The public hearing has started! You can watch it here!
The hearing started with Ryan Benn of The FAMiLY Leader speaking in favor. Johnson County Supervisor V Fixmer-Oraiz spoke against it.
Kathryn Kueter speaking as a private citizen. Noting she is a woman, “an adult human female.” She credited the legislature for working to protect women’s spaces and women’s rights in recent years.
“Gender identity is not an immutable characteristic,” she said.
Having gender identity in the civil rights code directly contradicts the protections afforded to women based on sex.
Devin Kelly, a civil rights lawyer, spoke against the bill. Claims a person applied for a job to drive people to appointments but didn’t get the job because the individual is transgender.
Steve Rowland spoke in support of the bill. He noted that the change to the civil rights code promoted transgender individuals above everyone else.
This change is a fixed definition, he said. Using fluid definitions and feelings shouldn’t be done for law, rather using fixed definitions and truth.
“Dr.” Katie Imborek spoke against the bill. Imborek was at the Capitol speaking in support of radical sex change treatments for kids just two years ago.
Imborek says transgender and nonbinary people will still be in Iowa and that’s the problem with Rep. Steve Holt’s math on justifying the bill by highlighting taxpayer funds being used to pay for sex changes.
Anita Fischer is speaking in support of the bill. She is from Pella and is talking about the 15-year-old girl who went topless at the Pella pool because she identified as a boy. Local government failed to act because gender identity is a protected class.
Trans activists continue to shout and chant when supporters of the bill speak. They are silent when opponents speak. They continue to make it impossible to hear the people speaking inside the room.
David Bush is speaking in support. He said supporting the bill is supporting common-sense protections for women. He said in 2007 people couldn’t have predicted the consequences of adding gender identity to the civil rights code, but now we know.
He called keeping gender identity in the civil rights code would be misguided compassion.
Ariella Crouse spoke in support of the bill. She is a 17-year-old detransitioner. She said the movement uses children to fulfill its agenda. People conditioned her into believing she was transgender.
“I was told I may have been born in the wrong body,” she said.
This happened when she was 10. They pick off insecure children and tell them they are born in the wrong bodies. Will likely be the most compelling testimony during the public hearing.
Ed Cranston says he believes in Iowa values and in the state motto. He spoke against the bill. He said he is here for his grandchild who is transgender. The child is 14 years old.
Amber Williams of Inspired Life spoke in support of the bill, asking female legislators to stand up for themselves and their daughters and male legislators to protect Iowa girls and women.
Angie Wenell said closed by reminding Republicans this issue is in the party platform and not to forget the saying that hell hath no fury like that of a woman’s scorn.
Tamara Scott spoke in support of the bill for Concerned Women for America. Her testimony was difficult to hear in the room because of the disruptive demonstration taking place outside the room.
Taylor Layden said her daughter has a condition that classifies her as “intersex.” And she spoke against the bill because she is “terrified” about what the future will hold for her daughter.
“I don’t know what gender (my daughter) will identify as as she gets older,” Layden said.
Ray Simmons speaking in favor of the bill. He’s a father of five girls.
“I stand in support of the bill because our current civil rights code does not fit and it doesn’t fit in three ways,” he said.
It doesn’t fit our culture or ethics, he said. Nearly all of the families in his church moved to Iowa from various places throughout the country.
The current code also doesn’t fit with the rest of code. And it doesn’t fit Scripture, he said.
Connie Ryan of the Interfaith Alliance of Iowa opposed the bill claiming that the position is consistent with most Iowans.
Kat Power from Linn-Mar School District used a mental health day to come testify against the bill. Power is the sponsor for the LGBTQ group in the school.
The district was sued over secret gender identity plans recently.
An 18-year-old transgender person just testified against the bill. Left the room to many applause. Rep. Holt issued another warning to those in attendance to stop clapping and interrupting the hearing inside the room. He issued a similar warning earlier. The opponents of the bill continue to clap anyway. We will see if anyone ends up being escorted from the room.
Brad Lawson speaking in support of the bill. He noted gender identity is rooted in feelings and not facts. He is doing a great job reminding legislators they cannot protect both based on sex and gender identity.
Joe Stutler spoke against the bill and heavily criticized Republican efforts as Nazis. He calls Republicans “obsession with genitalia” “perverted.”
“I’m here to remind you that Nazis are never the good guys,” he said.
He said it would not take 10 years to eradicate the Nazis this time thanks to education.
Stutler was stopped from continuing and escorted from the room after making physical threats.
Ashley Novak spoke in support of the bill but said she almost didn’t come because she was afraid to sit here and speak in front of a crowd of people like this.
She said she couldn’t in good conscience be silent. And now the chanting and shouting is resuming outside the room. I cannot hear her.
This person spoke against the bill and said young Iowans will resent anyone who votes for this bill. That simply isn’t true. I’m not sure who this speaker is as I didn’t catch their name at the beginning.
Turns out Rep. Holt didn’t catch the person’s name either — it was Jemma Bullock.
Now Shellie Flockhart is speaking in support of the bill as a woman and a mother. She said she is asking lawmakers to protect her and other women.
Skyler Ramsey, a transgender individual, is now speaking against the bill. Shared story of growing up in Iowa. Uses pronouns they/them. Claims sharing the story puts Skyler’s life at risk.
Mandee Shivers speaking in support of the bill. She ran through a list of what she identifies as, but said her gender is female. Shivers said it’s easy to teach what the male and female bodies do and what they were created for.
Shivers said the only gender she can use is the one she was born with — woman. Her feelings aren’t fact, she said.
She said to pass the legislation that is based on objective truth and not fluid identities.
So far the opposition has just emotional appeal. That’s it. There hasn’t been any testimony against the bill based on science, just emotion.
Chuck Hurley started his testimony with prayer. That’s the loudest the protestors got during the hearing. Hurley then delivered the same testimony he shared in the subcommittee meetings for both the House and the Senate.
John Thompson spoke in support of the bill. He said this isn’t unconstitutional and the bill protects everyone’s rights while giving everyone equal rights, not a specific group more rights.
Hearing is wrapping up with a female “pastor” speaking against the bill.
