Project CommUNITY: The fight for LGBTQ rights in the state of Iowa

THE FIRST STATES TO LEGALIZE SAME SEX MARRIAGE. FAST FORWARD TO NOW LGBTQ IOWANS AND ACTIVISTS HAVE SPENT THE LAST FEW YEARS FIGHTING FOR THEIR RIGHTS AT THE IOWA STATE HOUSE. IF TONIGHT’S PROJECT COMMUNITY KCCI’S KAYLA JAMES SPEAKS WITH AN IOWA ORGANIZATION ABOUT THE SHIFT SEEN OVER THE LAST DECADE. THIS IS A FABULOUS DAY. A UNANIMOUS VICTORY APRIL THIRD, 2009 A DAY MANY IOWANS CELEBRATED THE LEGALIZATION OF SAME SEX MARRIAGE IN THE STATE. I REMEMBER BEING EXTREMELY PROUD OF MY STATE AT THE TIME WHEN IOWA’S KENAN CAIRO, THE STAFF LOBBYIST AND POLICY ISSUES SPOKESPERSON, WASN’T WITH THE ORGANIZATION AT THE TIME, BUT THEY DIDN’T NEED TO BE TO FEEL A SENSE OF PRIDE. WE HAVE A HISTORY OF BEING A LEADER IN CIVIL RIGHTS. I WAS ABLE TO DESEGREGATE SCHOOLS 100 YEARS BEFORE THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT DID AS WELL. WE WERE THE FIRST TO ADMIT WOMEN TO THE BAR. AND ON THAT DAY, IN 2009, AT 840 THIS MORNING, I BECAME ENGAGED TO IOWA, BECAME THE THIRD STATE TO LEGALIZE SAME SEX MARRIAGE. OUR STATE MOTTO IS OUR LIBERTIES GROUP PRIZE AND OUR RIGHTS. WE WILL MAINTAIN. THIS FELT LIKE, UM, JUST ANOTHER STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION UNTIL CAIRO SAYS, IT BEGAN TO NOT FEEL THAT WAY. SPECIFICALLY CITING LAWS PUT INTO PLACE AND BILLS INTRODUCED IN THE IOWA LEGISLATURE OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS. THE DIRECTION WE’RE GOING RIGHT NOW IS EXACTLY CONTRARY TO THE DIRECTION THAT WE’VE BEEN HEADED FOR THE LAST 150 YEARS, CROW TELLS KCCI. THERE WERE LAWS PASSED, TWO LEGISLATIVE SESSIONS AGO THAT BACK IN 2009, THEY NEVER WOULD HAVE EXPECTED. AND MOST RECENTLY, THIS YEAR, HEARINGS FOR BILLS THEY WOULDN’T DREAM WOULD COME UP. THE MEASURE TO TAKE GENDER IDENTITY OUT OF THE CIVIL RIGHTS ACT ENTIRELY, MEANING THAT ALL TRANSGENDER PEOPLE’S CIVIL RIGHTS WOULD ESSENTIALLY BE ERASED OVERNIGHT, THAT THEY WOULD NO LONGER HAVE PROTECTIONS IN THE AREAS OF HOUSING OR EMPLOYMENT, EDUCATION, CREDIT PRACTICES, ALL THOSE KINDS OF THINGS WOULD BE PUT IN JEOPARDY. THAT BILL DID NOT ADVANCE OUT OF A HOUSE JUDICIARY SUBCOMMITTEE HEARING. THIS LEGISLATIVE SESSION, BUT CROW SAYS IT’S THE INTRODUCTION OF BILLS. SOME WORRY HARMED THE LGBTQ PLUS COMMUNITY ALONE THAT CAUSES CONCERN FOR MANY. THAT’S THE MOST UPSETTING THING IS THAT ESPECIALLY OVER THE LAST TWO YEARS, LEGISLATORS HAVE BEEN MUCH LESS WILLING TO LISTEN TO THE POPULATIONS THAT ARE IMPACTED BY THIS KIND OF LEGISLATION THAN THEY HAVE BEEN IN THE PAST. CROW SAYS. THINGS NEED TO CHANGE SPECIFICALLY WITH THE IOWA LEGISLATURE. NUMBER ONE, WE HAVE TO UNDO ALL THE HORRIBLE POLICIES THAT WERE JUST PASSED OVER THE LAST TWO YEARS. NUMBER TWO, THE LEGISLATURE NEEDS TO HAVE PRO-EQUALITY MAJORITIES THERE. AND THAT’S NOT NECESSARILY A PARTIZAN THING. THERE ARE DEFINITELY FOLKS FROM EACH PARTY THAT HAVE VOTED WITH US IN THE PAST BECAUSE CROW SAYS LGBTQ PLUS IOWANS ARE HURTING OR THEY’RE SCARED AND THEY JUST WANT CHANGE. THIS ISN’T THE IOWA THAT WE REMEMBER, AND IT’S CERTAINLY NOT THE IOWA THAT WE’VE BEEN ON A TRAJECTORY ON FOR THE PAST SEVERAL CENTURIES. IN DES MOINES, KAYLA JAMES, KCCI, EIGHT NEWS, IOWA’S NEWS LEADER, AND YOU CAN CATCH THIS STORY AGAIN AND ANOTHER STORY WE’VE DONE ON OUR PROJECT COMMUNITY SERIES. THAT’S AL