LGBTQ+ bills a sign of what’s to come

I am heartbroken to see Iowa lawmakers attempt to block medically necessary and potentially lifesaving gender-affirming care for vulnerable children. My husband and I sought and received such care for our minor child, and we intend to fight for the rights of other parents to do the same.

Was the gender-affirming surgery our child received “lifesaving” in the same way as the surgery that removed their inflamed appendix when they were 12? Yes, it was. Did the doctors who pledged to first “do no harm” keep at the forefront what was best for our child and their future in both cases? Yes, they did. Do Iowans truly want their legislators to make decisions about their health care? No, I believe they don’t.

My late father was a lifelong Republican and a physician trained at the University of Iowa, and he would have been outraged to see this cruel assault not only on the grandchild he loved but also on the profession to which he dedicated his professional life. He would also be appalled by the hypocrisy of lawmakers who claim to support parental rights but then choose which parents get to enjoy them.

Republican legislators and Gov. Reynolds seem determined to trample the rights of LGBTQ+ folks. The current onslaught of senseless bills is a harbinger of what could come, and, for me, silence is not an option.

Wake up, Iowans, and get off the sidelines — because the next freedom they take away could be yours.

Karen Butler

Iowa City

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