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Surveys in Iowa have shown mixed views towards LGBTQ+ rights and issues.

Perception of LGBTQ+ People

Survey results from 5 LGBTQ+ Equaldex users who lived in or visited Iowa.

Overall

Overall

Perceived Safety*

Feel safe being open
Absence of verbal harassment
Absence of threats and violence
*Survey results represent personal perceptions of safety and may not be indicative of current actual conditions.

Equal Treatment

Treatment by peers
Treatment by family
Treatment at work
Treatment at school
Treatment by general public
Treatment by businesses
Treatment by law enforcement
Treatment by religious groups

Visibility & Representation

Inclusion in education
Representation in entertainment
Representation in news
Political support
Out public figures

Culture

Pride/events
Nightlife
Dating life
Interest groups and clubs

Services

Health and wellness
Gender-affirming care
Support and social services
Advocacy and legal

History

Homosexual activity in Iowa

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Homosexual activity in Iowa is legal.

Current status
Since Jan 1, 1978
Legal
In 1976, Iowa’s legislature repealed parts of its criminal code, including the section criminalizing consensual sodomy between two people of the same sex.

The updated criminal code took effect on January 1st, 1978.
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Same-sex marriage in Iowa

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Same-sex marriage in Iowa is legal.

Current status
Since Apr 3, 2009
Legal
In 2009, Iowa became the third state to legalize same-sex marriage.
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Censorship of LGBT issues in Iowa

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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.
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Right to change legal gender in Iowa

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Right to change legal gender in Iowa is legal, but requires medical diagnosis.

A new law will be going into effect in 3 months.
Going into effect Jul 1, 2025
Illegal
Beginning July 1st, 2025, transgender people will no longer have the ability to change their legal gender. Senate File 418, which was overwhelmingly passed by the Iowa State House and Senate, was signed into law by Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds on February 28th, 2025. The bill removes text from previous law that sets up the legal framework needed for transgender people to change their legal gender.
Current status
2002–Jul 1, 2025
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

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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

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Legal recognition of non-binary gender in Iowa is not legally recognized.

Current status
Not legally recognized
Iowa does not allow people to legally identify as a third gender.
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LGBT discrimination in Iowa

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LGBT discrimination in Iowa is illegal.

A new law will be going into effect in 3 months.
Going into effect Jul 1, 2025
Illegal in some contexts
In 2025, Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds signed into law legislation that removes gender identity from the list of classes protected from discrimination. Sexual orientation was not removed from the list of protected classes. The law goes into effect on July 1st, 2025.
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Current status
2007–Jul 1, 2025
Illegal
In 2007, the Iowa legislature added sexual orientation and gender identity to the state’s discrimination law.
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LGBT employment discrimination in Iowa

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LGBT employment discrimination in Iowa is sexual orientation and gender identity.

Current status
Since 2007
Sexual orientation and gender identity
In 2007, the Iowa legislature amended the state’s discrimination law on employment to include protections for sexual orientation and gender identity.

In 2025, Iowa’s governor signed a bill that removed gender identity from the list of protected classes in employment discrimination. However, once this legislation goes into effect, it will have no effect on employment discrimination because gender identity and sexual orientation have been protected federally since 2020.

LGBT housing discrimination in Iowa

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LGBT housing discrimination in Iowa is sexual orientation and gender identity.

A new law will be going into effect in 3 months.
Going into effect Jul 1, 2025
Sexual orientation only
In 2025, Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds signed into law legislation that removes gender identity from the list of classes protected from housing discrimination. Sexual orientation was not removed from the list of protected classes. The law goes into effect on July 1st, 2025.
Current status
2007–Jul 1, 2025
Sexual orientation and gender identity
In 2007, the Iowa legislature amended the state’s discrimination law on housing to include protections for sexual orientation and gender identity.
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Same-sex adoption in Iowa

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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.
Sources:
www.lambdalegal.org/states-regions/iowa
Iowa Code 600
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Intersex infant surgery in Iowa

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Intersex infant surgery in Iowa is not banned.

Current status
Not banned
In Iowa's ban on gender-affirming care, specific exemptions allow intersex infant surgery.
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Serving openly in military in Iowa

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Serving openly in military in Iowa is legal.

