Meeting Public Comments

Evelyn Nikkel [PELLA PAC]

Thank you and God bless you for bringing this up for ALL Iowa citizens. Thank you for passing laws that protect our underdeveloped, curious, easily manipulated, immature minors from grooming predators that seek their destruction! Please pass this and protect this generation from objectifying women, treating the opposite gender as sexual objects, boys being seen as only animals and women as less than. These views stunt real relationships because the "sexual" has been forced to prominence by debased, morally deficient people relentlessly, ruthlessly focused on destroying our children, their moral maturity, godly relationships, marriages and their entire lives. The groomers shouted they were coming after our children and we shout back, "NO, in the name of God and all that is righteous and good in our state, we stand against your perversion and for our children."

Rosemary Adams

Iowa Code section 728, which this bill seeks to revise, has definitions for both obscene material and material. However, while the bill would add a definition for obscene performance, it does not add a definition for performance. This is a clear issue when it comes to application of the law should this bill pass, it leaves an integral piece of language wide open to literally any interpretation not every interpretation would succeed in, for example, a civil suit brought by a parent/guardian/former minor, but that doesnt prevent dubious claims from gumming up our courts more than they already are.There are already laws in place that prevent the dissemination of obscenity to minors. This bill only serves to confuse, and to embolden people to bring ridiculous lawsuits (that they are already able to bring no parent is currently denied the opportunity to sue someone for exposing themselves or otherwise being obscene toward a child).

Camryn Overlin

I STRONGLY opposed the passing of this bill. It is blatantly homophobic and clearly has more to do with religious and personal values of the than protecting than protecting children. Passing this bill would send a very harmful message to the public about the LGBTQ+ community. I urge you to vote no

Jessica Chrystal

When I took my Oath of office years ago,NEVER once did I consider using my position and power to waste time attacking marganilized families and communities in this state.As the mom of trans child this disgusting bill needs to die. It is below the office you all hold.Shame on you all for constantly presenting these discriminatory, antiLGBTQ+ legislative bills based on lies and your religion and bowing down to the Family Leader and the same 5 fake actors they use to testify across the captiol and push these damn bills! Keep your religion and your bigoted personal opnions out of my government and public policy.Stop using your elected position to attack& bullying my child!!NO ONE who elected you asked for this bill and not a single one of you campaigned on it. It does nothing to address the real issues that Iowa families face around the kicthen table each night.Between this bill and yet another lame attempt to strip my child of their civil rights and their future, you might as well all resign and go move to Russia and serve in the Duma where their ideology and laws pertaining to the trans community are more in line with your extremist views.We all know what the state motto is you all need to re read it. These bills are not about protecting youth they are about spreading dangerous misinformation against the transgender community and transgender youth.Are you really that blind that these wreckless and dangerous culture wars are the reason no one wants to live and work in this state? It's not the economy,stupid. It's every single member of the Iowa GOP and their shitty attempt at governance, sticking their nose in every Iowans personal lives to force them to fall in line like good little Christians and American patriots and exist within the society they envision with those who fill their campgain coughers.

Lukas Thoren

Consider: School shootings, suicide, bullying, and discrimination are what are harming and killing our children. Theres abundant evidence and statistics for this. So much so I am afraid the representatives considering this and those adding comments in support have come to accept these dying children as just that, a statistic. How does this protect children? From what? A guy in a dress is more scary than a gun in a school? More obscene than a child bullied by peers and ostracized by adults for being different? How does this support the promise of the Iowa Flag, Our Rights We Will Maintain. Freedom of Speech and Expression are fundamental, why restrict this? This is also impractical. By the vague wording, you could be arrested for taking a kid to the movie theater, church, or any form or art. For those who wish Gods blessing on this, I dare you to ask yourself when (if every) youve prayed for the last school shooting you saw, or a child who took their own life, or for people to give love and hope to bullied children.

Micheal Wynn-Garland

I am writing to express my strong opposition to SF 116, which is currently under consideration. I believe that this proposal, if passed, would disproportionately affect the LGBTQ2+ community in Iowa. Iowa Code Chapters 709 and 728 already provide extensive guidelines for public and private conduct. The addition of SF116 into these code(s) is meant to specifically target performers, specifically in the queer community, who have the right to express their art and form of entertainment and personal expression. I have always prided our state's commitment to personal freedoms and autonomy. Targeted legislation like this, while existing laws and protections exist in Iowa Code, are divisive and harmful. With all the current issues our state and country face, I implore you to please focus on providing the critical health, housing, infrastructure and economic support needed to our state rather than wasting public resources on targeted, unnecessary and harmful legislation. Again, we have existing laws that cover the indecency of all people in public and private spaces. This legislation is not only discriminatory and harmful, but unnecessary. Additionally, SF116 is poorly written. The definitions provided allow for far too much interpretation during enforcement. The definition of "Obscene Performance" can be applied too broadly and is highly subjective to the individual. Where is this line drawn for the 'female breast' exposure? Is this 20% of a breast form? Cleavage longer than 2 inches? If we create laws based around personal 'offense', this is contradictory to our constitution. A code of conduct or Iowa law should be extremely specific rather than applicable to who may find offense to certain visual performances, arts or forms of expression. If the goal is to protect minors from an irrational, perceived threat, I hope the same attention to detail would be taken when constructing law. As a resident of Iowa, I believe we should focus on policies that promote inclusivity, fairness, and the wellbeing of all Iowans. I encourage you to support initiatives that foster positive growth, equality, and the freedom of choice for Iowans.Thank you for your time and for considering my concerns. I urge you to vote against SF 116, and I trust that you will carefully evaluate its consequences on our community.

Courtenay McGregor

This bill is absolutely disgusting and I oppose attacking marginalized people and communities. Let people live their lives. Im fully against this bill!

Thomas Trinidad [University of Iowa]

I am writing as a constituent to STRONGLY oppose SF 116. There are already laws in place that protect minors from nudity and obscene material, none of which are included in the performances described in this bill. I urge you to VOTE NO on this bill and focus on real issues impacting Iowans like your constituents are all demanding.

Kevin Marken

Guess I should be happy my mother did not have to worry about being locked up for taking me to the library and story hour. 50 years ago I recall going to story hour with many different readers and yes there were female impersonators. If she was alive I can only guess what she would think that anyone would find reading to children is something to be concerned with.Looking forward to this state not concerning themselves with details parents should be dealing with. Thankful my parents were left with the job of raising me and not leaving it to a government.Kevin Marken

Rick Phillips [PELLA PAC]

We support and favor passage of SF116. As I read through the comments, I see many supporting the LGBTQ community oppose legislation such as this. Why? Because they believe its a violation of their civil rights and freedom of expression. It is not. This legislation protects children from harmful deviant sexual behavior harmful to children that is perpetrated by adults. Its deviant behavior, not the sexual preferences or proclivities of adults being questioned. Why would any sane adult oppose that? This is all the more reason why we must remove gender identity and sexual orientation from civil rights, the root cause of the problem faced today. Sexualization of children using obscene material as bait are the fruit of that egregious error in 2007. Wherever children open a book they needs to be protected from deviant adult sexual behavior and the perverts that approve such crimes against children. Pass SF116 and protect children!

Lori Hunt

Seriously? With all of our problems facing our state, this is one thing y'all are wasting your time on. Lets do some action on gun violence, cancer rates, fixing bridges and levees. Even planting flowers would be way more productive than this bill. Stop with the hate and do some real work for the people.