Meeting Public Comments

Names and comments are public records. Remaining information is considered a confidential record.

Comments Submitted:

02-05-2026

Brenna McConnell

I heavily oppose this bill. This bill can and will cause harm, and a rise in suicide rates among children. Thats not an opinion, thats fact. Do your research. GENDER affirming care saves LIVES. CHILDRENS LIVES. Please care, please have empathy and vote no to this bill.

02-05-2026

Ellen Rasmussen

I oppose this bill. It will allow parents (biological, adoptive, foster, or otherwise) to engage in the dangerous, discredited practice known as conversion therapy to try to change the gender identity of a young person. These practices have been rejected by every mainstream medical and mental health organization. They are not known to be effective, but instead are extremely harmful and lead to increased rates of depression, anxiety, homelessness, and suicide. We do not allow parents or other persons legally responsible for raising a child parent them in other ways that are harmful. We should allow the possibility for this type of harm either.

02-05-2026

Kayla Ferris

I oppose this bill. Conversion "therapy" has been rejected by every major medical or mental health organization including the American Academy of Child Adolescent Psychiatry, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American College of Physicians, the American Counseling Association, and the World Psychiatric Association and should not be supported by our government. This practice has not only been found ineffective but harmful. You must vote NO on this bill.

02-05-2026

Marley Lytle

I strongly urge the house of Representatives to reject HSB 669. This bill allows harm to come to children of the LGBT+ community. As a youth of the community who also will soon be voting in the next mid terms I am telling you now that if anyone in the house of Representatives votes to pass this bill, they will not be getting my vote or the vote of anyone in the community. This bill allows conversion therapy and in doing so, will increase the risk of harm to children by others and by their own hands. Vote no on this bill.

02-05-2026

Deidre Wahlin

Oppose!! Again, you are discounting and ignoring the recommendations from specialists and professionals who have long stated that conversion therapy is harmful. You should be listening to the professionals and not just your uninformed personal beliefs. Stop taking us backwards.

02-05-2026

Nicole VanderLinden

There is So. Much. Evidence. about how dangerous and damaging conversion therapy is. Please vote no on HSB 669. And please stop making every spring open season on LGBTQ Iowans and start focusing your attention on the myriad of issues facing all Iowans. And also please give Representative Wichtendahl a medal for sitting on the same subcommittee as Steve Holt.

02-05-2026

Stella Armstrong

i am writing to oppose this bill. this horrific bill and those like it are why iowas governor is the most hated in the country, as well as why there is a mass exodus of young people from the state. i am one of them. i someday wish to be able to return to the place i once called home, but with each passing day and each new piece of legislation that comes down, it seems less likely. shame on anyone involved in this bill and any like it. steve holt, you will be remembered as a failure and a hated man. skyler wheeler, you are on a path of selfdestruction if you keep yourself attached to these freaks like holt. both of you bring shame to the state of iowa, all in the name of a fake crusade that was thrust upon you by the pedophilic cabal run by Jeffrey Epstein, Donald Trump, and all of their collaborators. if there is a hell, you will end up there, and that, i am sure of.

02-05-2026

Anna Frank

Please find your humanity and realize that this bill will do nothing but harm children. Conversion therapy IS child cruelty and anyone who thinks it's ok to do that to their children should face ramifications the same as any other method of child abuse. Please set aside your political biases and realize this is a matter of children's safety. VOTE NO.

02-05-2026

Preston Vorthmann

I oppose this bill as I believe conversion therapy is a solution in search of a problem. People are born LBGT and conversion therapy says something is wrong with them when there is not. It is harmful to mental health as well.

02-05-2026

Teresa Wellman

Please OPPOSE this bill. Parents can certainly seek to raise their children as they see fit. What is described here is a means for parents that are unwilling to accept their transgender children as they are and who pursue damaging therapies and behaviors to align with this narrow view an out against claims of child abuse. Parents who refuse medical treat for children suffering from other conditions have been held for child abuse under the courts. This situation is no different. Child abuse comes in many forms and failing to acknowledge and help their children when proven medical help is available is abuse.

02-05-2026

Eric Saylor

This is garbage legislation written by and for bigots, engaging in massive governmental overreach into family and medical affairs by endorsing a longdiscredited practice (conversion therapy) that will result in physical, mental, and emotional harm to children. It should die in subcommittee.

