Iowa has launched sustained attacks on bodily autonomy, civil rights, and the basic dignity of its people. Iowans and Quad Cities residents are exhausted, outraged, and resolute. For LGBTQIA+ rights, for women’s rights, and for the rights of all people, we affirm this truth: We hold sacred authority over our own bodies, identities, and futures.
We demand and assert the following rights each of which has been threatened or directly targeted by Iowa legislation:
Core Bodily Autonomy Rights
Right to transition, including access to gender‑affirming healthcare
Right to abortion and reproductive healthcare
Right to contraception and family planning
Right to control our own reproduction, including IVF and fertility care
Right to body modification, including tattoos, piercings, cosmetic procedures, and cultural body practices
Right to privacy in medical decisions
Right to refuse medical procedures
Identity, Expression, and Personal Freedom
Right to gender identity and gender expression
Right to use correct names and pronouns
Right to access public accommodations without discrimination
Right to marry, form families, and parent without state interference
Right to freedom from censorship of LGBTQIA+ identities in schools, libraries, and public spaces
Economic, Housing, and Social Rights
Right to nondiscrimination in housing, employment, education, and credit
Right to equal participation in the marketplace
Right to safe, inclusive schools for LGBTQIA+ youth
Right to healthcare free from discrimination
Community and Safety Rights
Right to live free from state‑sanctioned harassment and surveillance bodily safety from
Right to be protected from hate‑motivated violence
Right to participate fully in civic life without fear
These rights shall not be infringed.
We refuse to be controlled by theocratic politicians or their corporate divide‑and‑conquer agenda. Our bodies, our communities, and our futures belong to us—not to those who seek power through fear, restriction, and erasure.
Documented Attacks on These Rights in Iowa (with Sources)
Below are verified, recent examples of Iowa’s legislative and political attacks on LGBTQIA+ people, bodily autonomy, and civil rights.
1. Removal of Gender Identity Protections
Iowa became the first state in the nation to remove gender identity from its civil rights law, stripping protections in housing, employment, education, credit, and public accommodations.
2. Wave of Anti‑Trans and Anti‑LGBTQ Bills
As of early 2024, 13 bills were introduced in Iowa targeting transgender and LGBTQIA+ people, including attempts to remove gender identity from the Iowa Civil Rights Act.
3. Statewide Preemption of Local Civil Rights Protections
After stripping gender identity from state law, Iowa introduced legislation to ban cities from passing their own anti‑discrimination protections, directly attacking local autonomy and LGBTQIA+ safety.
4. Attacks on Marriage Equality & LGBTQ Families
Iowa legislators have repeatedly attempted to undermine marriage equality, including constitutional amendments to ban same‑sex marriage.
5. Ongoing Threats to Reproductive Rights
While the Iowa Supreme Court blocked a 2018 abortion ban, the state continues to pursue restrictions on reproductive healthcare, signaling ongoing threats to bodily autonomy.
6. Civil Rights Removal Act (SF418)
Iowa passed SF418, the Iowa Civil Rights Removal Act, which dismantles long‑standing civil rights protections and creates uncertainty and risk for marginalized communities.
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