Lt. Governor and College Students Advocate for Inclusive Civil Rights Code

Lt. Governor Patty Judge and Senate Leader Mike Gronstal joined the Iowa Pride Network College Coalition at a press conference today at the State Capitol to advocate for the Iowa Civil Rights Code to include lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) persons.

“Our state’s civil rights code has a glaring omission – our LGBT community is not protected. We know that gays and lesbians are discriminated against in our society, and they currently have no recourse or protection under the law. This simply is unacceptable,” said the Lt. Governor. “Discrimination and intolerance have no place in our society, and that is why the Governor and I are supporting this simple, yet inclusive, change to our civil rights code.”

Iowa’s current civil rights code does not extend protection to LGBT persons. By adding LGBT persons to the code, it will prohibit discrimination in employment, housing, credit, public accommodations, and education based on sexual orientation and gender identity. Currently three of the six states that border Iowa - Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Illinois - have state statutes that prohibit discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity.Read more at governor.iowa.gov.