Annie Craven, of Urbandale, said she is openly bisexual and was homeschooled and raised Catholic so she didn’t know people with her sexual orientation existed growing up. Craven is running for the Iowa House District 46 seat held by incumbent Republican Rep. Dan Gehlbach.

“That didn’t make me any less queer,” Craven said. “It did make me feel very alone and isolated and different. I resent that gender identity is being touted as political or something that we can debate or theorize. It’s immutable. It caused great harm to me as a person and as a kid growing up to not know that there were other people like me and to think that I was so different and I didn’t understand why.”

Drake University law student Karrecia Crawley said the bill imposes a “sweeping ideology that rushes to conclusions about what is taught.”

“They don’t see the foresight of what happens or what occurs when this bill is passed,” Crawley said. “I don’t believe Republicans will be in power for all that much longer if bills like this keep getting pushed and introduced into the (Legislature).”

Rev. Lizzie Gillman, an Episcopal priest in Des Moines and mother of a high school and sixth grade student, shared with lawmakers that her children’s friends feel they have no adults with whom they can discuss LGBTQ topics after recent law changes targeting LGBTQ rights.

“Jesus never said anything about gender or homosexuality,” Gillman said. “Jesus was all about love. And so what I want to know is that when we marginalize these students at a young age, they can pick it up. … I’d like you to understand whose dignity matters here.”

Supporters asks lawmakers to restore ‘focus’ on academics

Jeff Pitts, with the Iowa Faith and Freedom Coalition, supported the bill.

“Political indoctrination ought not to be done on the taxpayer dime at public institutions,” Pitts said.

Katherine Bogaards, with Protect My Innocence, supported the measure and said it “gives families confidence that schools will remain focused on academics and age appropriate research-based health education, not topics that confuse or overwhelm the students.”

“Supporting this bill is about preserving family values, respecting parental authority, and assuring minors are allowed to grow up without unnecessary pressure related to sexual orientation and gender identity,” Bogaards said.

Marissa Payne covers the Iowa Statehouse and politics for the Register. Reach her by email at mjpayne@registermedia.com. Follow her on X at @marissajpayne.