1. United States
2. Iowa
3. Letter

I am a constituent writing with serious concern about the so-called “Don’t Say Gay” bill scheduled for a vote this Wednesday. Measures like this place students at risk, harm families, and move Iowa toward outcomes that are foreseeable and preventable. Recent, documented experience from other states shows what follows when laws like this are enacted. In March 2023, in Tallahassee, Florida, school districts removed books and restricted ordinary classroom discussion after passage of Florida’s HB 1557, leading educators to avoid even basic student support out of fear of discipline. In August 2023, in Orlando, Florida, parents and teachers reported that school staff hesitated to address bullying involving LGBTQ+ students because the law created uncertainty around permissible speech. In 2024, mental-health professionals across multiple Florida districts documented increased isolation and distress among students tied directly to enforced silence around identity and family structure. These outcomes raise serious First Amendment and equal-protection concerns. Laws that chill speech, single out students based on identity, or interfere with access to support services undermine due process and the responsibility of public schools to provide a safe learning environment for every child. I am asking you to publicly state on the record that this bill is harmful and should not advance. I also ask that you vote NO and use your role to oppose its movement through committee, resist floor amendments that revive its provisions, and discourage similar legislation this session. I ask that these steps be taken promptly and communicated publicly within the next 30 days. Any additional harm to Iowa students resulting from this legislation would be foreseeable and preventable, and responsibility for those consequences will be shared by those who allow it to proceed. Iowa’s children deserve honesty, protection, and dignity in their schools. I look to you to uphold those values.