Meeting Public Comments

Tiffany Hoffman []

As the parent of a nonbinary child who has legally changed their name, we have seen the awful and catastrophic results of them being deadnamed by peers in school. Allowing this to happen legally and willfully WILL kill children and staff. I beg you to not give merit to bill HF2139. Protect ALL students and staff.

Madison Atwood []

Please do not pass this bill. It is never OK for a person to refuse to use the name and/or pronouns when they request that accomodation. Regardless of an employee's personal beliefs, they must use the correct name and/or pronouns that a student and their family have requested. Of course mistakes happen, but what we are talking about here is someone who refuses to acknowledge the humanity and dignity of another by calling them by something other than they asked. Students cannot thrive in environments where they do not even feel fundamentally safe, seen, and heard.

Pamela Mix []

I urge you to vote NO on this bill! Since when is name calling in school officially condoned?! This is childish and appalling. Many people have a preferred name other than what may appear on their birth certificate. It is so common, in fact, that teachers routinely ask students at the beginning of the year if they have a preferred name. Once that name is known, intentionally using some other name is mean spirited bullying. There are loads of data on the bullying and harassment, and sometimes physical violence LGBTQ kids experience in school, leading to anxiety, depression, selfharm. Conversely, these same kids can flourish in a supportive school environment. Please help Iowas kids, including LGBTQ kids, flourish by voting NO on this bill.

Sara Even []

I strongly oppose this bill. Keep Iowa schools safe for ALL children by creating respectful, inclusive environments. Using the correct nickname and pronouns is such a small, simple gesture that supports the mental health of an already marginalized group of kids. Do not support statesanctioned bullying.

Elizabeth Lundberg []

I strongly oppose this bill, which seems to serve no purpose other than to make trans childrens lives harder and more dangerous. My (trans) daughter has not actually experienced much antitrans bullying, because public opinion is thankfully shifting away from the kinds of attitudes this legislation represents (probably something to think about if you care about your longterm political prospects). If she did experience antitrans bullying involving her birth name, however, I would want the caring adults at her school not to be barred from putting a stop to it. This bill is unnecessary and cruel.

Jessica Musil []

I strongly oppose this bill. This is wildly harmful and unnecessary. Iowa lawmakers are setting the tone for our state; by approving this, you are endorsing hate and discrimination.

Susan Langan []

VOTE NO to HF2139. This bill does nothing but harm students in our schools and should not have been passed through the committee. I am a retired educator and worked for 40 years in the public schools. If a teacher has a problem calling a student a preferred name or pronoun, that is a TEACHER problem. If they do not respect a student enough to call them by their preferred name or pronoun, I would wager that they refuse to do other things in the best interest of students as well. However, I have had several discussions with teachers and administrators about calling students their preferred names. The majority have always been very understanding and will do whatever it takes to make a student feel comfortable in their class. What harm does it do? It only builds a RELATIONSHIP with the student. I am so sick of people using their faith and religion as an excuse to degrade and treat LGBTQ+ and especially transgender folks as second class citizens. Maybe they should be mandated to go through training on how to treat students and their parents with respect and dignity. The legislators need to be dealing with SO many more important issues. Our schools are screaming for help with mental health issues and not just putting the crisis information on student IDs. Passing HF2139 will only make things worse for the mental health of many students. Why would you want to make things worse? If you really do care about ALL students of Iowa, you know this is true. Cant we focus on more important issues that are affecting our students? If this bill passes, it will do more damage to our LGBTQ+ and especially our transgender youth. All they want to do is live their lives. Please allow them to do that by adamanty and quickly voting NO to HF2139.

Dessie Sliekers []

I strongly oppose this bill. It serves no purpose other than to be cruel to children who are trying to lead a full life. Harshly calling them out as someone they are not has no gains for anyone other than to give legal backing to the bullies, be they peers or teachers. Stop trying to legalize bigotry.

Nichole Eden [Boys Town Research Hospital]

I strongly oppose this bill. All children deserve a safe and hospitable place to learn and grow. Please promote respect, community, health, and education by voting 'no.'

