Iowa lawmaker rages against colleagues for passing anti-trans bill: "Shame on you, Christians!"
State Sen. Tony Bisignano ripped his Christian colleagues for rescinding civil rights protections from transgender Iowans.
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Late last week, Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds signed Senate File 418, revoking the civil rights of transgender people across the state by removing "gender identity" as a protected class under Iowa’s anti-discrimination laws. Iowa now has the dubious distinction of being the first and only state to rescind civil rights protections from a group that was previously protected.
It was a disgraceful move, but one that was also expected given the Republican majorities in both houses. When conservatives are in power, they will hurt as many people as possible, and that’s true at the state level just as it is at the national level.
Wiser people know this bill won’t help anybody. Women and children won’t be protected because of this assault on the trans community, despite what Reynolds said when signing the bill.
Before the State Senate passed the bill, though, Democratic Sen. Tony Bisignano gave an impassioned speech calling out the Republican Party’s hypocrisy on the issue given their public piousness. He was especially furious at the bill’s sponsor, Sen. Jason Schultz, for fast-tracking the bill, rejecting Democrats’ amendments, and taking “pride” at this rollback of rights without even bothering to defend the bill during debate. (Schultz also happens to lead a weekly Bible study in the Iowa Capitol.)
Republicans seemed to know how bigoted SF 418 was, but passed it in relative silence because their party decided trans people are an easy target and that members won’t be punished for sacrificing that group for political gain. No need to say that out loud when the symbolism already speaks volumes, right?
The relevant excerpts are below:
… Do you got anything legitimate to talk about why you're screwing people in housing, in unemployment, in health care, and everything else? Can we talk about it over there…?
…
You hurt more people than I've ever seen in my political life, and you never speak about it.
The only thing you can't wait to do is say the prayer in the morning.Follow what you say.
…
… What have they ever done to you? Most of you don't even know somebody who's transgender. You don't even know ‘em, but you hate them. You have to hate ‘em, because you cannot do what you’re doing today if you didn't.
But we'll say a nice prayer to start the day. We always do. And then we proceed to violate people over and over and over again.
All they want is their fair shake in life. They want to be like you. They want to live with you.
…
Shame on you. Shame on all of you Christians who want to keep talking about your faith when this is what God talked about! I don't know where you go to church, and I don't know what you read, but being a good Christian doesn't take much.
Do unto others. Take care of your neighbor. Keep your hand out of other people's pockets. Not much. But you wouldn't know in this chamber! You wouldn't know it! You’d think that this side of the chamber [the Republican side] are the most raging Christians in the world!
…
Shame on you, Christians.
That’s a hell of a speech from Bisignano, who’s Catholic. He told The Advocate that one reason he was compelled to speak out was because the cruelty affects someone close to him. That’s not the only reason, though; the unnecessary cruelty coming from people who relish public displays of religion really ticked him off:
Bisignano shared that his passion for this issue is deeply personal. His niece, a transgender girl, has been his “guiding light,” he told The Advocate.
“She’s a sweet person, she’s lovely, she’s smart, she’s talented, and you want to dispel and disgrace and demean these people?” he said. “I’m sorry, Tony Bisignano cannot sit in a room in any capacity to see that done to anybody for anything.”
He also challenged his colleagues’ professed Christianity, noting that Schultz, the bill’s sponsor, leads a weekly Bible study at the state Capitol.
“I had to call that out because I’m a Catholic; we’re Christians. And I asked him in a speech a few days ago, ‘What Bible do you use at your Bible study? Because I’ve not seen quotes ever apply to what you’re doing here.’”
…
“I’m tired of this. I’m calling them on it,” he said. “Transgender people need champions and voices and not people voting against people because they’re afraid—they need somebody willing to take it on the chin, and I’m willing to do that,” Iowa State Sen. Tony Bisignano told me.
We need more lawmakers with this sort of courage, not just unafraid to go after right-wing hatred but courageous enough to call out their faith-based lies as well.
His speech brought to mind Michigan State Sen. Mallory McMorrow’s viral speech from 2022 in which she called out her fellow believers for going after LGBTQ children. The “straight, white, Christian, married, suburban mom” promised to protect kids from being “marginalised and targeted because they are not straight, white and Christian.” It also echoed Congressman Maxwell Frost, who has repeatedly sounded the alarm against Christian Nationalism and said, “I oppose my faith being used to whitewash a racist, violent, and dangerous ideology”
More than anything, Bisignano shows the power that Democrats can have when they stand up for what’s right even if they’re outnumbered. Only one side has the moral high ground here, and they cannot be afraid of making that case even if some moderate Democrats are willing to throw trans people under a bus because it seems politically convenient for them. This isn’t new for Bisignano. Last year, he condemned another Republican colleague for attacking President Biden for recognizing Transgender Visibility Day. That colleague said Biden’s declaration was “incompatible with the teachings of Christianity—which we all know its not. The hate, bigotry, and blatant racism that occurs in this chamber is disgusting, and I am done listening to it.”
By the way, A couple of weeks ago, Bisignano also met with Jason Benell, president of the Iowa Atheists and Freethinkers.
That’s just a routine part of the job, sure, but there are plenty of politicians who would never post about that meeting on social media.
Jason told me yesterday that he met with Bisignano when the anti-trans bill was only a rumor, but they discussed the importance of church/state separation and secular governance. Having heard the senator’s speech, Jason said:
Sen. Bisignano's speech was representative of how he's been a staunch supporter of equality and human rights for everyone. I thought it was very important that someone stand up and speak out loud what their experience is like when they see these bills come through. I am proud to say he's the senator that represents my district and even despite our disagreement on faith, he's willing to say and do things that protect all Iowans.
Anyone who has studied history honestly knows that this behavior is entirely consistent with Christianity. What Christians acting in the name of Christianity have done to their fellow humans doesn't leave them standing on the moral high ground. A great many vocal Christians value the authoritarianism of the institutional church far more than anything Jesus supposedly taught. I say supposedly, because no one has any idea what he actually taught because there is no independent corroboration for any of it.
How far back do the MAGA folks want to push protections for “others”? Before the civil rights acts of the 1960s, Brown v Board of Education, women’s right to vote, end of child labor, etc. ???