Articles Tagged: LGBTQ

Featuring Eastern Iowa women who have experienced powerful paths of achievement for themselves, their families and their communities.

Kendra Weston realized while serving on the board of directors of the Cedar Rapids' LGBTQ Youth Center that there was a great need for legal services and support for the LGBTQ+ community in Eastern Iowa and beyond. They founded Lavender Legal, the only LGBTQ+ legal nonprofit in the state.

The Coralville City Council voted 4-1 Tuesday to adopt an Equal Rights Protection resolution, meant to publicly reaffirm civil rights protection for members of the LGBTQ+ community.

Linn-Mar Community School District says it will improve communication with parents after student-led announcements prompted a federal investigation request from U.S. Rep. Ashley Hinson. LGBTQ advocacy groups defended the students’ right to free speech, citing state and federal protections for student journalism and warning that political attacks harm LGBTQ youth.

Iowa U.S. Rep. Ashley Hinson is urging a federal investigation into Linn-Mar High School after student announcements marked “Bisexual Plus Awareness Week.” The district says it is reviewing the segment on student-run television programming.

The formal gala features a cocktail hour, silent auction including spa packages, theater tickets and other luxury items, inspirational speakers, dinner and live entertainment. It's a chance to mingle with friends, allies and advocates to honor the strength and resilience of the LGBTQIA+ community.

The Iowa City Council unanimously adopted a resolution Tuesday reaffirming its commitment to protecting the LGBTQ+ community’s civil rights. The move comes after Republican state lawmakers this year passed a bill to change the state’s Civil Rights Act.

The Iowa City school board unanimously voted to restore “gender identity” to a dozen antibullying and harassment policies Tuesday, a reversal of an earlier decision to remove the words to align with a new Iowa law.

CR Pride hosted its four festival and parade in Cedar Rapids on Saturday.

Some Iowa school boards have approved removing “gender identity” from antibullying and harassment policies to align with Iowa law. Others — like Linn-Mar in Marion — have voted down removing “gender identity” from their policies, saying removing it is not required by the law at this time.

Transgender and nonbinary Iowans will see their legal protections weakened this week when a law removing gender identity from the Iowa Civil Rights Act goes into effect.

Individual donors in Cedar Rapids have stepped up to fill the gap left by corporate sponsors, helping the nonprofit buck national trends.

Signed in 1965, the Iowa Civil Rights Act provides legal protection from discrimination against protected classes regarding housing, employment, education, public services and accommodations, banking and more. As the act turns 60, some who were involved in its formation and continuation reflect on where it is today and worry about where it will stand in the future.

The Linn-Mar school board rescinded a policy Monday that protected transgender students from discrimination, saying it references Iowa laws that “no longer exist.”

New laws and anticipation of more changes are driving LGBTQ Iowans to update birth certificates, do estate planning and finalize adoptions for their children.