Brette Deaton []

Please vote NO on this bill. This does not solve any issue that exists, it only puts trans youth in danger. Given the scientific research that has shown that trans youth are at significantly higher rates of suicide when they do not receive gender affirming care, this bill would only impact them in more horrible despite any decision the parents make. This is overstepping by the government and straight up encouraging bullying of young people. Even if you have concerns about trans youth, research supports that a policy like this will only endanger kids who are already dealing with a tremendous amount of stress. These continued attacks on some our most vulnerable demographics in IA are heartless and come from a place of misinformation. Please vote NO. Protect our kids.

Jon Cross []

Vote no on this bill it serves no purpose but to add another way of bullying. How is the public good helper by rushing this bill through. As the father of a trans son he has a hard enough time without more state enfocrced bigotry. I dont know what has happened to the state I grew up in this is not Iowa nice but Iowa hate.

Dessie Sliekers []

DO NOT move this bill forward, it is heinous and cruel. The people spoke loud and clear last week at the subcommittee for another bill to remove trans rights, stop trying to take another avenue. I know this bill comes from the Governors desk, but dont let her strong arm you into passing a bill so harmful.

Emily Burress []

I strongly oppose this bill. If passed this will cause great harm to queer students, specifically trans and nonbinary students. ALL students deserve an affirming safe environment to learn. It is our job to protect students, and I urge you to protect our queer, trans, nonbinary students.

Jill Miller []

I strongly oppose this bill. It is hateful and unnecessary. Public input cannot be obtained when you sneak legislation into debate without giving all Iowans public notice. Shame on you for trying to ram this horrific legislation through with less than 24hour notice. This is not a public state of emergency. This should not be passed, and certainly should not be passed without extended time for public response.

Susie Hines []

I strongly oppose this bill. Allow District leadership and policy to be applied and remove the state legislator from making these types of laws. Vote no.

Tyler Walpole []

This bill is designed only to enable discrimination against a marginalized community. What possible good could this do for the community? It is designed only to hurt. You should be ashamed of yourself if you vote in favor of this bill.

Jocelyn Krueger []

I am again to speak out against HSB 649. Make no mistake, this bill is not part of a program to protect women or womens spaces or address the needs of women. If it was, then wed be spending more time this legislative session addressing the real needs of women in Iowa, improving womens healthcare and access to economic and childcare opportunities, providing affordable housing and food eliminating the pay gap and not eliminating gender parity on Iowas boards.Instead this bill is about power, who can have it, who cant, and limiting it for a small protected class of Iowans. This bill targets the equal and accurate availability to identification that unlocks the very basics of participation in our communities and democracy, from access to travel and voting to innumerable goods and services. The bill uses the actual language of our countrys shameful segregationist past, and is an easy sloppy punchdown dumpsterfire targeting a small and vulnerable group of Iowans. It places our governor and state at the center of a modernday, fearandhatedriven, Wallacesonian Lavendarscare, and on the wrong side of history.Besides being a harmful attack on LGBT Iowans, the bill is also riddled with burdensome requirements and has little regard for the troubling realworld consequences, consequences both known and unknown, impacting LGBT Iowans. One portion of the bill requires multiple notarized affidavits from medical professionals, something that is out of reach for others, especially poor and rural trans folks, and doesnt recognize the identities of trans and nonbinary Iowans that do not want medical interventions in the first place. The bill even requires a notarized affidavit from a surgeon for treatments other than surgery. A surgeon has no more business or expertise to make a sworn statement about my other treatment than my dentist has the business or authority to testify about my heart condition. This requirement is not based on any factual, medically accurate, sciencebased, or lived experience reason. It only serves to further decrease access to proper identity documents for trans Iowans.Years ago, as a trans person when I first started updating my identity documents there was a period of a few weeks where some of my documents were updated and some were not. Not having all my identity documents match caused me to loose access to my banking because my banks software required sex on a users multiple identity documents to match in order for the user to be valid within the system. For about a week I could not withdraw money or engage in any online banking until my documents matched. We do not know all the various aspects of our society this bill would impact, and in the very least this alone should give pause for further study. It would be untenable for me, or anyone else, to loose access to banking or anything else for an indefinite time until the bureaucracy of the administrative and corporate states come to some agreement over how to fix it. I can tell you, I cant wait that long.I have also been lucky enough to have been born in a state with an incredibly inclusive birth certificate updating policy, one where any official certificate, original or otherwise, is treated as equivalent to recorded at birth. HSB 649 is unclear how it would treat this kind of certificate or my reliance on that states recognition of a changed birth certificate being equivalent to having been issued at birth. This situation sets up a conflict between myself, Iowa, and the other state and would invariably need a court to settle the matter. In the meantime, I could be left for years without proper identification while the matter is resolved.Lastly, the bill leaves no recourse for those Iowans that are the victim of administrative error or typos and needing to update their identification.Please do not vote for HSB 649. Do not fall for the false narrative of fear that says transpeople are dangerous, mentally ill, or militantly invading our communities, a fear that seeks to exclude, like this bill does, a few and vulnerable number of Iowans. Instead let us invest in creative solutions that create spaces and opportunities for all Iowans to participate and thrive.Jocelyn Krueger, Grinnell

