Today, Dec. 10, is Human Rights Day, a global reminder that dignity, equality, and freedom from discrimination are not abstract ideals. They are the rights every person deserves.
And this year, the day carries particular weight here in Iowa.
Just this year, during the 2025 legislative session, our state became the first in the nation to narrow its civil rights protections by removing gender identity from the Iowa Civil Rights Act. While other states are expanding protections to meet the needs of a changing and diverse population, Iowa moved in the opposite direction.
The rollback didn’t make anyone safer. It didn’t strengthen our economy. It simply told transgender Iowans — our neighbors, friends, coworkers, classmates and family members — that their rights were negotiable.
That is not the Iowa we know. And it doesn’t have to be the Iowa we become.
Human Rights Day gives us something powerful: a moment to reflect, but also a moment to reset. Local communities across the state have an opportunity to model a different path — one that moves us toward inclusion and belonging again, not away from it.
Cities and counties can adopt Human Rights Day proclamations, reaffirm their commitment to nondiscrimination, and invest in the work of local civil and human rights commissions. These steps are not symbolic; they are signals to residents and businesses that fairness still matters here, and that all people remain welcome in our communities.
We also know firsthand how essential this work is. Civil and human rights commissions receive complaints, mediate disputes, educate landlords and employers, and help residents navigate complex systems. When state protections weaken, local commitment becomes even more important. We are often the first phone call when someone experiences discrimination — and the last line of defense when they’re denied equal treatment.
Human Rights Day also reminds us that progress is never linear. Iowa has been a leader in fairness before. We expanded civil rights protections for Black Americans and women long before many states. We were one of the first states to recognize marriage equality. We know how to build inclusive policy — we’ve done it.
The setbacks of this year do not erase that history.
But they do make the next chapter more urgent.
Iowa can once again be a place where every person — including transgender Iowans and immigrants who have made Iowa their new home — knows they belong. A place where rights aren’t rolled back, but rolled forward. A place where communities reject division and choose equality instead.
This Dec. 10, we invite local and state leaders, neighbors, employers, faith communities, educators, and families to join us in recommitting to a more inclusive Iowa. Not someday. Now.
Because the work of human rights is not theoretical. It’s practical, local, and needed in every corner of this state.
Human Rights Day is more than an anniversary. It’s a call to action, and Iowa still has the chance to answer it with courage, clarity, and compassion.
This essay is signed by members of the Urbandale Civil Rights Commission Bethany Snyder, Jane Robinette and Tarik Ehlizevak; the Des Moines Civil and Human Rights Commission Kam Middlebrooks, Chris Espersen, Nate Niceswanger, Britt Shank and Kathleen McDonnell; the Burlington Human Rights Commission Den Powell, Sam Hellberg, Jeffrey Knotts, Jennifer Klever-Kirkman and Stephanie Stuecker; Iowa City Human Rights Commission; and the West Des Moines Human Rights Commission Robert Morgan, Tiffany Berkenes, the Rev. H. Milton Cole-Duvall Jr. and Maddie Rocha Smith.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: On Human Rights Day, Iowa can choose a more inclusive future | Opinion
Reporting by Iowa city human rights commissioners, Guest column / Des Moines Register
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