So, here’s the deal. I didn’t go looking for this. I saw Congresswoman Abby Finkenauer did an interview with GLBT Youth In Iowa Schools Taskforce and wrote a couple of long articles about it.
When I was finished, I scrolled through to see which other Democrat candidates had done the same. It never dawned on me that I might come across what I eventually came across.
State Rep. Ashley Hinson also appeared on the Rainbow Forum.
Before I go any further, let me give a brief history of just who GLBT Youth In Iowa Schools Taskforce really is. This group has a “fictitious” name of Iowa Safe Schools. Which makes sense, because it is indeed fictitious.
GLBT Youth In Iowa Schools Taskforce is the group that made Iowa the first state in the nation to fly the transgender flag over its state Capitol — even though it was done against Capitol rules.
GLBT Youth In Iowa Schools Taskforce hosts the controversial annual “Governor’s Conference on LGBTQ Youth,” which former Gov. Terry Branstad never forced a name change with and current Gov. Kim Reynolds hasn’t either.
You can read about the controversial conference here.
And here. A legislative report said the conference should change its name.
And here. They denied admission to the conference to Christians.
And GLBT Youth In Iowa Schools Taskforce was the group responsible for this.
Yes, GLBT Youth In Iowa Schools Taskforce was demanding State Troopers be fired before Black Lives Matter.
And this is the group Hinson says she wants to work with.
Now, I take no pleasure in writing this article. None. But I can’t be a hypocrite. And I have to do what is right. So here we go…
The Iowa Standard is a political news website done from a conservative worldview. We don’t apologize for that. We’d actually argue we’re a website done from a Republican worldview. And if Republicans simply follow the Republican platform, we’ll applaud them the whole way.
So, let’s examine the GOP platform.
We’ll start under the “Life” section at point number 5.
“We believe that traditional, two-parent (one male and one female), marriage-based families are the foundation to a stable, enduring and healthy civilization. Therefore, public policy must always be pro-family in nature, encouraging marital and family commitment, and supportive of the parental rights and responsibilities.”
Now skip over to the “Liberty” section, point 2.
“We believe that parents are responsible for their children, and we support the rights of parents to be the ultimate authority for the discipline, protection and education of their children.”
This isn’t the position of The Iowa Standard. Well, I mean, it is, but it’s also the position of the Republican Party of Iowa.
Let’s talk about what a conversion therapy ban means. Republicans are often confused because they take it to mean that it will prohibit sex-change surgeries.
That is wrong.
In fact, it is completely opposite.
There’s a federal conversion therapy ban cosponsored by 188 Democrats. Not one single Republican in the U.S. House cosponsored it. Not one.
A conversion therapy ban means that no licensed therapist/professional can do anything — ANYTHING — to try to change someone’s sexual orientation or gender identity — UNLESS they are affirming their homosexual or bisexual sexual orientation or gender identity confusion.
There are these horror stories from decades ago about abusive “treatments” used to change someone from being a homosexual. I called around Iowa last year trying to find a therapist who still practices conversion therapy. Never found one.
And while physical abuse isn’t acceptable in any form of “treatment,” this conversion therapy ban will prohibit even talking about it.
So, let me make this clear.
Radical liberal Democrats push the LGBTQ lifestyle into the curriculum of public schools at every grade level in every subject.
Then, when little Johnny or little Susie gets confused and feels like they may be homosexual or bisexual or the “wrong” gender — those same radical liberal Democrats will make it ILLEGAL for parents to find a licensed therapist to talk with their children about that confusion.
Gee, whatever happened to “my body, my choice?” What happened to “can’t get between a patient and their doctor?” Or to “we can’t tell a doctor what he can or can’t say?”
The very idea of banning conversion therapy goes directly against the Republican Party of Iowa’s platform. It is a direct hit to parental rights and their statement about one-man/one-woman marriage.
And here is Hinson talking about her support — yes, support — of banning conversion therapy.
