7 trans protestors arrested for protesting hate while cis people at the same protest went free

LGBTQ+ activists are up in arms after seven trans and nonbinary folks have been criminally charged for participating in a protest attended by about 100 people. Many believe the folks have been singled out for their identity because no cisgender person who participated has been charged.

The protest took place on October 16, 2023, at the University of Iowa in response to a lecture given by right-wing detransitioner and anti-trans activist Chloe Cole. While Cole spoke, the protestors clashed with police as they marched in an intersection, stopping traffic for about 20 minutes.

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Police made no arrests at the time, but they later arrested several of the participants in the protest. The folks who have since been charged now face up to 13 months in prison and up to $3,420 in fines per person, according to a fundraiser supporting them.

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“The seven trans protesters–like thousands of others who have marched in the streets of Iowa City in recent years–believed they were safe from the invasion of their rights to freely express themselves against hate,” the fundraiser stated.

In a statement, the Iowa City Human Rights Commission called for “the swift dismissal of these charges,” stating that the arrest of the protestors “only serves to further silence the most marginalized and discriminated against among our community.”

The commission decried the law that allowed the protestors to be arrested in the first place. The “Back the Blue” law, which passed in 2021, made it easier to arrest people for disorderly conduct.

“Black and brown people, immigrants, transgender/non-binary, gay and lesbian individuals are all harmed by this unjust law and the blind enforcement of it,” the commission wrote. “When people who stand up for their rights are pushed down, discrimination and hatred are allowed to spread unimpeded throughout our society. We must not let that happen. A free and democratic society depends on the protection of the rights of all humans within it.”

The statement also pointed out that in past protests, the Iowa City Police Department “has typically redirected traffic to keep people safe, and we encourage all local police forces, including the University of Iowa Department of Public Safety who made these arrests, to take this approach.”

Johnson County Supervisor Jon Green introduced a resolution to the Democratic Party Central Committee of the county to censure Johnson County attorney Rachel Zimmerman Smith for filing the charges against the seven trans folks, but it failed in a 13-34 vote.

1/x As a member of the Johnson County Democratic Party Central Committee, I have authored and introduced this resolution to censure the County Attorney for her prosecution of trans people in our community. pic.twitter.com/KOipc3LfXb

— Jon Green (@modestholdings) January 29, 2024

Tara McGovern, one of the protestors who has been charged, expressed gratitude for Green on X for “doing what was right and using his power to speak against the fascist authoritarian disaster that Iowa is rapidly becoming.”

They also expressed their disbelief that “people I have known for decades looked me in the eye and voted against” the resolution.

13 for and 34 against. People I have known for decades looked me in the eye and voted against.

I will always be grateful to @modestholdings for doing what was right and using his power to speak against the fascist authoritarian disaster that Iowa is rapidly becoming.

cont.

— Tara (@tunedtotruth) February 2, 2024

V Fixmer-Oraiz, a trans member of Johnson County’s board of supervisors, wrote on Facebook that “it was difficult to get out of bed” after the censure failed.

“The Johnson County Democratic party has chosen to insulate power at the expense of transgender safety. And make no mistake, we are just the people the state is coming for RIGHT NOW,” they said, adding, “I ask those Democrats that voted against the resolution to commit to addressing the uneven impact of this authoritarian state on our LGBTQ+ community. If you need ideas, I am here.”

Editor’s Note: An earlier version of this piece referred to Tara McGovern with the incorrect pronouns. We regret the error.