A slew of legislation went through the Iowa Senate recently regarding the LGBTQ+ community.

District 24 Senator Jesse Green (R-Boone) voted for a bill that would not allow children to receive gender-affirming treatment within Iowa. He claims that there is an increase in the amount of children with gender dysphoria or identity issues and needing transiting surgeries, hormone therapies or puberty blockers, which Green says some of these treatments are not Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved. 

An amendment in the House would’ve allowed for parental consent for children to receive treatment, but Green says there are existing limits on children for other things that would be harmful to their development both physically and mentally, such as consuming alcohol or tobacco.

“I hear some of the debates from the other side of this aisle and I understand there are some that think that way, but at the end of the day, I’m just kind of really saddened that we think this is something that we shouldn’t prohibit. It’s sad that we have to have an increase in these conversations, but I believe this was definitely much needed and good policy for the state of Iowa.”   

That bill passed through both the Senate and House and another bill that deals with banning gender identity and sexual orientation from public school curriculum in kindergarten through sixth grade was passed through the House recently. Green says some LGBTQ information was shown to a first grade class at United School in Boone County where one parent removed their child. 

“I didn’t get involved in the conversations that much. I just assured the parents that with our school choice legislation this year, if parents run into these situations and they don’t feel like their kids should be exposed to some of this, they can now go to a private school if they can find one and try to find the right environment for their child.”

The final bill that passed through the Senate was requiring students to use the restroom and locker rooms that are identified with their gender on their birth certificate. Green adds this legislation was aimed to protect students overall.