Student Transgenderism in Iowa

There is a lot of anti-transgender rhetoric being spread in not only Iowa but the United States as a whole. In Iowa alone there have been two bills signed by Iowa Governor, Kim Reynolds, and there are two more in the house right now. Overall there have been twenty-five bills (a lot of them focusing on transgender minors and youth) that have been brought to the House to be debated and voted on to further continue taking away many of the long-time rights of not only transgender people but the LGBTQIA+ community as a whole. With this legislation, the impact on transgender people and the youth especially is intense and this is no different for Apollo Hayes, a transgender student at MHS who has been identifying with this identity for three years now. 

“It was 2020 when I realized I was transgender. It was a really hard time for me mentally because while I knew I was different from my peers, it felt a lot more extreme once I had come out and started socially transitioning,” he said in reference to the beginning of his transition. 

The social transition caused mental distress and feelings of isolation and shame.

“I was struggling a lot mentally when I had come out, and for the most part I was left alone at school but the times where I wasn’t didn’t help me at all to say the least. I remember specifically this one time when I was being harassed and made fun of by a group of guys. When a teacher finally got me away from the situation, instead of making me feel safe I was instead blamed for fueling their hate.” 

But his experiences aren’t just a part of his past, he is still dealing with the struggle of being a transgender student in Iowa on a day-to-day basis, and the struggles don’t stop in the classroom or hallways. 

“What I mainly struggle with is the use of my preferred name and the use of my preferred bathrooms. It’s the worst when we have a sub that day, and I have to correct them after they use my legal name for attendance. I always get stares, but at worst, I’m told to go by something stupid like “Superman,” which to some wouldn’t be that big of a deal but to me, my name is a large part of my identity so it’s insulting. Bathrooms were also a huge struggle for me. Pictures would be taken and my stall would be shaken. Then when I would instead use the staff bathroom to avoid that harassment, people would talk and whisper about me as if I couldn’t hear them,” he said. 

Bathrooms are no longer an issue for Apollo, but unfortunately for all the wrong reasons. As of March twenty-second of this year, transgender students in Iowa can no longer use the bathroom that matches their gender identity, which has taken a toll on all transgender students. 

“Due to the legislation Kim Reynolds has passed, I’m no longer able to use the men’s restroom at school. It has taken a toll on my mental health greatly and honestly, it just seems a bit stupid. If you’re concerned about what bathroom kids are using at school you should find different priorities because there are more pressing issues in schools than trans kids using the bathrooms they’d prefer.”

But his school life isn’t the only aspect of his identity that is being affected by the legislation being passed. 

“I’m also no longer able to start my medical transition. My parents have come around to the idea of me starting testosterone and starting HRT (hormone replacement therapy) when I turn sixteen, but now I’m no longer able to as it’s been barred off to anyone under eighteen. So now I’m not only getting the physical healthcare I need taken away, but my mental health has also been in ruins. Even if I had started my transition, I would have to stop because even if I had started I’m still not “old enough” in the eyes of our governor,” he said. 

The aftermath of these laws being passed will continue to affect Apollo and other students in similar situations. 

“I see a lot of people either leaving Iowa to continue their care or unfortunately a lot of teen suicide from transgender youth. Suicide and suicidal thoughts statistics have always been historically high for transgender youth, but with the things that help them affirm their gender being taken away it’s really only a matter of time. I believe that a lot of suicides are going to happen because of this law passed by someone who has little to no true knowledge on the topic, and cares too much about something that doesn’t pertain to her personally.” 

And in reference to his own personal steps after this legislation, he said this:

“When I can, I'm leaving Iowa as soon as possible. I no longer feel safe staying here and as of right now. If you look into it and do the research, depending on how you measure it transgender people as a whole are in stage seven of ten in the stages of genocide. In my opinion, it would not be wise to stay in a state that is voting to continue this genocide, so I’m getting out of here before I’m gone.” 

These are incredibly hard times for transgender people, transgender youth especially. And no matter what side of the political spectrum you’re on, kindness should not stop just because of your beliefs. It takes more than just one side of politics to stop the hate circulating in the United States, so do your part because sometimes, it’s better to not be known as the “villain” of someone’s story.