02-05-2026

Nick Oswald

Republicans know they are fighting a losing battle with the public, so what do they do instead of helping Iowans by lowering our prices that would help them in the upcoming midterms? They continue to double down and pick on a small group of people that will cause some of them to commit suicide. HOW WILL THIS HELP EVERYDAY IOWANS??? It's pathetic and anyone who votes for these hateful bigoted people are just as hateful and bigoted. Enough is enough! Do things that ACTUALLY help us!!VOTE NO!

02-05-2026

Cole Cecil

Strongly opposed. I've had enough of these dehumanizing attacks on LGBTQ people. Conversion therapy is harmful, abusive, and ineffective. Young people deserve protection from practices that cause documented psychological harm.

02-06-2026

Sandra Bild-Kacena

I am against HSB 669: Permitting Conversion Therapy Practices and allowing practices that harm children and target LGBTQ+ youth.I am writing to express strong opposition to HSB 669. Iowa already presents significant challenges for LGBTQ+ individuals. Advancing legislation that would legitimize or protect conversion therapy practices is deeply concerning. LGBTQ+ people are not broken, and transgender youth do not require correction.Conversion therapy is dangerous and harmful. Legislation should not redefine harm to allow identity suppression as acceptable care. Such policies increase the risk of depression, anxiety, trauma, homelessness, and suicide among young people.

02-06-2026

Felicitas Avendano

I oppose this bill. Let human beings be who they are. There's so much evidence on how damaging conversion therapy is. Why drive young Iowans to suicide, homelessness, or to leave the state? Let LGBTQ+ youth express themselves and foster healthy growth and development. I encourage you to spend time with a group of them, get to know who they are. You'll find intelligent, creative, caring human beings worthy of being who they are. Please say no to this horrible bill.

02-06-2026

Gordie Felger

STRONGLY OPPOSED! STOP IT! STOP IT! FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, JUST STOP IT! LGBTQ+ people are not dangerous, not broken, and don't need to be "fixed!" Can't you just live and let live in peace? You've taken your pound of flesh. Will you not be satisfied until every LGBTQ+ person has been wiped out? Ask yourself, what has a gay or trans person ever done to you? Why do you hate and fear them so much? JUST STOP IT NOW!

02-06-2026

Michelle Lenkaitis

Please protect the children of this state and vote NO on this bill. Children have the right to feel a sense of belonging and acceptance to grow into healthy productive adults regardless of how they identify themselves. Forcing them to "convert" to a social construct of gender definitions devalues them and is a form of abuse. Where does it end? Do we tell them next that only thin children are worthy?

02-06-2026

Aaron Longoria

I strongly oppose this bill. As a person who was subject to treatments used during religious conversion therapy, I can attest that these practices are not effective and only lead to negatively affecting children for the rest of their lives leading to heightened risks of substance abuse, mental illness, suicidal ideation, and negative self image. By passing this bill, parents and guardians are given the green light to effectively torture children in their care.

02-06-2026

Allegra Hernandez

This proposed bill is cruel and enables child abuse. Gender and sexuality is innate and unchangeable. There is no science or medical backing for conversion therapy and it is often done by religious organizations or parental figures behind closed doors. This is simply cruel and heinous.

02-06-2026

Brenda Anderson

I strongly oppose this bill. Suicide rates are already too high, this bill will cause them to rise even higher. Iowa was founded on protecting Iowans rights, all Iowans, not just the ones you decide. Please oppose this bill.

02-06-2026

Sarah Bentley

Oppose! There have been countless studies proving that there are severe consequences from conversion therapy. There is no way to justify how conversion therapy is ethical. I'm tired of seeing the committee attacking the LGBT community when they are not your enemies. Y'all say you want to help/protect children when this does the complete opposite. If you truly care about Iowans and their children, focus on the cancer rates and water instead of focusing on everyone's personal lives. Do better, Iowa

02-06-2026

Jessica Allard

I strongly oppose this bill. I am a mental health therapist and have seen the real damage done to Iowan children due to the lack of genderaffirming care in this state. This sentence should scare you: LGBTQ children are already at a much higher risk for suicidal ideation, suicide attempts and selfharm. If it doesnt scare you, why not??Conversion therapy is PROVEN to be dangerous and harmful. I have sat with children suffering deep pain because they are rejected by their families, school communities and their local government. Please stop harming Iowan children in this way and vote NO on this bill.