“I don’t think it should be used on minors,” Hinson said. “I don’t support it. I think, you know, if you’re 18 you can make your own decision, but when it comes to kids, like, that’s something we need to protect. Everybody should have a fair shake. And I do think there is a lot of learning still to be done on this issue around the state of Iowa. I know you’ve been working about that, um, working on that throughout the state.
“So I think it’s an issue that’s, it’s a no-brainer for me to be able to say it, not afraid to say it.”
The GLBT Youth In Iowa Schools Taskforce guys erupted into a celebration.
But wait, there was more. Hinson was asked about women’s “health care.”
“Yes, support it,” Hinson said. “I want my own, I want health care. I need to get in and have my, you know, whatever, OK, moving on.”
Now, what this exchange lacks is context. What did GLBT Youth In Iowa Schools Taskforce mean by “women’s health care?” To the Left, when they mention women’s health care, it almost always deals with abortion.
But maybe, for some strange reason, Hinson wasn’t thinking in those terms.
Taking that into consideration, when you take the clip from GLBT Youth In Iowa Schools Taskforce and pair it with this video from a forum a few years back, it’s cause for concern.
“I did receive services from Planned parenthood,” Hinson said. “So, as a woman, I have taken advantage of that. And they were just run of the mill services that any woman should have access to. From that perspective, I tend to think the government should stay out of, maybe that makes me libertarian on this issue, I don’t know. I think the government should stay out of women’s health care decisions typically. And, so, I haven’t seen an official bill that has yet to target Planned Parenthood, I do feel that we need to make sure if we are having this conversation, and I am in the Republican caucus, I think we typically tend to be a pro-life caucus, but we also need to be discussing the access to health care. And so, if uh, you know as Rep. Taylor recommended there, we need to make sure we’re no making it harder on anyone to get services, we need to make sure those services are available and that will be my top concern in dealing with this bill as it comes forward in the Iowa House.”
Visit Hinson’s “issues” page and you will not find anything about “abortion” or “life.”
Finally, Hinson finished by discussing her favorite gay icon.
So, where does that leave us?
Well, it leaves me thrilled not to live in Iowa’s First Congressional District.
Republicans have to understand something, they will never get the support they think they can get from groups like GLBT Youth In Iowa Schools Taskforce. When the Republican-led Iowa House gave them a subcommittee on banning conversion therapy, the LGBTQ advocates still wouldn’t speak in support of the bill because it didn’t go far enough. Republicans will never be to the Left of Democrats on issues of sexuality. Ever.
The Left has cornered the market on perversion.
Does this mean Hinson wouldn’t be a better Congresswoman than Abby Finkenauer?
Does it mean people shouldn’t vote for Hinson?
Hey, voting is an individual thing. It’s up to each person and God.
But I will say that Abby Finkenauer is not — or should not — be the “standard” for deciding who is worthy of support.
The Republican Party of Iowa has an outstanding platform. If you haven’t read it, I encourage you to do so. The values of the Party are exemplified throughout.
Banning conversion therapy for minors is not a little thing. Taking away the rights of parents to seek counseling for a child who is confused when it comes to sexual orientation or gender identity is not an area the GOP should view as negotiable.
Life, well, I don’t have to say anything other than there is no room for negotiating on Life.
Some Republicans will be upset with me for even writing about this. Some will disagree with me about it too.
But they’re not disagreeing with me — they’re disagreeing with the Republican Party platform.
They’re not upset with me — they’re upset with the principles espoused in the Republican Party platform.
I know Iowa’s First Congressional District is different than its Fourth Congressional District where I live.
But I have to believe that even in the First District, parents want their parental rights to be respected. And that unborn babies matter just as much to Republicans in the First District as they do to Republicans here in the Fourth District.
Democrats do not, will not, cannot compromise on these two issues — erotic liberty and the right to kill unborn babies.
Republicans should not compromise on parental rights and the right to life.
If those two things are negotiable and they don’t matter, then what good is the GOP anyway?
