By Anthony J. Zarzycki, Des Moines
On March 10, Governor Reynolds signed Senate File 579 into law. The act, among other measures, prohibits cities from adding more protections from discrimination than what is in the Iowa Civil Rights Act. Although I serve on the Des Moines Civil and Human Rights Commission, I speak only on my own behalf.
Des Moines, 13 other cities, and Johnson County added protections from discrimination based on gender identity. The state did the same… until last year.
First, when the legislature repealed gender identity protections, it created a 300-day window, meaning anyone in Des Moines or elsewhere may still file a discrimination claim based on gender identity up to April 27, 2026 if the discrimination occurred before July 1, 2025.
Second, discrimination based on gender identity is necessarily discrimination based on sex, which remains protected under the Iowa Civil Rights Act and Article I, Section 1 of the Iowa Constitution. The U.S. Supreme Court affirmed as much in Bostock v. Clayton County just six years ago in a 6-3 majority.
Therefore, I encourage any Iowan facing discrimination based on gender identity to not be deterred. Our liberties we prize and our rights we, still, maintain.
