Iowa's bill raced through the legislative process, despite opposition from LGBTQ+ advocates who rallied at the Capitol Monday and Tuesday.

Iowa lawmakers voted to remove gender identity protections from the state's civil rights code Thursday despite massive protests by opponents and human rights advocates who say it could expose transgender people to discrimination in numerous areas of life.

The bill now heads to the governor’s desk for approval, despite the presence of more than 2,500 people protesting at the Iowa state capitol.