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President Donald Trump expressed his support on Thursday for an Iowa bill that would remove gender identity from the state’s Civil Rights Act.
Trump shared the comments in a Truth Social post as Iowa’s lawmakers pushed to pass the legislation.
“Iowa, a beautiful State that I have won BIG every time, has a Bill to remove Radical Gender Ideology from their Laws. Iowa should follow the lead of my Executive Order, saying there are only two genders, and pass this Bill – AS FAST AS POSSIBLE. Thank you Iowa!” Trump wrote.
The Senate version passed in a 33-15 vote on Thursday afternoon. It was later passed as House File 583 in the Iowa House of Representatives 60-35.
The bill now goes to the desk of Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds to sign into law.
“The intent is that we have a clear policy that protects women and children, that keeps our bathroom and sports bills in code and that protects the taxpayers,” Republican state Sen. Jason Schultz said in support of the bill.
Protestors opposing the legislation showed up at the Iowa Statehouse on Thursday.
Rep. Aime Wichtendahl, the first transgender state lawmaker in Iowa, also spoke out against the new law.
“The purpose of this bill and the purpose of every anti-trans bill is to further erase us from public life and to stigmatize our existence,” Wichtendahl said. “The sum total of every anti-trans and anti-LGBTQ bill is to make our existence illegal.”
Despite the opposition, the new bill follows an executive order signed by Trump on his first day in office on Jan. 20 to acknowledge only two sexes, male and female, under federal law.
“It is the policy of the United States to recognize two sexes, male and female. These sexes are not changeable and are grounded in fundamental and incontrovertible reality,” the order reads.
“Under my direction, the Executive Branch will enforce all sex-protective laws to promote this reality, and the following definitions shall govern all Executive interpretation of and application of Federal law and administration policy,” it continues.