This March, Iowa Republicans will push to pass anti-trans bills such as the LGBTQ Erasure Act – also known as the “pink triangle law” – and bills that continue their attack on trans students and incarcerated trans people and more.

In Iowa and beyond, trans rights and bodily autonomy are the front lines of the fight against the far right and for working-class liberation. Healthcare and social equality are fundamental human rights, and throughout history, socialists have led fights to protect and advance them in the face of fascist oppression. Join Iowa DSA (Democratic Socialists of America) in continuing that legacy at the Capitol this coming Tuesday, March 5th at 12pm RSVP here: Iowa DSA TRBA fights back!

Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) has a national campaign to fight for trans rights and bodily autonomy across the country in 2024, and we would like to work together with other NGOs like One Iowa Action. We recognize we are a newcomer to this work that they’ve been doing for a long time. We wish to follow their lead. We wish to contribute positively to their current actions.

HF 2389, “LGBTQIA+ erasure” or “pink triangle” bill Scares me!

Introduced by Heather Hora (heather.hora@legis.iowa.gov – hhora@live.com – 515.281.3221) is one of the most significant and has many layers.

• It defines trans people out of Iowa law, changing definitions of “woman,” “man,” “mother,” and “father” to correspond with reproductive function and gametes, completely excluding intersex and nonbinary people while threatening trans people, with erasure and elimination of legal standing.
• It requires all state institutions to use their definitions. This threatens trans and nonbinary people’s access to state services and facilities, including support through rape crisis centers and domestic violence shelters.
• This bill threatens the safety of trans women in Iowa prisons, forcing them into men’s prisons and potentially restricting their access to care.
• It forces anyone who updates their birth certificate to maintain previous sex designations, meaning that trans people would now have unique identifiers on their legal documents, threatening us with the violence and uncertainty of outing ourselves to anyone who sees them.
• The bill adds a requirement for a surgeon’s approval of document changes, including for driver’s licenses, a huge expense and time commitment, and forced sterilization.
• Defines all “sex changes” as inherently illegitimate.