Iowa Lawmakers Approve Repealing Gender Identity Job Bias Ban

Iowa is poised to repeal workplace anti-discrimination protections for transgender people under legislation heading to Gov. Kim Reynolds (R)—a move that opponents call a first-of-its-kind step backward for civil rights.

The measure (SF 418) would remove “gender identity” from the categories protected in Iowa’s civil rights laws, which prohibit bias in employment, education, lending, housing, and public accommodations. Lawmakers passed the bill Thursday, sending it to Reynolds for her signature. Republican leaders fast-tracked the bills after first introducing them just a week earlier.

The governor’s office didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

The legislation would add ...