Iowa bars local gender identity protections after rolling back its civil rights code

Iowa has implemented a new law that bans local governments from enacting nondiscrimination protections based on gender identity, further restricting LGBTQ+ rights across the state. Governor Kim Reynolds signed the measure Tuesday, making it effective immediately.

The preemption law prevents cities and counties from establishing civil rights protections beyond those explicitly identified in Iowa’s state code. This directly impacts numerous Iowa municipalities that had previously enacted gender identity protections, including population centers like Des Moines and Iowa City, home to the University of Iowa. Just last month, Ames, where Iowa State University is located, passed an ordinance specifically protecting gender identity.

Republican state Representative Steve Holt defended the measure, arguing it provides necessary clarity. “There could literally be hundreds of situations where we have conflicts with local ordinances,” Holt said. “And considering the climate that we’re in today, a patchwork of different civil rights ordinances would be extremely difficult for businesses and schools to navigate.”

Iowa now joins a small group of states with similar restrictions. According to research from the Movement Advancement Project, an LGBTQ+ rights think tank, at least two other states—Arkansas and Tennessee—have laws prohibiting local nondiscrimination ordinances that extend beyond state law protections.

This change represents a significant reversal in Iowa’s civil rights trajectory. While sexual orientation and gender identity were not initially included in Iowa’s Civil Rights Act of 1965, they were added in 2007 through bipartisan legislation when Democrats controlled the state legislature, with support from about a dozen Republicans.

Last year, Iowa became the first state in the nation to roll back its civil rights code by removing gender identity protections. Governor Reynolds and Republican lawmakers argued these protections conflicted with recently passed laws restricting transgender students’ access to bathrooms, locker rooms, and sports teams aligned with their gender identity.

At Wednesday’s signing, Reynolds elaborated on the rationale behind the preemption law. “We just believe that locals should follow the state law especially when it comes to civil rights, otherwise we have a mismatch of rights out there,” she said. “We thought that it was important that they be consistent.”

Iowa’s civil rights law now only protects against discrimination based on race, color, creed, sex, sexual orientation, religion, national origin, and disability status—notably omitting gender identity.

For communities like Iowa City, which has maintained gender identity protections for approximately 30 years, the new law represents a significant setback. Laura Bergus, an Iowa City Council member and lawyer, called the measure “extreme overreach” that prevents local governments from addressing community needs. After last year’s state law, Iowa City passed a resolution to reinforce its authority to prohibit discrimination based on gender identity.

“Our local leadership remains committed to protecting all of us,” Bergus stated, adding that Iowa City is considering legal action against the state.

The impact of Iowa’s rollback is already becoming apparent. According to data from the Iowa Office of Civil Rights, only one complaint based on gender identity has been accepted for investigation since the civil rights code rollback took effect on July 1, 2025. This contrasts sharply with the 46 complaints accepted during the previous 12-month period.

Iowans have until April 27 to file civil rights complaints on the basis of gender identity for incidents that occurred before the rollback went into effect.

The restrictions extend beyond antidiscrimination measures. The rollback also eliminated Iowans’ ability to request changes to sex designations on birth certificates. State health department data shows that from January through June 2025, 208 birth certificates had sex designation changes—significantly higher than the 135 requests throughout the entire previous year. Though the state no longer tracks these requests, all are now automatically rejected.