Hundreds of transgender activists piled into the Iowa State Capitol in a protest against lawmakers voting to restrict transgender rights in the state.
Videos from the Capitol in Des Moines on social media showed the activists singing and holding up protest signs against the motion that would strip protections in the civil rights code to extend to non-traditionally gendered people.
‘We find ourselves in a peculiar position of being the only state in the country in which we have the words “gender identity” and “civil rights code” and also protections for women.’
The LGBTQ activists had also mounted similar protests at the Capitol on Monday and Tuesday, though the demonstration on Thursday was the largest one thus far.
The Iowa legislature added protections for sexual orientation and gender identity to the civil rights code in 2007, when it was controlled by Democrats. About a dozen Republicans voted for the addition as well.
Republican state Sen. Jason Schultz explained that the legislation was needed in order to resolve a discrepancy between the civil rights act and laws passed by the legislature restricting transgender people in bathrooms and sports.
“We find ourselves in a peculiar position of being the only state in the country in which we have the words ‘gender identity’ and ‘civil rights code’ and also protections for women, children, and taxpayers,” Schultz said while speaking in committee.
“They are at odds,” he added.
Critics of the motion say it will lead to discrimination against transgender people in employment, housing, and education.
“The bill in front of us would legalize discrimination in employment,” said state Sen. Herman Quirmbach, a Democrat. “It would authorize employers to say to a transgender person, no matter how well that person performs their job, no matter how much merit they have and how much qualifications, they can fire them, or they can deny them being hired in the first place.”
Many on social media mocked the demonstration as a “transurrection” in reference to the rioting on Jan. 6 at the U.S. Capitol.
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