LGTBQ Advocates, Students Challenge Iowa ‘Don’t Say Gay’ Law (1)

Iowa Safe Schools and eight LGBTQ+ students on Tuesday challenged a new state education law that they say seeks to silence LGBTQ+ students, erase recognition of them from public schools, and ban books.

SF 496, which took effect July 1, deprives Iowa students of access to information and ideas and chills LGBTQ+ students’ speech based on content and viewpoint, in violation of the First Amendment, the suit alleges.

The plaintiffs asked the US District Court for the Southern District of Iowa to temporarily block the implementation of SF 496 while the litigation proceeds. The law should then be declared unconstitutional ...