02-06-2026

Laura Stefan

Vote NO on HSB669. Genderaffirming care saves lives. Gender and sexuality cannot be changed with conversion therapy, and promoting such tactics will only increase risk for LGBTQIA+ youth. Voting yes would mean you would prefer a dead child over a gay or trans child.

02-06-2026

Andrew Coyle

HSB 669 raises serious concerns because it shields parents from accountability, even when their actions cause demonstrable harm to a child. By protecting conversion therapy and denying medically recommended genderaffirming care from being considered abuse, the bill prioritizes ideology over child welfare. Major medical and psychological associations have consistently warned that conversion therapy increases risks of depression, anxiety, and suicide among LGBTQ+ youth. Removing legal safeguards sends a message that emotional and psychological harm is acceptable if it aligns with certain beliefs. Laws should protect childrens health and safety first, not carve out exceptions that leave vulnerable kids with fewer protections and fewer paths to support.

02-07-2026

Laura Teske [- Select -]

I oppose this bill and ask you to vote no, letting it die in subcommittee. There is overwhelming evidence that "conversion therapy" not only does not lead to a change in sexual orientation, it leads to significant mental health struggles, including suicidal ideation and sometimes death. Again, the party of small government has forgotten their party's history. This is not only an unnecessary bill, it is harmful and will destroy Iowans who are subjected to this dangerous practice.

02-07-2026

Oliver Schoenborn

I STRONGLY oppose this bill. It will allow parents and guardians to engage in the dangerous and discredited practice known as conversion therapy to try to change the gender identity of a minor. Conversion therapy is not an empiricallybased treatment and has been shown to result in long term psychological harm for its victims. Furthermore, conversion therapy has been rejected and labeled as a harmful treatment by every major medical and mental health organization. To allow this bill to pass is to endanger youth and to go against recommendations for ethical psychological practice.

02-07-2026

Jennifer Kirkman

I strongly oppose this harmful hateful and dangerous bill. Science and facts matter and conversion therapy does not work. More importantly it is harmful and results in higher rates of selfharm. These are children! Hateful ideology aimed at already marginalised communities cannot become law.

02-07-2026

Susannah Crichton

I strongly oppose this bill for the safety and health of our children and community. There is ample evidence that this kind of bill will only bring mental and physical harm to children, and significantly affect them their entire lives. Why would you vote for such a horrendous thing? To punish anyone, a child no less, for living as their authentic selves? We do not need or want this. Please vote NO to this bill.

02-07-2026

Stacy Volmer

I strongly oppose House Study Bill 669. This bill is a direct threat to the safety, mental health, and wellbeing of Iowas children. By exempting parents from child abuse definitions for refusing to affirm a childs gender identity, it legalizes neglect and emotional harm under the guise of protecting sexbased guidance. Children, especially LGBTQ+ youth, could be denied medically necessary care, subjected to rejection, and placed at heightened risk for depression, anxiety, selfharm, and suicide. Decisions about a childs mental health and medical care must be guided by licensed professionals and the childs best interests, not ideology. HSB 669 undermines child protection, fosters discrimination, and endangers children in foster care, adoption, and custody cases. This bill is not just misguided, it is dangerous. Iowa must reject it.

02-07-2026

Isabel Horchem

I heavily oppose this bill. You are just asking for child suicide rates to sky rocket. This will harm children not protect them. Allowing parents to send kids to conversion camps is not about protecting familiesits about subjecting children to emotional abuse in the name of ideology. LGBTQ+ youth already face higher risks of depression and suicide. Laws should protect them, not expose them to more harm.

02-07-2026

Adriana Marquez-Ruiz

I strongly oppose this bill. Conversion therapy has been proven harmful and ineffective. Legalizing it for children puts ideology above their mental health and safety. This law is a step backward, not forward. My mom years ago tried to get me to go to a place to convert me and it made me feel unloved, hated, and that I could never just be enough for my family to love me all because I liked girls. I was also over the age of 18. Its wrong and unkind and mentally traumatizing.

