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
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History

Homosexual activity in Iowa

?

Homosexual activity in Iowa is legal.

Current status
Since Jan 1, 1978
Legal
Legislative repeal, effective 1978.
Sources:
Laws of the Sixty-Sixth General Assembly [1976], page 549, ch. 1245, enacted June 28, 1976, effective Jan. 1, 1978.
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Same-sex marriage in Iowa

?

Same-sex marriage in Iowa is legal.

Current status
Since Apr 27, 2009
Legal
In 2009, Iowa became the third state to legalize same-sex marriage. Varnum v. Brien, Supreme Court of Iowa (2009).
Sources:
Varnum v. Brien, 22 Ill.763 N.W.2d 862 (Iowa 2009) [2009 BL 73739]. iowacourts.gov/wfData/files…
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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.

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.
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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
Not currently recognized.
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LGBT discrimination in Iowa

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LGBT discrimination in Iowa is illegal.

Current status
Illegal
People are protected from discrimination based upon both sexual orientation and gender identification.
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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
State law provides for protections against employment discrimination in regards to both sexual orientation and gender identification.
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LGBT housing discrimination in Iowa

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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)."
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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
No US state has enacted a ban on surgeries that attempt to change an intersex minors sex without their consent.
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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 Feb 26, 2021
Legal under federal United States law
President Biden removed former President Trumps ban on transgender people serving in the military, transgender people are still allowed to serve as of 2024.


A year after the ban was lifted, Admiral Levine was sworn into being a Admiral being the first transgender woman to hold a high rank in the Navy and in Cabinet.
Apr 11, 2019–Feb 26, 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 repelled under the Obama Administration 6 years later a new executive order was introduced. Former President Obama allowed members dishonorably discharged under DADT, to receive a 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:
gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/PLAW-104p…
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*
history.com/news/dont-ask-d…
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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
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.
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Apr 2, 2020–May 11, 2023
Banned (less than 6-month deferral)
Blood donation centers follow the new FDA 3-month deferral guidance.
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Dec 21, 2015–Apr 2, 2020
Banned (1-year deferral)
Blood donation centers followed the non-binding FDA one year deferral guidance.
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1983–Dec 21, 2015
Banned (indefinite deferral)
Ban on blood donations from MSMs applies to any man who has had sex, even once, with another man on or after January 1, 1977.
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Conversion therapy in Iowa

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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.
Sep 7, 2016–Sep 7, 2018
Ambiguous
Unknown.
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Equal age of consent in Iowa

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Equal age of consent in Iowa is equal.

Current status
Equal
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