Celebrate Pride Month by demanding equality for all.

Des Moines, Iowa — Progress Iowa Executive Director Matt Sinovic issued the following statement as we celebrate the start of Pride Month:

“Iowans believe that we all deserve dignity and respect, no matter our race, income or who we love. Iowa was once a leader in equality, and became one of the first states to recognize marriage equality and to enact comprehensive non-discrimination protections on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity.

“But now, lawmakers like Governor Kim Reynolds are stripping away decades of progress to push their extreme, partisan agenda. Queer stories and perspectives in books and school literature have been designated as obscene material this session by Republican legislators, and Governor Reynolds’ discriminatory trans-athlete ban will sideline children and prevent them from playing sports with their friends, missing out on critical social and team building experiences.

“This Pride Month, we must demand Republican elected officials stop playing partisan games with the lives of LGBTQ+ Iowans. Iowa was once a national leader for civil rights, and we need to ensure that our state is leading that charge once again.”

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Progress Iowa is a multi-issue progressive advocacy organization. Year-round, we promote progressive ideas and causes with creative earned media strategies, targeted email campaigns, and cutting-edge new media.