Patricia Clark []

I strongly oppose this bill. Vote NO.

Morgan McChurch []

This bill does absolutely nothing but discriminate against a group of people. THE SCOTUS has already stated that separate is unequal. Jim Crow failed, this is the modern version of Jim Crow. Trans folx are real, and not predators. Trans women are women and trans men are men. Making them have separate accommodations is the equivalent of just putting up a sign that says 'CIS only' on all accomodations. The next step? Making them wear a badge on their clothing... like the Nazis did.Nazis started with the Jewish because Hitler had vilified them for years, during his campaign and once he became chancellor. He then started requiring other 'undesireables'. This bill is just trying to discriminate under the guise of 'protecting children'. I think back to the epstein papers and not a single drag queen or, to my knowledge, trans person was named as a participant and/or person who utilized Epstein to acquire children. It is Trump that was so friendly with him. Do not move this bill from committee. It is hateful and unacceptable.All Iowans prize our rights. And all Iowans will fight to maintain them.

Douglas Dremmel []

I am a nursing student, a lifelong Iowan, and a member of the LGBTQ community. This bill is deeply disturbing to me. I fear for the safety of my trans friends, especially those who do not have the means to leave the state if this were to pass. As many have said, this bill echoes the pink triangles given to the LGBTQ community during Nazi Germany. I want to stay in this state postgraduation. I want to provide care to my fellow Iowans. However, I would not feel safe in this state if this were to pass. The "First They Came For" poem sits in my mind as I see this debated over. When will they come for sexual minorities such as I? I implore you to not support this bill and to rally others to vote no.

Jill Miller []

I oppose this bill. This bill helps no one and hurts the most vulnerable of our state. Stop wasting time with hateful legislation and fix our roads. Stop picking on trans kids and fund public education. Do your sworn oath to represent ALL IOWANS.

Ace Christiani []

Please vote no, us trans kids have already faced enough bully in schools we dont need our law makers to become our next ones

Janice Reinicke []

I find it deeply disturbing the Committee would seriously consider, much less support, such an egregious proposal violating the Civil rights of the trans community in Iowa. Iowa has historically been a leader in establishing civil rights protections. Why would we choose to reverse course now? The provisions appear to be grounded in a meanness of spirit that is wholly unlike the Iowa I have known and respected. Please do not choose to support this totally unnecessary change in law sanctioning discrimination.

Patricia Clark []

Vote NO.

Benjamin Stanbrough []

I strongly oppose this bill and urge you to vote no. Discrimination has no place here.

Tristan Miedema []

There is simply no reason to pass HSB 649. There is no evidence to suggest it has any value other than discrimination against trans and LGBTQ+ Iowans. It outs personal medical information (in violation of HIPPA) and threatens queer families across our state. Please say NO. As we heard in the subcommittee, no trans person or medical professional in Iowa has even been consulted. This is completely at attack of hate from the governors office.

