One of the annoying habits of codgers like myself, when confronted with news that distresses, is to respond with, "I remember when --- it was worse."
The Des Moines Register reported this week on the results of its latest Iowa Poll, showing that 54 percent of respondents favored bills that would ban teaching about gender identity in Iowa schools and favored legislation banning instruction on sexual orientation. Fifty-two percent approved of the ban on gender-affirming medical attention for young people now awaiting the governor's signature.
I'd have loved to see the percentages tipped in the other direction, but actually am a little surprised that the "thumbs up" signal sent to Iowa's Republican majority by the poll wasn't more decisive.
I remember when .... But that's a topic for another day.
For the moment, I'm grateful that almost half of fellow Iowans generally affirm their LGBTQ+ family members, friends and neighbors.
Thank you! Those of us who are LGBTQ+ are not sufficient in numbers to prevail alone; we rely on support from allies like you.
We've come a long way toward inclusion during the course of my life, but the current Iowa legislative session and its paroxysm of hatefulness is a good indication that much remains to be done.
I suspect that our Republican friends and their fundamentalist Christian enablers will succeed in driving families with transgender children from the state. Minnesota moved recently to make itself even more welcoming to transgender families in need of refuge.
But I hope the rest of us decide to stick around and get busy.
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