Republican wants to create a record of people’s sexual orientation and hand down harsh penalties to those who lie
Iowa lawmaker Dennis Guth. (Iowa General Assembly)
A Republican lawmaker has proposed a bill in Iowa that would create a state record of citizen’s “sexual preferences” on their marriage licenses.
Dennis Guth, of Iowa’s Fourth District, is the primary sponsor of the Senate File 2130 bill.
He was a former board member of the social conservative group, The Family Leader, and once referred to gay folk as “healthcare risks”.
What would the Dennis Guth-sponsored bill mean?
It would effectively do two things: punish those who come out after being married, and create a state database of citizen’s sexualities.
According to the legislative tracker LegiScan, if someone were to apply for a marriage listen and list themselves as heterosexual and then later come out as LGB+, their marriage could be dissolved.
The available options on the licence are: Heterosexual, homosexual, bisexual, questioning, unsure, and “identity not listed”.
Republican bill would punish those who come out after marriage.
Moreover, in any ensuing custody court battles, the “fraudulent concealment” of sexuality could be used against citizens. Only counts of domestic abuse outweighs it.
The act of “concealment” would be decided by a magistrate’s overseeing the divorce, while the act would be “evidenced by nondisclosure or misrepresentation of a party’s sexual orientation at the time of the marriage”.
Senate File 2130 is currently sitting for review by a subcommittee, but none have been scheduled, according to the Iowa Legislature website.
When approached for comment by the Des Moines Register, Guth did not return the reporter’s call.
More than a dozen anti-LGBT+ bills have been considered.
It marks the 13th measure this session and last year’s that has coursed through the Iowa chambers in lawmaker’s relentless attempts to restrict and rescind LGBT+ rights in the state.
The spate of legislative attacks against the community has been cited by some campaign groups as evidence of lawmakers being influenced by conservative groups.
While the latest – two bills that threatened healthcare and civil rights of trans citizens – were fortunately, killed off by lawmakers earlier this month.
