy and advocacy for One Iowa.
The legislation, House Study Bill 649, creates a new section of code defining a person’s sex as their sex assigned at birth.
The bill defines a “female” as a person whose biological reproductive system is developed to produce ova and a “male” as a person whose biological reproductive system is developed to fertilize the ova of a female.
“Women and men are not identical; they possess unique biological differences,” Reynolds said in a statement provided to the Des Moines Register. “That’s not controversial, it’s common sense.
“Just like we did with girls' sports, this bill protects women’s spaces and rights afforded to us by Iowa law and the constitution. It’s unfortunate that defining a woman in code has become necessary to protect spaces where women’s health, safety, and privacy are being threatened like domestic violence shelters and rape crisis centers. The bill allows the law to recognize biological differences while forbidding unfair discrimination.”
The bill says that if a person is issued a new birth certificate, driver’s license or non-operator’s ID card following a sex-change operation, the new document will list the person’s sex at birth and their sex following the operation.
It also says that when the state, cities or school districts collect data — for public health reasons, crime statistics, or to comply with antidiscrimination laws — they will identify people as only “male” or “female.”
Intersex people, who are born with sex characteristics that do not fall under male or female, are not explicitly mentioned in the legislation.
The legislation does say that a person “born with a medically verifiable diagnosis of disorder or difference of sex development shall be provided the legal protections and accommodations afforded under the federal Americans with Disabilities Act.”
In a statement, Iowa Safe Schools said the bill could be interpreted “as segregating transgender Iowans in facilities owned, operated, or funded by state government.”
“This bill is an affront to everything we’re about as Iowans,” Becky Tayler, executive director for Iowa Safe Schools, said in the statement. “Gov. Reynolds has made it crystal clear that transgender Iowans are not welcome in their own state.
Reynolds' proposal could require transgender Iowans to have unique birth certificates and drivers' licenses — which advocates said would mean disclosing personal medical information while purchasing alcohol or other unrelated activities that require a form of ID.
Pete McRoberts, policy director for the ACLU of Iowa, called the language an "astonishing violation" of privacy.
"Can you imagine if Gov. Reynolds had wanted you to put your COVID vaccination status on your license? Why would this medical information be any different?" McRoberts said.
"We're not talking slippery slope here," he added. "The slope is in the rearview mirror. The damage is done."
The legislation's definition of "mother" ("a parent who is female") and "father" ("a parent who is male") could also complicate circumstances for children with same-sex parents, Crow said.
Kim Reynolds introduces bill defining 'man' and 'woman'; opponents brand it 'LGBTQ erasure'
A bill introduced by Gov. Kim Reynolds defines the words "sex," "man" and "woman" in state law, part of what opponents called "the LGBTQ erasure act."
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