Iowa City passed the equal protection resolution last night (August 19, 2025) in a unanimous vote.

This is a first step towards lasting municipal protections for trans people.

We are grateful to the work of the Johnson County Trans Advisory Committee and especially for the steady leadership and diligence of Dr. Emma Denney and Rev. Sean McRoberts.

The further actions the community is calling for are:

1. amending Title 2 to include a right to change sex
2. amending Title 2 to include a right to health care and explicitly protecting providers and recipients of trans healthcare
3. amending Title 2 to include a right to housing
4. creation of an emergency grant program to cover costs for residents whose health care through Medicare was taken away though violent discrimination by the state
5. ban on conversion therapy and so-called “gender exploratory therapy” which is conversion therapy by another name