02-07-2026

Rick Phillips

Why are we here? To protect children from a harmful ideology that does nothing but weaken and ruin the mental and emotional health of children not yet affected by this Woke insanity. Little boys should be taught they will one day become men and husbands and fathers. Little girls should be taught they will one day become women, wives and mothers. To cross gender the emotions of a biological gender with the other is child abuse akin to a Dr. Joeseph Mengele experiment. Thats not who we are! This commonsense bill needs to pass supersonic quick to stop the evils of this manipulative transgender theology poisoning Iowa. Please pass and fast track HSB669.

02-08-2026

Samantha Wilson [Iowa Humane Alliance]

Conversion Therapy is cruel and causes unrepairable amounts of harm to young and developing humans. Drop this bill and pursue something that will actually help our community; such as affordable housing, ending homelessness, taking steps toward more sustainable agriculture (which will improve air and water quality), and prioritizing health care access.

02-08-2026

Scott Malaney

Being part of the LGBTQ is not a choice, it is not a mental illness, it is not something you can convert from or cure. Being trans is not something you can ignore or cure or convert. Parents that do not acknowledge a childs choose. Gender when different from what was assigned are committing child abuse.Conversion Therapy is dangerous. It harms those who have gone through it. It does not work while increasing the rates of depression, suicide, and homelessness. If you want to actually keep kids safe then vote against HSB 669.

02-08-2026

Joel Gilbertson

I strongly OPPOSE this meanspirited bill, designed to make it easier to mistreat people who need kindness and authenticity. It goes against empirical evidence, it goes against good healthcare, and it certainly goes against the ethics of love. Vote NO!

02-08-2026

Aaryn Frazier-Elliott

Hello,I am writing to oppose this bill. Not only is it dangerous and harmful to enforce someone, especially children, to live in a manner consistent to their sex but the language around and within this bill is atrocious. Sex determination is only about the chromosomes there within. The gender roles and expectations of someone of a certain sex are social constructs. As such, adherence to sexbased norms should not be controlled, limited or encouraged by the government. I implore you to reconsider the approach you are taking. If this decision somehow came from a good, empathetic place in your humanity then there should be alternatives and scaffolded change to social opinion. Creating an absolute with no room for change, opinion, research or growth is not in the best interest of the American people. Not in the best interest of Iowan people.

02-08-2026

Emma Stoffer

I oppose this harmful bill. Allowing parents and to engage in practices of conversion therapy will put the lives of children and teenagers at risk. Gender affirming care saves lives and bills like this one seek to perpetuate hate and cause harm.

02-08-2026

Daniel Stratman

I strongly oppose HSB 669. This bill endangers vulnerable youth by explicitly excluding the refusal of genderaffirming care and the use of incorrect pronouns from definitions of "child abuse" and "child endangerment". By amending Code 232.68, it grants immunity to guardians who reject a childs identity, contradicting established mental health standards regarding the harm of rejection.Furthermore, the bill amends Code 237.5 and 600.7A to force the state to license foster and adoptive parents who intend to raise children solely "consistent with the child's sex," even if that conflicts with a specific child's medical or emotional needs. Every child deserves a safe, affirming home. This legislation prioritizes adult ideology over child welfare and creates dangerous loopholes for emotional neglect.Please vote NO on HSB 669.

02-08-2026

Nathaniel Wilson

Heavily oppose this bill.Let children be children. This includes if young Sally wants to cut her hair short and play football with the boys. Or if young Matthew wants to paint his nails and do fashion design. This has been proven to be harmful by verified scientific and medical sources. If this was about protecting children, this bill wouldn't exist. But I take it that the cruelty is the point.

02-08-2026

Ian Schwarz

I strongly oppose this bill. Elected officials continue to discount and ignore the recommendations from specialists and professionals who have long stated that conversion therapy is harmful. You should be listening to the professionals and not just your uninformed personal beliefs. This bill is a blatant waste of your elected officials time and our tax payer dollars

02-08-2026

Ian Schwarz

02-08-2026

Laurie Wilson

I am opposed to "conversion therapy" since it has been disproven by multiple physicians. However this bill is also the camels nose under the tent. It allows further legislation by precedent that could significantly sn negatively impact Iowa families. This is a kneejerk reaction to a fearful populace. Conservative voices should be asking for less legislation from the state, not more.

