Ehren Leib is a laboratory technician in Coralville, Iowa. He is not a writer by profession, but dabbles when the mood fancies him.

I sent the letter enclosed below to all members of the Iowa House and Iowa Senate who voted for Senate File 418, which removed transgender protections from the Iowa Civil Rights Act, among other discriminatory provisions. It’s common to receive an automated reply from legislators, saying they prioritize emails from their own constituents.

If you support what I am requesting here, and you live in a district represented by a lawmaker who voted for SF 418 or know somebody who does, I ask you to send something along these lines to them. Here is a list of all legislators who voted for SF 418, and here is the directory where you can find your district number and the House and Senate members who represent you at the statehouse.

Letter:

I am writing to inform you that Monday March 31, 2025 is recognized as International Transgender Day of Visibility (TDOV) and to encourage you, in your official capacity as an elected legislator, to demonstrate your support for this important day.

TDOV has been described as a day “to bring attention to the accomplishments of trans people around the globe while fighting cissexism and transphobia by spreading knowledge of the trans community”, and as a day “celebrating the accomplishments and victories of transgender and gender-expansive people, while simultaneously raising awareness of the work that is still needed to combat discrimination and violence”.

Following your recent vote in favor of Iowa Senate File 418 places you in a unique and important position to use your voice and your office to recognize this day. An action to address the accomplishments of these human beings and raising awareness to the discrimination and violence which they face does not stand at odds with SF 418. Recognition of this day in no way undermines, contradicts, or diminishes your support to remove protections for any specific class of human beings from the Iowa Civil Rights Code.

As acknowledgment of this day serves to benefit the Iowans you represent, and in no way undermines your support to remove protections from the Iowa Civil Rights Code, this request holds dual purpose: 1) First and foremost, using your voice and the office you hold will aid in bringing awareness to both the accomplishments and contributions of these human beings, as well as the unique challenges they face from discrimination, violence, and transphobia, and 2) Remaining in silence and ignoring this request will aid in demonstrating that your position on this group of human beings and fellow Iowans, and the aforementioned unique challenges which they face is, at best, indifference.

Your action or inaction on this will certainly serve as an indicator for which human beings you, as an elected official, find worthy of basic human dignity and integrity, and how you choose to support or diminish their existence as fellow Iowans and fellow human beings.

Best Regards,

(your name)