- Homosexuality
- ⚢✔ Legal
- Gay Marriage
- ⚭✔ Legal
- Censorship
- ✖ State-enforced
- Changing Gender
- ✖ Legal, but requires medical diagnosis
- Gender-Affirming Care
- ✖ Legal, but banned for minors
- Non-Binary Gender Recognition
- ✖ Not legally recognized
- Discrimination
- ✔ Illegal
- Employment Discrimination
- ✔ Sexual orientation and gender identity
- Housing Discrimination
- ✔ Sexual orientation and gender identity
- Adoption
- ✔ Legal
- Intersex Infant Surgery
- ✖ Not banned
- Military
- ✔ Legal
- Donating Blood
- ✔ Legal
- Conversion Therapy
- ✖ Not banned
- Age of Consent
- ✔ Equal
💬 Join Equaldex's LGBTQ+ Discord to discuss LGBT rights and chat!
Public Opinion
Surveys in Iowa have shown mixed views towards LGBTQ+ rights and issues.
OPPOSE
SUPPORT
History
Censorship of LGBT issues in Iowa is state-enforced.
Current status
Since Jul 1, 2023
State-enforced
Prohibits talks of LGBT topics in school up to grade 6.
Right to change legal gender in Iowa is legal, but requires medical diagnosis.
Current status
Legal, but requires medical diagnosis
In order to change your legal gender in Iowa, you need to have a physician sign off that you have undergone appropriate clinical treatment in your gender transition. Although surgery to change your gender is an option, it is not required. Also, it is not explicitly stated that you need to be diagnosed with gender dysphoria in order to change your gender.
Gender-affirming care in Iowa is legal, but banned for minors.
Current status
Since Mar 22, 2023
Legal, but banned for minors
Gender affirming care is banned for minors under SF538, as of 2023. Adults are still able to get gender affirming care in Iowa, minors are defined as under 18 in this bill. Iowa doctors are subjected to prosecution if found doing gender affirming care to minors even with parental consent.
Legal recognition of non-binary gender in Iowa is not legally recognized.
Current status
Not legally recognized
Not currently recognized.
LGBT discrimination in Iowa is illegal.
Current status
Illegal
People are protected from discrimination based upon both sexual orientation and gender identification.
LGBT employment discrimination in Iowa is sexual orientation and gender identity.
Current status
Since 2007
Sexual orientation and gender identity
State law provides for protections against employment discrimination in regards to both sexual orientation and gender identification.
LGBT housing discrimination in Iowa is sexual orientation and gender identity.
Current status
Sexual orientation and gender identity
This state explicitly bans housing discrimination based upon sexual orientation and gender identification.
Additionally, the Human Rights Campaign states, "The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) requires grantees and participants of HUD programs to comply with local and state non-discrimination laws that include sexual orientation and gender identity.
HUD also prohibits inquiries regarding the sexual orientation or gender identity of a prospective tenant or applicant for assisted
housing in every state (March 2012)."
Additionally, the Human Rights Campaign states, "The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) requires grantees and participants of HUD programs to comply with local and state non-discrimination laws that include sexual orientation and gender identity.
HUD also prohibits inquiries regarding the sexual orientation or gender identity of a prospective tenant or applicant for assisted
housing in every state (March 2012)."
Same-sex adoption in Iowa is legal.
Current status
Legal
State statute permits any unmarried individual to adopt, but any married individual is required to petition jointly per Iowa Code 600. Second-parent adoption has been approved in lower courts.
Intersex infant surgery in Iowa is not banned.
Current status
Not banned
No US state has enacted a ban on surgeries that attempt to change an intersex minors sex without their consent.
Serving openly in military in Iowa is legal.
Current status
Since Sep 20, 2011
Legal
Don't Ask, Don't Tell is officially repealed throughout the United States, and gays and lesbians may openly serve.
Blood donations by MSMs in Iowa is legal.
Current status
Since May 11, 2023
Legal
The new FDA policy on blood donation eliminates deferrals and screening questions specific to men who have sex with men (MSM). Prospective donors will be asked the same set of questions regardless of their sex or sexual orientation.
Banned (less than 6-month deferral)
Blood donation centers follow the new FDA 3-month deferral guidance.
Banned (1-year deferral)
Blood donation centers followed the non-binding FDA one year deferral guidance.
Conversion therapy in Iowa is not banned.
Current status
Not banned
Conversion Therapy is currently legal. No law currently bans it, despite organizations such as the American Psychological Association denouncing it. Though it's not actually ambiguous (It is in fact legal), this is the best indicator of the available options.
US Equality Rank
#259
Interest Rank based on Equaldex traffic ?
Top Contributors
- imullin01 7 contributions
- Unknownmiles 5 contributions
- Notdog1996 4 contributions
- JerofDoorhandle 3 contributions
- Samuel_NOT_Samuele 2 contributions
- garrettdietz 2 contributions
- Belmount 1 contribution
- danlev 1 contribution
- maddyksf 1 contribution
Iowa LGBT Organizations
Share Region
LGBT Iowa Flag
