In the last few years, anti-lgbtq+ legislation has been increasing both in the Iowa and federal government. In 2025, Iowa will be the first state to remove civil rights from a protected class of people.

We the Q+ citizens and allies of Des Moines ask City Council to secure our safety, and to provide safety for our queer siblings across Iowa, by declaring Des Moines a Sanctuary City for LGBTQ+ people.

As a sanctuary city, our leaders should be prepared to oppose and push back against discrimination written into state and federal law. For the sake of your citizens, you must stand up to oppression in current law as well as new laws and orders being passed every day.

We expect you to stand up for the rights of your citizens by resisting enforcement of laws and enacting city ordinances to protect us on these (and similar) issues:

• Redefining sex/gender in a way that excludes or marginalizes transgender, nonbinary, and intersex people.
• Dictating public bathroom use of any individual.
• Bans on books, art, or education materials for including topics related to gender and sexuality.
• Education-related laws that exclude or marginalize transgender, nonbinary, and intersex people. (e.g. forced outing, not allowing students to change their names and pronouns, bathroom regulation, "don't say gay/trans").
• Civil rights protections for all citizens, including queer, transgender, nonbinary, and intersex people.
• Bans on drag performances for any age.
• Bans on gender-affirming care for any age.
• Laws targeting transgender students in sports.
• Restrictions on diversity, equity, and inclusion.
• Any other laws that target and marginalize people based on their gender/sexual identity or orientation.

We, the people of Des Moines, demand that our local government do everything within its power to block discrimination in our city and protect the rights of our vulnerable communities.