Fairfield forum dwells on trans rights

FAIRFIELD — Legislators answered public questions bright and early in Fairfield Saturday morning, in the second to last forum hosted by the community’s chamber of commerce this year. Participants touched on a handful of topics, including eminent domain, forest reserves and tax law, but another issue stole the show.

Despite the subject not being specifically invoked on that list, conservative lawmakers spent the plurality of their time fielding questions about gender identity issues.

Sam Walton, who is trans, said recently enacted legislation denying gender-affirming medical care to minors would hurt families.

“I am a foster parent of a transgender teenager, and now I have to explain to him why he has to wait another two years to get the medicine that he needs,” Walton said. “This contributes to hundreds of other bills across the country that are designed to discriminate against us and make our lives incrementally harder … What did we do to deserve this kind of cruelty? We’re just regular people trying to live our lives.”

Every legislator in the room voted in favor of the bill Walton mentioned.

Sen. Adrian Dickey said the legislation protected minors, rather than harming them.

  Buy Photo

“I don’t believe any of those bills are aimed at adult transgenders, they’re aimed at youth, and minors,” he said. “In Iowa, it’s still illegal to have a tattoo until the age of 18. Why? Because it’s permanent, and the people of Iowa do not believe that a person under 18 has the mental capacity to make a permanent, life-altering decision … it’s not an attack on transgender people, as you mention, sir. It’s trying to put some safeguards on kids.”

Rep. Jeff Shipley said education bills dealing with LGBTQ issues were designed to protect children as well, including those that bar curriculum about gender identify and sexuality, remove certain books from school libraries, and require schools to inform parents of their child’s gender identity expressed in class, regardless of the student’s preference.

  Buy Photo

"The books that we’re talking about are books that encourage children to look at pornography, are books that illustrate graphic depictions of sodomy, and sex acts, targeted at children,“ he said. ”To think that we’re targeting books as some sort of hate campaign is absolutely absurd.“

However, Shipley said he was also skeptical of the mindsets and medicine behind gender-affirming care. He claimed the scientific standards were below-par, but said he’d be willing to have a dedicated discussion with voters in May or June to focus on the matter.

“The bottom line for me is, I don’t believe that you can be born in the wrong body,” he said. “I haven’t seen any objective evidence that that’s true … this is a mental health contagion that seems to most-affect upper middle-class young women, where they’re seeking some sort of victimization, some sort of identity status.”

Rep. Helena Hayes said gender identity debates were the reason she got involved in politics, and that she’d spent most of her weekends since entering office with members of the LGBT community.

  Buy Photo

Still, she said she couldn’t reconcile her views with those of activists.

“When you destabilize a child by causing them to question their very identity, it sets them up for great manipulation,” she said. “As legislators, when we take a vote and take a stand to protect children, to protect innocence, I’m proud to be able to do that. I’m proud to be able to protect common sense in what I believe is safe for children.”

Some members of the audience pushed back.

One speaker, wearing a shirt that read, “Protect trans kids“ said the Republicans’ talking points were founded on logical fallacies.

“You have to understand why the gentleman who was here earlier said you hate them,” he said. “These laws, one after another, are going after them … I have to believe that in some cases, it is a cynical attempt to find a wedge issue to arouse voters.”

Comments: Kalen.McCain@southeastiowaunion.com