Governor Kim Reynolds of Iowa has proposed changes to state law aimed at defining terms such as “woman,” “man,” “sex,” “mother,” and “father,” following a recent decision by a Republican-led house subcommittee to reject a proposal that sought to remove gender identity protections from Iowa civil rights laws.
In a statement released after the introduction of her bill, House Study Bill 649, Governor Reynolds emphasized the biological differences between men and women, stating, “Women and men are not identical; they possess unique biological differences. That’s not controversial, it’s common sense.”
The governor’s proposal includes specific definitions for key terms. For instance, “sex” is defined as a person’s biological sex at birth, unless otherwise specified by law. A “female” is described as a person with a developed reproductive system capable of producing ova, while a “male” is defined as a person with a reproductive system capable of fertilizing ova. Similarly, the terms “woman” and “girl” refer to females, while “man” and “boy” denote males. Additionally, “mother” is defined as a female parent, and “father” as a male parent.
Governor Reynolds also defended the necessity of defining these terms in legislation, particularly to safeguard spaces such as domestic violence shelters and rape crisis centers. She asserted that the bill aims to recognize biological differences while preventing unfair discrimination.
The proposed changes would impact documents such as birth certificates and driver’s licenses. Individuals undergoing sex-change procedures would receive updated documents reflecting both their assigned sex at birth and their sex post-surgery.
However, the governor’s plan has faced criticism from organizations advocating for LGBTQ rights. Iowa Safe Schools, a statewide organization, accused the bill of seeking to “systemically erase transgender Iowans from public life.” Becky Tayler, Executive Director of Iowa Safe Schools, condemned the proposed legislation, stating, “Governor Reynolds has made it crystal clear that transgender Iowans are not welcome in their own state.”
The proposal is likely to spark further debate and scrutiny as it progresses through the legislative process in Iowa.