Iowa is going in the opposite direction of where it should be when it comes to addressing gender identity and sexual orientation education in public schools.

Recently, Gov. Kim Reynolds signed into law Senate File 496, which prohibits teaching information related to gender identity and sexual orientation before seventh grade and requires schools to alert parents if their child requests to use new pronouns.

These new measures are a self-righteous campaign by Iowa Republicans that deny the reality of gender identity and sexual orientation and will harm LGBTQ+ students in Iowa.

Despite what many people learned when they were in public school, including me, the reality now is that sex and gender are not synonymous, and cannot be used interchangeably. Additionally, we know that gender and sexual orientation are spectrums, and are not as black-and-white as previously thought.

While this new science may be confusing to adults who did not learn this when they were children, this is the world we live in now. It makes zero sense to base educational curriculums on outdated information simply because legislators and voters cannot accept that what they learned in school was found to be incorrect.

Even though the bill limits education on sexual orientation and gender identity up until seventh grade, putting restrictions on it will have dire consequences.

Restricting education and discussion around gender identity and sexual orientation can only fan the flames of intolerance. It will enforce the negative connotations that have existed in society for centuries that any sexual orientation that isn’t heterosexuality is inferior, as well as the idea that any gender identity that isn’t one we’ve traditionally recognized.

An environment that discourages self-exploration and calls out specific sexual orientations and gender identities as inferior and wrong will lead to more bullying, discrimination, and worse health outcomes.

Whether Reynolds likes it or not, our knowledge of and the precedents surrounding sexual orientation and gender identity are changing. They can try to block this information from students all they want, but in the age where you can access endless information on a rectangle that fits in your pocket, children will inevitably be exposed to these ideas, and the many opinions pertaining to them.

It is impossible to keep these ideas entirely away from children and it is ridiculous to think that it is possible. Since this is the case, the only thing that can be done is to give students a comprehensive education that helps them understand who they are as people and the importance of acceptance and tolerance.

At the end of the day, opposition to the progression of gender identity is not based on any data or empiricism. It is based in fear of what was previously unknown. It is based in an unshakable stubbornness that refuses to process the advancement of science.

Senate File 496 is proof that some Iowa legislators would rather risk the physical and mental well-being of students than risk realizing that their understanding of gender identity and sexual orientation is wrong, and it is a harmful bill that will have deep and lasting consequences on Iowa’s students.

Columns reflect the opinions of the authors and are not necessarily those of the Editorial Board, The Daily Iowan, or other organizations in which the author may be involved.