By Mars Thera Pope
There are many battles to be fought for the LGBTQ community, and Sen. Matt McCoy, D-Des Moines, is trying to do so with the bills he introduced Jan 11. The first bill, S.F. 73, is “an act modifying the elements defining hate crimes and providing penalties.” Essentially, this is a bill proposing that gender identity and gender expression be added to the list of protected classes under Iowa’s existing hate-crime law. This would mean more severe punishments for crimes targeted against individuals with an nontraditional gender identity or gender expression.
Studies predict that 1 in 4 transgender individuals will be targeted because of their gender identity, classifying them as the most targeted group in the country. The problem is real, but does it even matter? It is a fact that transgender people are harassed and assaulted day after day, but does that seem to make a difference in how much action is taken? It still goes on. Although it may be impossible to put an end to these crimes, bills such as S.F. 73 can, at the very least, help to decrease the number of crimes transgender individuals endure.
It seems to have been forgotten that the people’s support can mean so much. If the people of Iowa vociferously show their support for S.F. 73, legislators will be sure to take note that if they vote against the bill, they will vote against the people. This bill can better the lives of citizens who have been subject to abuse simply because of who they are. It can help carry a movement in Iowa that will hopefully go on to benefit all of Iowa’s people.
Passing S.F. 73 wouldn’t be the first progressive movement Iowa has participated in. Iowa was the first state to elect a woman to public office as well as the first state with a mosque. Iowa was second in legalizing interracial marriage, 100 years before it was legal nationwide. Iowa was also the second state to desegregate schools, 90 years before nationwide desegregation. Let S.F. 73 accompany this list of what makes many people proud to be Iowans.
The bill was introduced in 2016, but because the Republican Party controlled the House, it did not pass. Although Republicans hold both the Senate and House, there is still a chance the bill can pass. This is why the people’s voice matters; legislators need to know the people of Iowa care about all the state’s people, not just the typical pink-ribbon girls and race-car boys. Iowans care about all Iowans, and our laws should represent that. This is not the state of hate and discrimination, it is a state of love and tolerance. Let that show by passing S.F. 73.