Current status
Since Mar 18, 2025
Legal under federal United States law
On the evening of March 18th, U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes blocked the implementation of Trump's executive order banning transgender people from the military. The judge said that not only was the order unconstitutional but “a solution in search of a problem.”.
Feb 7, 2025–Mar 17, 2025
Lesbians, gays, bisexuals permitted, transgender people banned under federal United States law
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth filed in court a memo on February 10th, 2025 relating to President Trump’s executive order from the previous month.

From now on, The U.S. military will prohibit transgender individuals from enlisting, and will cease providing or supporting gender transition procedures for service members.
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Apr 30, 2021–Feb 6, 2025
Legal under federal United States law
President Joe Biden removed former President Donald Trump’s ban on transgender people serving in the military, and transgender people are still allowed to serve as of 2025.

In January of 2025, President Trump signed an executive order that bans transgender people from serving in the military. However, before his executive order can take effect, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth needs to submit a plan on how the military will implement the order.
Apr 11, 2019–Apr 29, 2021
Lesbians, gays, bisexuals permitted, transgender people banned under federal United States law
New policy goes into effect barring individuals with a "condition" known as "gender dysphoria."
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Sep 20, 2011–Apr 11, 2019
Legal under federal United States law
In 2011, "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" was repealed by the Obama Administration. Former President Obama allowed members who were dishonorably discharged under DADT, to receive an honorable discharge.
Dec 21, 1993–Sep 20, 2011
Don't Ask, Don't Tell under federal United States law
Don't Ask, Don't Tell was the historic compromise signed by President Bill Clinton authorizing people who are LGBT to serve in the military provided they didn't disclose sexuality. The law also removed the ability for others in the military from asking for a service member's orientation.
Sources:
www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/PLAW-…
catalog.archives.gov/id/122244870 *official document for DADT signed by Former President Clinton*
gao.gov/assets/nsiad-92-98.pdf *study from 1992 to 1998*
www.history.com/news/dont-a…
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Blood donations by MSMs in Iowa

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Blood donations by MSMs in Iowa is legal.

Current status
Since May 11, 2023
Legal under federal United States law
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.
Apr 2, 2020–May 11, 2023
Banned (less than 6-month deferral) under federal United States law
The FDA announced changes to the blood donor eligibility policy in April 2020, reducing the MSM deferral period from 12 months to 3 months. The change came amid the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, where blood was needed urgently.
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Dec 21, 2015–Apr 1, 2020
Banned (1-year deferral) under federal United States law
After a series of recommendations, the FDA has moved to a 12 months deferral.
1983–Dec 21, 2015
Banned (indefinite deferral) under federal United States law
Starting in 1983, the United States implemented a full ban on blood donations from gay men. The primary justification for the ban was the perceived high risk of HIV transmission, with health regulators identifying men who have sex with men (MSM) as a significant risk to the safety of the blood supply.
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Conversion therapy in Iowa

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Conversion therapy in Iowa is varies by region.

Current status
Since Apr 22, 2020
Varies by Region
Since 2015, several attempts have been made to ban the practice of conversion therapy statewide in Iowa. All efforts had failed with even the Iowa Board of Medicine and Iowa Board of Psychology declining to establish a ban, with the Iowa Board of Psychology stating it was out of their realm to challenge. The Iowa Board of Psychology did state it would process complaints if licensed psychologists warranted an investigation of some kind with concerns of conversion therapy being recommended. It is unknown if these complaints are processed adequately.

Davenport became the first city in Iowa to ban conversion therapy by minors with a vote 82 by the Davenport City Council.

The Linn County Board of Supervisors also passed a ban affecting the scope of it's unincorporated areas.

Some cities such as Des Moines Iowa repealed their bans after challenges by Christian organizations.

State law supersedes local laws and the ban is at risk of being rendered defunct if state legislatures were to nullify the legitimacy of the scope of these laws.

In 2024, a bill prohibiting local jurisdictions from passing their own conversion therapy bans was pending in the Senate.

Equal age of consent in Iowa

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Equal age of consent in Iowa is unknown.

Current status
Unknown