Des Moines, Iowa — The Iowa House has passed a bill to ban instruction about sexual orientation and gender identity in kindergarten through sixth-grade classrooms.
School programs, tests, or surveys on those topics would be barred for students in those grades as well. Representative Skyler Wheeler of Hull is among the 62 House Republicans who voted for the bill.
Wheeler says the bill protects the innocence of Iowa children.
Representative Sharon Steckman, a Democrat from Mason City who’s a retired public school teacher, responded.
All House Democrats and one Republican voted against the bill. Representative Heather Matson, a Democrat from Ankeny, says the policy will prevent teachers from addressing bullying of some students.
Earlier this year, Governor Kim Reynolds proposed banning instruction about sexual activity and gender identity in early elementary grades. A bill on this topic and other school policies is pending in the Senate.
