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Republican Lawmaker: LGBTQ Youth Conference "Obscene"

John Pemble/IPR
State Representative Bobby Kaufmann (R-Wilton)

A Republican state lawmaker has called a hearing on what he calls obscene material presented at the Governor’s Conference on LGBTQ Youth.   

The House Oversight Committee will examine whether tax dollars were inappropriately spent.

There’ve been complaints from lawmakers in the past about the conference which is sponsored by Iowa Safe Schools to address bullying and other issues of interest to LGBTQ youth. 

House Oversight Committee Chair Bobby Kaufmann a Republican from Wilton, says attendees have told him about sexually explicit material at the event held at the Prairie Meadows Conference Center in Altoona.   That’s a county-owned facility, and transportation to the conference comes out of school budgets. 

Middle school and high school students attend the conference.  

Safe Schools Executive Director Nate Monson says the conference addresses sexual health questions.  He says traditional sex education classes only address heterosexual issues.   

Monson calls the proposed hearing a gay witch hunt.  He says House Republicans have failed to pass legislation to protect LGBTQ youth.

The 11th annual conference will be held in the spring.  

It is primarily a privately-sponsored event.   It was named the Governor’s Conference on LGBTQ Youth during the Tom Vilsack administration.

The hearing will be held on November 18th at the Statehouse.   Republican and Democratic lawmakers make up the Oversight Committee.