DES MOINES, Iowa — In 2023 Iowa Republican lawmakers passed a massive education policy that included prohibiting gender identity and sexual orientation instruction in grades kindergarten through 6th.

On Wednesday in an Iowa House education subcommittee the republican majority advanced a bill that would expand that language to include 7th through 12th grades.

“I am tired of having parents bring lesson plans to me where it’s clearly pushing an agenda,” said State Representative Skyler Wheeler (R) District 4, from Hull. “I am sick of it.”

“I won’t be able to teach my students fully about World War II because some of the folks who were targeted in the Nazi concentration camps were queer individuals,” said State Representative Elinor Levin (D) District 89, from Iowa City.

The bill passed through by a vote of 2 to 1, with Rep. Levin being the vote against. Before lawmakers passed it through comments were taken from members of the public in favor of the bill or in opposition.

“Parents, not schools, should be responsible for guiding their children’s understanding of gender and sexuality according to their values and their beliefs,” said Amber Williams, a lobbyist for Inspired Life.

“We bleed the same, we cry the same, we feel joy the same and feel anger just the same,” said Jemma Bullock a sophomore at ISU. “There is absolutely nothing … different between me and you.”

The law back in 2023 faced legal challenges in federal court, but currently it is allowed to be enforced by the state until the lawsuit ends. If this bill passes both chambers and signed into law there is a high probability an organization or families may move to block implementation of it by filing lawsuits.

Iowa News: