Iowa Legislators Need to Protect Rights of All Iowans

by Jim Paprocki and David Larson

In the absence of national leadership, our legislators have a moral responsibility to provide equal rights for all Iowans. The character of our state is in large part defined by our leaders' willingness to ensure dignity and respect for all citizens.

The Iowa Civil Rights Commission currently is unable to take action in response to legitimate complaints of discrimination based on sexual orientation. The Commission has recommended that the legislature expand the scope of Chapter 216 of the Code of Iowa to include protection from discrimination in connection with employment, public accommodations, housing, credit and education.

Some maintain there is little evidence to support the need for protection based on sexual orientation. This reasoning conveniently is dismissive of the need to investigate whether discrimination exists in our state. We can best address the adverse effects of discrimination after establishing a means to gather documentation on these allegations.

The Iowa Civil Rights Commission would provide a forum for people to seek relief and enable our state to provide an environment free of hateful speech. Commission members would be required to provide assistance to prevent and to eliminate the harmful effects of discriminatory practices.

More than a generation ago Americans took action to fight racial prejudice and to eliminate hateful racist speech. Sixteen states maintained statutory prohibitions on interracial marriages until the 1967 U.S. Supreme Court decision in Loving v Virginia. Our nation has made great progress since a 1948 poll found 9 out of 10 respondents opposed interracial marriages.

Dr. Martin Luther King dreamed of an America where people are judged only by the content of their character. He challenged each of us to commit our lives to fighting injustice anywhere as a threat to justice everywhere. We should do no less for citizens who are gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgendered.

Coretta Scott King maintained her husband’s struggle parallels that of the gay rights movement. "For many years now, I have been an outspoken supporter of civil and human rights for gay and lesbian people," Mrs. King said at the 25th Anniversary Luncheon for the Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund. "Gays and lesbians stood up for civil rights in Montgomery, Selma, in Albany, Ga. and St. Augustine, Fla., and many other campaigns of the Civil Rights Movement," she said. "Many of these courageous men and women were fighting for my freedom at a time when they could find few voices for their own, and I salute their contributions." On June 23, 1994, Mrs. King expressed the aspirations of all Iowans who believe in justice by stating “I don’t believe you can stand for freedom for one group of people and deny it to others.”

The 2005 Iowa School Climate Survey reveals 83% of students reported being verbally harassed and 34% reported some incident of physical harassment because of their sexual orientation. When high school students regularly endure taunts and hateful speech, it is necessary for adults to object to their tormentors. We cannot simply dismiss these situations as 'typical adolescent behavior.' Surely even opponents must express outrage at some children believing cruel treatment of others to be appropriate. We all should be accorded the same respectful treatment we show our neighbors.

The Iowa Civil Rights Commission also has supported passage of anti-bullying legislation to protect all students. This legislation has been debated in the Iowa Assembly the past two years.

More than 350 companies now extend benefits and workplace protections to employees based upon sexual orientation. (These include John Deere, Maytag, Rockwell Collins and the Principal Financial Group.) Anyone concerned about expanding employment and industry in Iowa should consider the economic implications of continuing to deny equal protection to some Iowans.

Americans have a long tradition of separation of church and state. We should not fail to add sexual orientation to the Code of Iowa because some object to its inclusion based on religious grounds. It is in the common interest for everyone in our state to live with dignity and respect. The proposed language does not require anyone to change their religious beliefs nor does it interfere with the internal affairs of any church or religious organization.

The National Conference of Catholic Bishops, Episcopal Church, Evangelical Lutheran Church, Presbyterian Church, United Church of Christ, United Methodist Church, and Unitarian Universalist Association are only a few of the religious denominations that endorse civil rights protection for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered citizens.

All Iowans who believe our state should ensure justice and equality should insist the legislature support the Iowa Civil Rights Commission’s recommendation to add sexual orientation to our civil rights law.