02-08-2026

Olivia Hockey

Why are prolife "protect our kids" Republicans so hellbent on legalizing child abuse? Conversion "therapy" has been proven ineffective time and time again. It is not therapy. It is torture that far too many kids have already had to suffer through. Many have died because they were told they needed to fix something that was never wrong, and their blood is on your hands. Protect our most vulnerable and vote NO on this bill.

02-08-2026

Brianna Stoever

I vehemently oppose this bill. For one, the verbiage is far too vague and who should be allowed to tell a child what their identity is? A person is a person and this bill removes a child's RIGHT to explore who they are safely. It's disgusting to think some people believe this is protection when the reason we have enacted past laws was to protect identities. This is a step backwards. This will cause insurmountable harm to the future generation. Vote NO. Protect ALL our children, not just the definition bigots have for what they should be. ALL children deserve love and safety.

02-08-2026

Jim Rohrer

I oppose this bill with all of my being. Conversion therapy has been proven by any scientific research to be proven at best ineffective and at worst actively harmful to the recipients. LGBT youth are already some of the most likely kids to consider and commit suicide, and studies have proven that conversion therapy only increases those chances. If you dont believe me, Stanford has released studies (https://med.stanford.edu/news/allnews/2024/09/conversionpracticeslgbt.html) as well as the American Psycological. Association (https://www.apa.org/topics/lgbtq/evidenceagainstconversiontherapy#::text=What%20is%20%E2%80%9Cconversion%20therapy?%E2%80%9D,slight%20changes%20in%20sexual%20orientation.) as well as many others. This helps no one, and actively harms many. Please vote no.

02-08-2026

Anita Christensen

I strongly oppose HSB669 and ask you to vote no. Conversion therapy is widely considered harmful and unethical. People who have gone through it report much higher rates of depression, anxiety, PTSD, selfhatred, and suicide attempts. Major medical and mental health organizations oppose it. Please vote NO.

02-08-2026

Lisa Martincik

I oppose this bill. It endorses and encourages conversion therapy, a practice entirely debunked and discredited, and amply proven to result in nothing but trauma. Children raised with control rather than guidance lack opportunity for growth and selfdetermination. This bill pits family members against each other and will lead to a less healthy Iowa and a traumatized populace.

02-08-2026

Karna and Dave Bosman

This bill will do nothing but harm children and youth. I have read several firsthand accounts from people who were profoundly affected by conversion therapy. I have also spoken with individuals who experienced its harm firsthand. Based on the experience of those harmed, and the overwhelming consensus among medical and mental health professionals, I urge you to vote NO on HSB 669. Conversion therapy has been rejected as ineffective and dangerous and is associated with increased risk of depression, trauma, and suicide among children. Iowas laws should protect children from harm, not create exceptions that expose them to it. Please vote NO on HSB 669.

02-08-2026

Caiti Courtier

I oppose this bill. I cannot put into words how incredibly harmful this would be to our children. Conversion therapy is torture. A person's gender identity has NOTHING to do with the state. Vote NO on this hurtful, hateful bill.

02-08-2026

Jean Swenson

This bill should be defeated. Our children deserve so much better from the adults in their lives than they are getting. Gender identity/sexual orientation is never a "mistake," it is who the person "is." We all have different interests that have NOTHING to do with biology, and to stereotype someone back into the 1950's is a huge mistake. Conversion therapy has been proven to be damaging to the person subjected to it, and never works. Quit wasting your time on these types of issues, and focus on water quality, funding public education,m and other priorities of the Iowans you represent.

02-08-2026

Karen Maass

I strongly oppose this bill. This bill will cause harm, and a rise in suicide rates among children. You need to do your research. It says this in the research and it is recorded in people's personal accounts. There are so many areas that need to be addressed by this legislature, such as healthcare and cost, providing a living wage, improving Iowa's economy which is 49th in the nation, decreasing Iowa's cancer arate which is 1st in the nation. Yet here you are working trying to pass legislation that controls and destroys the lives of Iowans. Please care and vote no to this bill.

02-08-2026

Lydia Revier

I am strongly against this bill. This bill allows for the use of conversion therapy, which has been discredited by all evidencebased medical and mental health organizations. This harmful practice increases suicide rates, and is inherently antilife, antichild, and antimental health. This bill truly serves no one, while increasing public health costs in the long run.

