As of March 22, 2023 Senate File 538 and Senate File 482 have been signed by Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds, and officially passed into law. 

Senate File 538 prevents Iowa doctors from prescribing gender-affirming surgeries, puberty blockers, or cross-sex hormones to transgender people under the age of 18. 

Significant medical groups such as the American Medical Association, American Academy of Pediatrics, and American Psychological Association support and recommend providing transgender youth with such medical care. 

Reynolds and Republican lawmakers argued that people under 18 are not mature enough to fully comprehend the outcome of these medical decisions. 

Transgender kids who are currently receiving gender-affirming treatments will have six months to end the medications, while health care providers will have 180 days after the law’s passage to stop gender-affirming care for patients. 

Senate File 482 prohibits people from entering or using school restrooms and changing rooms that do not align with their assigned sex at birth. This means that students will need parental consent to request the use of a faculty or single-occupancy bathroom. 

If a person believes a school is allowing somebody to use facilities that do not align with their sex at birth, that person may file a written complaint to the school. In which the school has three days to address the violation. 

This bill was brought up in response to community complaints about the safety and privacy of students who may feel uncomfortable when sharing a facility with transgender peers. 

In response to a wave of anti-LGBTQ+ laws that have been recently proposed by Republican lawmakers, students have held “We Say Gay” walk-outs in protest to these bills. 

The Johsnton high school GSA (gay straight alliance) held a “We Say Gay” walkout on March 1, 2023. Students showed up in solidarity and ambition. 

“I feel like when people go into politics, they forget that people are human and it’s so easy to make bills and laws when it doesn’t affect you, but like it affects so many people.” Karli Goode ‘23 said.