DES MOINES, Iowa — Governor Kim Reynolds signed several LGBTQ bills into law on Wednesday.

SF 482, which is commonly known as the bathroom bill, would require all students to only use restrooms that match their sex they were assigned to at birth. SF 538 bans all gender affirming care for transgender youths under the age of 18.

Several organizations have claimed these bills target the LGBTQ+ community. Iowa Safe Schools Executive Director Becky Tayler said the signing of these bills into law is against parental rights.

By signing these bills, the Governor has shown that she doesn’t actually care about parental rights. The parental rights LGBTQ families have been sidelined for the sake of the Governor’s ill-fated power trip to national office. The Governor’s legacy will be forever tainted by the day she signed away parental rights and put children’s lives directly at risk.

Becky Tayler, executive director of Iowa Safe Schools

In response to the signing One Iowa Action, an organization that works to improve and protect the LGBTQ+ community’s rights, said in part:

With the stroke of a pen in a closed-door signing, Governor Reynolds has signed away the safety of transgender students in schools across the state. She has signed away the ability of physicians to recommend life-saving treatment they deem safest and most effective. She has forced the hand of many Iowa parents who will flee the state to keep their children safe and healthy. Governor Reynolds has shown that parental rights only matter when it’s used to strip the rights of LGBTQ Iowans.

Courtney Reyes, executive director of One Iowa Action

Back in February when the Senate was debating over the bathroom bill Republican State Senator Chris Cournoyer, from District 35 LeClaire claimed, in support for the bill, that “some girls are showering in bathing suits because some boys are allowed in the locker room. Some students are holding it because they don’t feel comfortable going into a restroom with someone of the opposite gender.”

The bathroom bill passed the House last week and the Senate in February. The gender affirmation bill also passed through the Senate in February and passed the House earlier this month.