02-08-2026

Brittany Van Fosson

As a clinical social worker/psychotherapist serving children and families in Southwest Iowa, I am asking that my legislators to say NO to this bill. Independent of what people may believe about the validity of trans identities, research consistently shows that children subjected to conversion therapies experience increased rates of depression, PTSD, suicidality, and homelessness. No child should ever have their long term mental health put at risk in this way for ANY reason. Thank you.

02-08-2026

Emily Smith

I oppose HSB 669. Effectively Legalizing conversion therapy will harm children. Iowas children are not fodder for your agenda. Allowing children to be subjected to conversion therapy is horrific. Conversion therapy is ineffective. Research shows that it has no meaningful change on peoples sexual orientation or gender identities.Major medical and mental health organizations have long recognized conversion therapy as dangerous and unethical. Iowa lawmakers are now moving to give it explicit legal protection.Conversion therapy is harmful. Children who experience conversion therapy have a higher rate of depression, anxiety and suicidal thoughts. This bill will protect caregivers who cause lasting harm to children in their care. No child should be put at risk of harm. Again, I do not support HSB 669

02-08-2026

Carrie Kayser

Oppose this bill and ask the committee to vote No. This bill opens the door for gender conversion therapy, which is proven ineffective, and causes harm to an already vulnerable population in Iowa. We should allow schools to be safe environments where kids can grow and express themselves. The amount of bills this government has proposed and passed targeting the LGBTQIA+ community is shameful and needs to stop.

02-08-2026

Amanda Gran

The American Academy of Pediatrics opposes conversion therapy because it has no clinical utility. I oppose this bill because medical professionals oppose this practice, people who have spent far more time and effort learning about the health and safety of young people than any of the people who are pushing this harmful, devastating bill.

02-09-2026

Madeline Cole

Do you know that there are at least half a million people in the US with sex chromosome abnormalities? Did you know that fetal sex organs develop by around 9 weeks, but the sexual differentiation of the brain is a separate process lasting until at least the 22nd week, allowing for discrepancies in these processes? Do you know about the sacred role of gender nonconforming individuals in Christian sainthood, Mexican muxe women, Albanian sworn virgins, or hawaiian make individuals? Have you heard of Trans Phantom sensations? If any of this is unfamiliar to you, then you do NOT have enough information about these people's lived experience to be passing legislation on their rights. Voter NO and educate yourself more.

02-09-2026

emma denney

HSB 669 is among the worst and most egregious pieces of work i have seen from this legislature. Please oppose its passage and let it stop in this subcommittee. this bill makes trans kids allowable targets for abuse, neglect, and violence from families, caregivers and the foster care system. It opens up some of the most vulnerable young people in Iowa to the cruel and well documented harm of conversion therapy, coming near explicitly endorsing it. HSB 669 ties the hands of anyone trying to do real good for trans kids in Iowa, a group this legislature has already attacked dozens of times.HSB 669 makes Steve Holt, Skyler Wheeler, and their entire party's goal clear: trans kids should disappear, and the state is more than willing to do that disappearing for you. This bill makes me sick.

02-09-2026

Sarah Chang

As someone who knows people who have endured attempts at "conversion", I vehemently OPPOSE HSB 669. It would legitimize certain excuses for child abuse, subjecting youth to ineffective strategies which cause documented long term psychological harm, including increasing suicidality. How "pro life" of "caretakers" to prefer a dead child over a gay or trans child. There are a multitude of reasons the Iowa Senate has in recent years actually advanced legislation that would BAN "conversion therapy". Not only is it inhumane, but the longterm damage it inflicts, such as PTSD, would also increase public health costs in the long run. Please have a heart and vote AGAINST this cruel bill.

02-09-2026

Lisa Ferretti [Lisa Ferretti LISW, LLC]

Strongly oppose, as a clinical social worker and as a compassionate human being. No evidence base; has proven harmful including links to depression, social isolation, anxiety, suicidality. Sexual orientation is not a mental illness that needs to be "cured."

02-09-2026

Jenn Pedersen

I strongly oppose this bill. Conversion therapy is terribly harmful, has been proven to be ineffective, & has been rejected by every major medical governing body based on real science. Stop seeking to harm individuals who do you not conform to your narrow perspective of gender & sexuality.

02-09-2026

Kelly Danilson

I strongly oppose this bill. All one needs to do is look at the data and it is clear that this bill would cause much harm. Please vote no on this bill. Please use your time on things that would actually help Iowans vs. hurt them.

