Iowa Rollback of Transgender Protections Ripe for Court Fight

Iowa’s first-of-its-kind rollback of gender identity protections in its state civil rights law is poised to spur suits citing clashes with federal anti-bias laws and the Fourteenth Amendment.

The law signed by Gov. Kim Reynolds (R) on Feb. 28 follows bills passed by Iowa and other states to limit transgender children in sports and bar transgender individuals from using bathrooms that match their gender identity. The latest measure goes a step further by removing the “gender identity” protected category, which was added 18 years ago, from anti-bias laws covering employment, education, credit, housing, and public accommodations.

The change mirrors President ...