Thread by @LauraRBelin

Republican Senator Jeff Edler now presenting the bill that will literally kill Iowa children: the ban on gender-affirming care (meds, hormones, surgery).
Says state has a duty to protect children and every child deserves a "natural" childhood including going through puberty.

Edler says the state already regulates other "harmful" behavior, e.g. doesn't allow children to get a tattoo, even with parental permission.
The flaw in this argument is that EVERY major medical, public health, and psych organization supports gender-affirming care. Not harmful.

Sen @ZachWahls now questioning Edler about why the bill says it doesn't constitute a civil rights violation.
Is pointing out that the bill explicitly restricts access to medical procedures and medications based on a person's gender identity.

This line of questioning will be important if/when lawsuits are filed.
Bill says these meds & procedures are allowed for children who are using them for reasons OTHER than being transgender. (E.g. puberty blockers still allowed for girls going through early puberty)

This came up in last week's House and Senate subcommittees as well. These medications, hormones, even surgery will NOT be prohibited for children who are using them for reasons unrelated to their gender identity.
Wahls emphasizing bill ONLY applies to transgender kids.

Edler didn't want to say this but Wahls is pointing out that this is why the bill preemptively says it's not a civil rights violation.
The bill targets only minors who are receiving this medical care for a specific purpose.

Edler is so far out of his depth, it's amazing Republicans picked him to floor manage the bill.
Iowa Civil Rights Act has prohibited discrimination on the basis of gender identity since 2007.
Edler says this is about "public health" not civil rights. But it targets trans kids

Wahls is trying to get Edler to acknowledge that only transgender people are being targeted here.
Would anyone other than transgender people be seeking medical care related to affirming a perception of a child's gender?
Edler says it's a "public health" prohibition.

Wahls pressing point: doesn't this bill restrict access to health care based on a person's gender identity?
Edler says it's "applicable to all minors who are seeking puberty blockers under gender transition"
Are any minors who aren't trans trying to go through gender transition?

Wahls asking about implementation timeline. Bill would go into effect immediately, but would provide 180 days for minors to go off hormones or meds.
Edler said once bill is enacted, children would need to be "backed off of these drugs" after 180 days. legis.iowa.gov/legislation/Bi…

Edler notes that bill includes some exemptions for intersex children on page 2.
So those kids would be able to keep taking meds beyond 180 days.
legis.iowa.gov/legislation/Bi…

Wahls pointed out that gender-affirming care reduces suicidal ideation and suicide attempts. Suicide is a far worse outcome than what Edler claims to be worried about in terms of hormones harming kids' health.
Wahls has been inundated with emails from worried parents.

.@ZachWahls: "Senator, kids are going to kill themselves if this becomes law."
Bill outlaws care that vastly reduces suicide likelihood.
(I hope a lawsuit will be filed quickly and an injunction will block implementation. But GOP is fast-tracking the bill.)

Democratic Senator Janice Weiner @janice4iowa now speaking about rights guaranteed to Iowans under state constitution.
This law would violate Article I Section I of state constitution. There's no fine print saying everyone except trans persons have rights.

.@janice4iowa says bill discriminates against people who have different religious beliefs.
Trans/nonbinary people are approximately 0.5% of population. "What problem are we trying to solve?"

Grateful to hear @janice4iowa offering a Jewish perspective, which prior to this year hadn't been heard in the Iowa legislature for nearly three decades.

Senator @PJochum read an article by a gay teenager at a Catholic HS.
She mentioned estimates that Iowa has about 800 transgender teenagers: 0.0025% of child population.
Bill is about "fear of the unknown" and willingness to trade away others' freedoms to preserve own power.

.@PJochum: "Senators, we are better than this. We are better than this."
Fear begets anger, which begets hatred. "It's time to stop."

Senator @LizBennettIowa, the first openly LGBTQ woman to serve in #Iowa Senate, is questioning floor manager Jeff Edler about causes of death for teenagers.
Edler says bill is about protecting kids from harmful experimental procedures.

Bennett is asking Edler about statistics showing transgender people have higher suicidality.
Edler says long-term research shows transgender people who have transitioned have higher suicide rate.
Bennett points out killing yourself before transitioning is a long-term effect.

Bennett listed all the medical groups that support gender-affirming care.
Edler said those are short-term studies but he is worried about the long-term impact of non FDA approved treatment for kids.

Bennett asked whether Edler is aware of any other law that denies medically recommended treatment.
Edler says puberty blockers can cause bone and brain issues and that's why state is regulating these experimental treatments.

Bennett points out that only transgender people have laws enacted that specifically bans medical care important to prevent death.
Now reading stories from Iowans who have contacted her and would be directly affected by this bill.

.@LizBennettIowa: These kids deserve to live. "A vote for this bill is a vote for trans youth suicide."

Now @ZachWahls reading from some messages he's received from Iowans. One grew up in a Christian family and homeschooled her kids. She doesn't know how her child even heard about being transgender. But one of her children is trans.
A therapist helped her family w/social transition

This parent's child has been receiving puberty blockers and the family is afraid they will have to leave the state.
Wahls read another mother's message that was similar.
Parents are worried about their transgender teens killing themselves if this bill becomes law.

Senator Janet Petersen @janet4iowa thanking Iowans who attended the subcommittees on this bill and came to the capitol on Sunday to rally for LGBTQ rights.
Thanking Iowans who have flooded her inbox who are hurt and angry about the bills discriminating against LGBTQ.

Petersen noted that Iowa has the worst laws in the country related to victims of child sex abuse being able to sue for damages.
This bill treats doctors worse than child molesters. Physicians doing their job would face more severe consequences than child pornographers.

Petersen noted that children are not getting hysterectomies, but many adult women are. Yet bills trying to address that issue, so more Iowa women can keep their uterus didn't advance from a subcommittee this year.

Petersen listed many meds that are routinely prescribed off-label to treat conditions for which they are not FDA approved.
Also said bill is unconstitutional. Everywhere it's been litigated (AR, TX, AL, TN) courts have determined it violates parental rights.

Edler giving closing remarks in favor of the bill.
I want to highlight that not one other Republican was willing to speak on the Senate floor about this bill. Cowards.

Edler said kids should not be "pushed" into getting experimental treatment that could have permanent effects including sterility.
Said research showing benefits was only short-term and claimed long-term studies show negative impacts for adults who received this care as kids.

Edler cited some Swedish study which was done sometime before 2016 and it showed higher suicide rates for adults who had transitioned.
The state has the right to regular harmful experimental treatment for children.
(At some point the courts will determine that.)

By a straight party-line 33-16 vote, the Iowa Senate approved a ban on gender-affirming care for Iowans under age 18.
Absolutely shameful.
Iowa House likely to debate this bill tomorrow.