02-09-2026

Michele Davis

I oppose this bill. Government and religion need to stay out of healthcare, all forms of healthcare. Individuality, safety and mental health are vital to everyone. This bill is dangerous to the health and survivability of our LBGTQ+ youth.

02-09-2026

Jackie Cordon

There is a reason I was taught never to do conversion therapy when I was getting my masters in Clinical Counseling. It has proven to be very harmful. Therapists can get their licenses taken for doing it for good reason. Suicide rates among teens in the LGBTQ community who have no family support are already too high. Supporting conversion therapy as a viable treatment would only make that worse. Theres so much beyond gender besides what you look like on the outside. Legitimizing conversion therapy makes us look like a bunch of backward hicks and whos going to want to stay in such a state or encourage employees to move here? Its dangerous and incredibly embarrassing.

02-09-2026

Larissa Boeck

OPPOSE! This bill prioritizes parental ideology over the best interests of the child. By creating a specific carve out, the bill would make it harder for the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services or courts to investigate or intervene in cases where rigid enforcement of "sex consistent" upbringing crosses into abuse or neglect. This bill goes against guidance provided by the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Psychological Association, organizations who better know what a child needs than this assembly. Kill this terrible piece of legislation.

02-09-2026

Miranda Finn

OPPOSE this bill and don't let it move forward. Let children be who they are. I would much rather our legislature focus on solving real problems like our water pollution crisis than spend so much time harassing trans people.

02-09-2026

Nichelle Bunkofske

I strongly oppose HSB 669. This bill will make conversion therapy legal. This is torture for our youth. This is not about protecting children. Please vote no this bill must be stopped to help protect Iowa's youth. Our rights we will protect.

02-09-2026

Hannah Henry

02-09-2026

Sarah McKeever

I strongly oppose this bill. No Iowans are asking for this, and it will only do more harm to an already vulnerable population. If you truly care about protecting children and preserving parental rights, you will not allow this hateful piece of legislation to move forward.

02-09-2026

Morgan Hockey

Vote NO on HSB 669. This bill is yet another attack on the trans community, and an attempt to increase the suicide rate of trans youth. Conversion therapy has been discredited by every major medical association. It doesn't work, and it increases risk of suicide, homelessness, substance abuse, and a whole host of other psychiatric problems. Deliberately inflicting on a group conditions of life calculated to bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part is an element of genocide by the UN's definition. Passing bills like this while knowing that it will increase the suicide rate of trans youth IS genocide.

02-09-2026

Nathan Williams

As a pastor and a parent, I oppose this bill. Every religious tradition teaches that love is the essence of religious truth. Christian denominations are increasingly understanding that love for transgender people entails affirming the truth of their gender identity. Every mainstream pediatric and mental health association recognizes that children experience better outcomes when their gender identities are recognized and affirmed by their caregivers. When parents and community caregivers choose to affirm the truth of gender diversity in their children and youth, that affirmation literally saves lives. This legislation specifically affirms one form of harm to our children by carving it out of the selfevident definition of child abuse.Rev. Nathan Williams Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)

02-09-2026

Merissa Lewiston

Please vote no. This bill would legalize conversion therapy in all but name and that will result in the deaths of young Iowans. I encounter a lot of trans and nonbinary students in my volunteer work and I can tell you that the students who are in a supportive home are much more likely to survive and become functioning members of society. Trans and nonbinary Iowans deserve the same rights afforded to the rest of the citizens of Iowa. Please do not support this.

02-09-2026

Leanne Williams

As a Christian, I am vehemently OPPOSED to HSB669. These practices have been rejected by every mainstream medical and mental health organization. They are not known to be effective, but instead are extremely harmful and lead to increased rates of depression, anxiety, homelessness, and suicide. "Parental rights" do not allow intervention in a youth's decision regarding matters of religion, military enlistment, nor should they allow intervention in medical decisions (incl vaccinations!) for any youth reasonably able to advocate for themselves. God made us all in their image, and we are all beautifully made.

02-09-2026

Norma Ewinger

OPPOSE this bill. There is no recognized medical group that supports conversion "therepy". It not only doesn't work but it is intensely harmful to the child. It causes depression and suicide. The rate of suicide in LGBTQ+ children is already too high and this would only make it worse. There is no way this bill should go any further. Oppose it today for the sake of the children.

