Advocates, protesters rally against ‘conversion therapy’ bill in Iowa House

By Robin Opsahl, Iowa Capital Dispatch

Advocates and LGBTQ Iowans said conversion therapy — an overwhelmingly disavowed practice to try to change an LGBTQ+ person’s gender or sexual orientation — would be legalized by a bill moved forward on Feb. 9 by an Iowa House subcommittee.

House Study Bill 669 would amend Iowa Code to exempt issues related to a parent’s response to their child’s gender dysphoria from “child abuse” and “child endangerment” definitions — in addition to adding these carveouts in state law about considerations of foster parent licensing, adoptive parents and custody during divorce proceedings.

The bill states that a parent cannot be deemed abusive or exempt from consideration based on their “intent to raise, guide or instruct a child in a manner consistent with the child’s sex.” The bill lays out several specific actions that cannot be defined as abuse or preclude individuals from parental arrangements, such as refusing to refer to a child by a name or pronouns that differ from their assigned sex at birth, or not consenting to a child receiving gender-affirming medical care.

But most opponents to the measure said their main concern was the inclusion of language that “seeking and consenting to a mental health service for a child for the purpose of helping the child live a life consistent with the child’s sex” is not child abuse, or a reason why a person should not be considered as an adoptive or foster parent.

Many of the speakers at the meeting said this language would allow parents to pursue “conversion therapy” for their child, if that child expresses gender dysphoria or a gender identity that does not align with their sex at birth. Conversion therapy refers to discredited psychological, behavioral or physical treatments intended to alter a person’s gender identity or sexual orientation, targeting LGBTQ+ individuals.

Many major medical organizations, including the American Medical Association, American Psychological Association, and the American Academy of Pediatrics have issued statements against conversion therapy, saying the assumption that gender identity and sexual orientation can or should be changed is not supported by medical and scientific evidence. Instead, groups like the AMA have stated these interventions often lead to worse mental health outcomes and trauma for the individuals subjected to these practices.

Keenan Crow with One Iowa, said conversion therapy is “torture.” Since the bill was publicized, Crow said One Iowa, an LGBTQ advocacy organization, has received countless emails from Iowans detailing their “horrific” experiences with conversion therapy, which include institutionalization and electroshock therapy.

“I don’t care what kind of language we couch this in,” Crow said. “I don’t care what the motivation is. I just know that this is a procedure noted by every major medical and mental health organization to cause increased rates of depression, anxiety, homelessness and suicide, and that is horrific. I can’t believe we are even having this conversation, and I ask you to vote no, and rather than enabling this kind of torture, bring a bill to restrict its use across this state.”

According to the nonprofit Movement Advancement Project, 23 states and the District of Columbia currently have bans on conversion therapy for minors.

But supporters of the bill said the measure was necessary to ensure Christian parents were not discriminated against or labeled as abusers for raising their children in accordance with their sincerely held beliefs. Chuck Hurley with the Family Leader said the bill was needed because Iowa would face a larger shortage of prospective foster and adoptive parents if these individuals are required to affirm a child’s gender identity, including if they want to transition.

“My wife and I have had about 15 foster kids, 10 of which were long term, six months to 13 years, we’ve adopted a couple of special needs kids,” Hurley said. “And I’m not saying that we’re all that. I’m just saying that we would not have been foster parents if Iowa would have had these requirements. And to diminish the pool of prospective foster parents, when there’s 3,700 kids in foster care, is the exact opposite of what we want to do as a state.”

As the meeting progressed, protesters demonstrated in the halls of the Iowa Capitol shouting “love not hate” and “trans rights are human rights.” Rep. Steve Holt, R-Denison, said opponents to the measure were attempting to use a “heckler’s veto,” by demonstrating in order to “try to drown out those who disagree with them.”

“The fact of the matter is, I will do my job and stand for truth, and this legislation absolutely stands for truth, so I will be signing on to advance it to the full committee,” Holt said.

Rep. Jon Dunwell, R-Newton, also signed off on the measure, saying it protects the rights of parents “who believe that gender is determined by biology.”

Rep. Aime Wichtendahl, D-Hiawatha, said the measure was another attempt from Republicans to target transgender Iowans, referencing the 2025 law removing gender identity from protections under the state Civil Rights Act. Wichtendahl, the first transgender Iowan elected to the Legislature, said while Republicans argue the measure is needed to protect parental rights, there are no provisions currently in Iowa law requiring a parent’s consent to their child receiving gender-affirming treatment.

“Under current Iowa law, no parent is required to affirm their children’s gender identity or support of treatment plan for the same, but parental rights are being used as a cudgel to enable harm upon children in the name of making them straight,” she said.

The measure will next be considered by the full House Judiciary Committee.

Read more from Opsahl online at IowaCapitalDispatch.com