Meeting Public Comments

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SF 167

A bill for an act relating to instruction relating to gender identity in the curriculum provided to students enrolled in elementary education programs.

Agenda

Subcommittee members: Carlin-CH, Celsi, Rozenboom

Date: Tuesday, February 16, 2021

Time: 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM

Location: RM 111

Comments Submitted:

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The purpose of comments is to provide information to members of the subcommittee.

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

02-15-2021

Katherine Boyd []

I do not live in Iowa anymore but grew up in Des Moines and have many family members and friends who still live there. We are all aghast at the rapid influx of antitrans bills appearing before the Iowa Legislature right now. Schools should be a SAFE PLACE for all students, especially students of LGBTQIA+ identities who may not receive acceptance from their own families. This bill is insanely discriminatory & harmful to Trans and nonbinary youth. Shame on all State Legislators in support of these bills & you will be held accountable for your blatant transphobia in future election cycles.

02-15-2021

Athena Riesenberg []

Iowa schools should be a safe and welcoming space for all, including all LGBTQIA+ youth. This bill, and the numerous other antitrans bills being presented before the Iowa Legislature right now, are not cultivating or celebrating inclusivity, but rather denying the right to acknowledge the existence of trans and nonbinary students in Iowa. We need to strengthen our community by connecting people with ideas and the tools they need to enrich their lives, rather than trying to erase and/or ignore the diverse identities that exist in our community. This all starts in our schools. It's how we build strong individuals and communities that uplift and celebrate our unique differences.

02-15-2021

Anonymous 4 Safety []

While the majority of Iowa doesnt appear to agree with this bill. I am here to say I do! People need boundries. Simple as that. Male children as young as 3 are being led to believe they are trans just because want to dress up as Disney Princess. How would you like me to explain to my daughters that its ok a grown man be in a bathroom with them because he feels like a women?? Inclusion and understanding is going too far. When will enough be enough.

02-16-2021

Andrew Boge []

Removing gender identity from school curriculum across the state is both a gross overreach of stat government oversight and does a severe disservice to the quality of education in the state of Iowa. Stripping references to gender identity is also a discriminatory affront against LGTBQ+ Iowans. There is no pedagogical or educational reason that supports removing gender identity from curriculum. In a school environment that is already hostile towards students of gender identities that fall out of the societal expectation of heteronormativity, removing gender identity does a disservice students and reinforces ignorance and discriminatory behavior. Furthermore, the Senate does not need to have such wide reaching control over this subjectit is a waste of taxpayers dollars. I strongly recommend this bill be removed and state legislatures stop discriminating against LGBTQ+ Iowans.

02-16-2021

Anna Anderson []

I oppose this bill as it is discriminatory and inherently violent and harmful towards trans and LGBTQ children and teens. They cannot make their voices heard through their vote, so I am speaking up for all the trans kids in Iowa who already live in fear of harm for just living their truth. Protect children, protect trans children and listen to the people you represent. This has nothing to do with respect and care, this bill harms and silences the voices of queer and trans Iowans and that is deeply troubling and extremely discriminatory.

02-16-2021

Thomas Stevens []

I do not support SF 167. This bill would ban any mention of gender. Merely saying boy or girl in reference to anything would be teaching students about their gender identity. Saying "would any boy want to move this car for me" would be teaching every student about what type of work boys to compared to girls. It is impossible not to teach students about their gender identity. This bill would ban students from being critical thinkers and attempt to prevent them from self discovery.

02-16-2021

Ann Kreitman []

This bill is outright discriminatory and does nothing to help the young people of Iowa. Education about gender identity and transgender people isnt a threat to cisgender people. Just because I learned about groups of people in school doesnt mean I was being indoctrinated it was necessary education for the world ahead. Attempting to hide and silence gender identity and trans people is shameful and I oppose this bill.

02-16-2021

Dan Gall []

I teach a life skills class, including healthy sexuality, for 1113 year olds through my church and answer students' questions regarding gender. Including gender identity and gender expression along with physical gender in the school curriculum helps students make sense of their world and their feelings, whatever those feelings may be. Children learn from a variety of sources, some of which provide inaccurate or damaging information. They are already learning about gender identities from friends, gossip, media, etc. Children are already being mocked or teased because of how the feel or present themselves to the world. School should be a place for accurate information to help our future adults work well with and respect others. Keeping information from them because we find it uncomfortable does them, and us, a disservice.Thank you.

02-16-2021

Mayara C []

SUPPORT SF 167 Let children be children. There is no need to teach gender identity in the primary years. Parental wishes need to be respected. Written consent from parents before teaching ideologies that would confuse a child is necessary.

02-16-2021

Heather Stancil []

Anything to do with teaching sexuality should ALWAYS have parental consent. The schools are teaching far too much subjective ideology, and far too little academics. Leave the ideology to the parents to teach. Thats not why taxpayers fund public education. Stuff like this should also be an optin, not an optout.

02-16-2021

Aiden Bettine []

As a transgender Iowan, I can guarantee you that passing this bill will lead to increased ignorance and negligence among students and teachers in Iowa schools when it comes to LGBTQ and particularly transgender issues, rights, and inclusion. Why are ignorance and negligence so detrimental among teachers and students alike? Bullying. Transgender youth face an incredibly high amount of bullying in schools and it is proven that inclusive curriculum decreases the rates of bullying, erasure, and violence that transgender students face. As a transgender community member, I can safely say gender identity inclusive curriculum does not make children feel like they are trans, but does make transgender children feel seen, represented, and whole. It is not the job of the state legislators to overwrite the experts our trained teachers and educational professionals who know who to appropriately teach about gender identity or are willing to learn and seek training if they do not. Senator Carlin, you are an attorney, Senator Rozenboom, you are in big agriculture what makes either of you equipped to introduce and pass legislation on a classroom context you do not know about, that is not in your profession, and that professional education experts and mental health professionals do vehemently propose. I've provided some reading for both of you to better educate yourselves instead of spending your time harming transgender youth through legislation.

Attachment

02-16-2021

Sabrina Carper []

Children learn whether we want them to or not. I think allowing teachers to provide factual guidance to young children as they discover more about the world around them is a good thing! Our young people are exposed to a wide variety of gender related ideas through media and seeing people in real life. I want them to have an outlet to learn more about these things. It's not like teachers will be forcing kids to be trans, they'll just be informing them that trans people exist. The alternative is that our kids are in the dark and are I'll prepared when they encounter real people with alternative identities. They should know what's out there.

02-16-2021

Kalmia Strong []

SF 167 is harmful to ALL youth and discriminatory to transgender and nonbinary youth. Inclusive school curricula that educates on the value of diverse communities and identities are crucial to supporting safe and healthy development and student success. Please support all Iowa students and do not forward this bill.

02-16-2021

Trevor Magness []

I support SF 167. Typical gender instructional material doesn't just teach kids to be respectful of others . It teaches them unscientific ideas about the human body (such as the "x brain in y body" nonsense) and also reinstates gender norms. Schooling is supposed to be about expanding kids horizons, and yet curriculums teach that girls who like math or sports, or boys who like to sing or draw, are 'gender nonconforming'. Kids are often effectively encouraged by teachers and curriculum to become unhappy with their own bodies, in the crusade to "affirm trans". The kind of manipulation that often accompanies transgender curriculum has no place in any school, but especially not among children who haven't even yet gone through puberty. Children deserve to be able to pursue their own interests without trusted authority figures telling them their interests might mean they have a bad body.