02-09-2026

Alexis Henry

Alexis HenryI oppose this bill. Conversion "therapy" has been rejected by every major medical or mental health organization including the American Academy of Child Adolescent Psychiatry, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American College of Physicians, the American Counseling Association, and the World Psychiatric Association and should not be supported by our government. This practice has not only been found ineffective but harmful leading to increased rates of depression, anxiety, homelessness, and suicide. You must vote NO on this bill.

02-09-2026

Charity Henry

Charity HenryI oppose this bill. Conversion "therapy" has been rejected by every major medical or mental health organization including the American Academy of Child Adolescent Psychiatry, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American College of Physicians, the American Counseling Association, and the World Psychiatric Association and should not be supported by our government. This practice has not only been found ineffective but harmful leading to increased rates of depression, anxiety, homelessness, and suicide. You must vote NO on this bill.

02-09-2026

Nancy Halls

Please vote NO on advancing this dangerous bill. Public comments make it overwhelmingly clear that Iowans oppose these senseless attacks on our LGBTQ+ families and children. Voting to advance a bill like HSB 669 is a clear message that a legislator's priority is not the health and wellbeing of Iowans but the advancement of their own political agenda, and Iowans won't forget where your priorities lie when we head to the voting booth.

02-09-2026

Olivia Stoner

I oppose this bill. Since it seems an appeal to moral decency and empathy for children, let me address your pocketbooks. This bill cost taxpayers a significant amount of money. A study conducted by JAMA Pediatrics found "Relative to LGBTQ individuals who did not undergo SOGICE (Sexual orientation and gender identity change efforts), recipients experienced serious psychological distress (47% vs 34%), depression (65% vs 27%), substance abuse (67% vs 50%), and attempted suicide (58% vs 39%). In the economic analysis, over a lifetime horizon with a 3% annual discount rate, the basecase model estimated additional $97985 lifetime costs per individual, with SOGICE associated with 1.61 QALYs lost vs no intervention; affirmative therapy yielded cost savings of $40329 with 0.93 QALYs gained vs no intervention." Not only will voting NO save lives, it will save taxpayer money.https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapediatrics/fullarticle/2789415

02-09-2026

Alexis Henry

Alexis HenryI oppose this bill. Conversation therapy has been found to be ineffective and has been rejected by every major medical or mental health organization. (American Academy of Child Adolescent Psychiatry, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American College of Physicians, the American Counseling Association, and the World Psychiatric Association)It's known to increase the risk of Anxiety, Depression, PTSD, homelessness, and even suicide! I would rather change my child's contact name than decide what tombstone their name resides on.You must vote NO on this bill.

02-09-2026

Alexis Henry

02-09-2026

Charity Henry

Charity HenryI oppose this bill. Conversion "therapy" increases the risk on Anxiety, Depression, PTSD, homelessness, and suicide. This practice has been rejected by every major medical or mental organization, such as, American Academy of Child Adolescent Psychiatry, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American College of Physicians, the American Counseling Association, and the World Psychiatric Association.We need to put child's lives before parent's beliefs. You must vote NO on this bill.

02-09-2026

Jennifer Kelso

VOTE NO to this egregious bill. I thought Republicans were all about small government, yet here they are again legislating over people's own personal liberties? This is especially appalling given that conversion therapy has been overwhelmingly proven to be HARMFUL to children. Speaking of which, why are Republicans so obsessed with children's genitalia? It's obscene. Just get out of all of our lives.

02-14-2026

Judah Richardson

HSB669 would allow parents (biological, adoptive, foster, or otherwise) to engage in the dangerous, discredited practice known as conversion therapy to try to change the gender identity of a young person. Every mainstream medical and mental health organization has rejected these practices. These practices are not only ineffective but also extremely harmful and lead to increased rates of depression, anxiety, homelessness, and suicide. Do not pass this bill. Vote NO on this bill.

02-09-2026

David Anderson

Please vote No on HSB 669. Socalled "conversion therapy" is merely torture under another name. The only effects of passing this bill will be harm to children (please see attached document) which, at best, will make them less productive when they are adults. Leaving the state that permitted their torture or death by suicide are all too likely outcomes. This bill is bad for both children and and our state.

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