Jacob Rempfer []

Please do not pass this bill. Our state is becoming increasingly hateful and cruel. Why are we doing this? Please consider the lives that will be ruined by implementing these ridiculous rules. Be compassionate and gracious.

Tiffany Welch []

I strongly oppose this bill. It doesnt solve any problem and causes so much harm to those impacted. Vote no

Elizabeth Lundberg []

My earlier comment was in opposition to one anti trans bill; now Im back to leave another comment opposing ANOTHER anti trans bill being rushed through this committee on the same day. Please stop hunting vulnerable populations for sport. Its ugly and cruel.

Chelsea Toppin []

I strongly opposed this bill. Vote no and keep our schools safe for all kids.

Kathy Winter []

I strongly oppose this bill. Why are we trying to step back in time and legislate discrimination? Stop the hate.

Pamela Mix []

I strongly urge you to vote NO on this harmful and ignorant bill. Othering and further marginalizing an already vulnerable population places trans people like my child at even greater risk, not only for their own mental health but also for their personal safety. Data overwhelmingly show that trans people experience harassment, violence, and even murder because of their identity. This bill places them at even greater risk by publicly calling them out as trans. There is no data that supports a risk to cisgender people because of their identity, nor a risk from trans people against cisgender people. You have a responsibility to protect ALL Iowans. This bill does the opposite.

Kai Barry []

I strongly oppose this bill. I am a transgender youth and this bill will impact my future as an adult and human being dramatically in all the wrong ways. Please do not pass this bill, I begging on everyone in the trans and lgbtq+ community. I can not possibly understand why you and so many others would want to hurt innocent children trying to find themselves and show their true selves without the risk of being hurt.

Amy Day []

Vote NO for HSB 649. Protect ALL children.

Amber Tucker []

I strongly opposed this bill and urge you to vote 'no'. I also urge you to speak with trans people and listen to what they need. No trans person is asking for this legislation. No law should be made about a group of people without consulting with that group of people, particularly when that group of people is already marginalized and vulnerable.

Julie Hackett []

This bill is not what the people of Iowa want! This bill is what the governor of Iowa and religious groups in Iowa want. What happened to "IOWA NICE"This bill is NOT for the good of transgender individuals and will only cause greater discrimination and harm against them. If you support this bill to remove the civil rights of the transgender community, you will be complicit in supporting future discrimination against trans individuals. Ask yourself if your morals and ethics align with a person who wants to remove personal identity from a group of individuals.

Meredith Murphy []

I do not support HSB 649! We need to pass legislation to keep people in Iowa and keep people proud of this state and this is not it. There are many transgender Iowans this will negatively impact and I am asking you as a voter to not pass HSB 649. We are watching you!

Alex Rudy []

Please vote no on this bill. Where has this been an issue? Why should adults have to have their identification amended just to exist? Iowa should focus on education and making it a great place to live for all it's citizens, not making decisions that will make people want to leave the state.

Colleen Kollasch []

I am in awe that you would want to restrict anyone's basic human rights. Do better. Be better. vote no. I opposed this bill.

Ella Greenlee []

Vote no against HSB 649

Megan Martin []

Why would anyone support this disgrace of a bill? I have lived in Iowa my entire life, and it's bills like this that make me want to pack up and leave, never to return. I am horrified that the government would ever consider putting people's private medical history on a government document that is so frequently used. Imagine if the government had forced Iowans to disclose their vaccination history on their driver's licenses. Everyone would have been, appropriately, outraged that such a private piece of info was being shown every time they had to buy alcohol at a grocery store or pick up a package at the UPS store. Yet that is exactly what HSB 649 does. Additionally, this bill will create problems for samesex parents, jeopardize federal funding for domestic violence shelters, and enshrine "separate but equal" into Iowa law. Please vote against this bill, and protect the privacy of all Iowans.

Polaris Glasser []

In the past three years, this legislature has undermined my rights as a transgender student. I have had my life turned upside down with arbitrary new legislation causing me to have to travel hundreds of miles to merely fill a prescription for my medication or see my doctors.Should this bill pass, I, alongside many of my peers, may be unable to continue living in this great state we would become refugees within our own nation by the hands of this legislature, for unless all are treated equally under the law, freedom is but an aspiration that we have failed to uphold.

Jessica Tayler []

Vote no to this senseless and hateful bill. Iowan, ALL Iowans, deserve better. This is baseless nonsense and a waste of my tax dollars.

Elizabeth Klaus []

I wish my legislature would spend more time on materially improving the lives of Iowans rather than spend time bullying LGBTQ children. Are our legislators so ill informed on the history of United States government that they believe that they will somehow escape the many failures of "separate but equal" accommodations? This bill seems to have no other purpose than to try to restrict the rights of a group of people based on nothing more than the ill informed whims of so many of our representatives. Please let go of this false crusade against our trans Iowans and spend time actually making Iowa a more livable and decent place for all of us.

Wynn Greenlee []

HSB649 cannot be allowed to go into law. The fact that it is even being considered is abhorrent. I urge you to make the right choice and support the actual safety of the trans community.

Katelyn DiIulio []

VOTE NO. This bill does nothing to protect anyone. The amount of harm that it will do to our LGBTQ population is immense. Do not vote for a bill that is seeped in fear and hate when it has no purpose but to target and divide us. This bill is unacceptable and should not be voted for.

Matt Lorch []

As a former resident for 15 years that recently left the state do to legislation like this. People with highly technical skills, high paying wages, and the ability to grow our economy are leaving the state due to themselves, their kids, their family bein affected negatively by this. Please vote no. This is hurting our communities, children, lives, and the economy of Iowa.

J Ferro []

This bill will only encourage discrimination by creating separate parameters for trans people.

Hollie Allbaugh []

I strongly oppose this bill, and I encourage you to vote NO. I proudly grew up in Iowa and as a LGBTQ youngster, I often faced ridicule and bullying from my peers in school. Asking for someone to respect your chosen name or the pronouns you feel comfortable using is not a difficult or detrimental ask, and should be respected by students, staff, and administrators. I am deeply concerned that this bill will enable more bullying in our schools, which in turn contributes to an exclusive environment that is not fit for learning.

Nichole Eden []

I am writing to note that my previous comment was a personal one, and not meant to be on behalf of my organization. I pressed 'submit' without realizing that autofill had included this information.Please oppose this bill.

Laura Berardi []

As an Iowan and the parent of a transgender child, I strongly urge you to vote NO. Iowa has a long, proud legacy of leading on civil rights (walk over to the Shattering Silence monument on the Capitol grounds for a reminder). Passing anything that says separate is equal will be the laughingstock of constitutional law across the country.As the parent of an already vulnerable, marginalized child, I will say this: The moment you start setting up "separate but equal" regulations for her is the moment you have ostracized her. You may as well be labeling drinking fountains Trans Only. This will never stand. It's a waste of time, with the only outcome being a show of cruelty.

Heather Riley []

I strongly, intensively oppose this legislation and the devastating breach of privacy for trans Iowans. Demanding a special governmentissued ID based for this community is abhorrent and flat wrong. Vote a hard NO, and let's focus instead on bills and legislation that improve the lives and livelihoods of ALL Iowans. Leave the trans community alone.

Christinia Crippes []

I am opposed to this bill and the ongoing attacks by our Republican state leaders on our trans friends, family, and neighbors.It's disheartening and disappointing that my adopted home state is trying to enact a law literally making people separate but equal. Not only is this proposed legislation meanspirited and likely to be rightly found unconstitutional, it's also simply a waste of lawmakers' time to devote so much effort to a small minority group doing no harm when the state has real problems it could address. Please focus instead on those real problems, like our water pollution and public funding for public education.

Ryan Berg [Avenues for Youth]

Major medical organizations, including the American Medical Association, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and the American Psychiatric Association, strongly support genderaffirming medical care for transgender adolescents. Research consistently indicates that such care leads to favorable mental health outcomes, including improvements in depression and overall functioning.Don't weaponize trans people's lives to drum up manufactured fear and to win political points. The research shows that affirming someone's identity is a form of suicide prevention. Don't gamble with people's lives because your opinion doesn't align with the evidencebased practices.