Appeals court allows Iowa to enforce book bans, restrictions on LBGTQ topics in classes

The U.S. 8th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled Monday to allow Iowa to enforce a ban on LBGTQ books and topics in public school classrooms after a lower court judge issued a temporarily ban on the law last year.

The state has been fighting LGBTQ groups and publishing companies since 2023 when the law was signed that K-12 libraries could not have books that depict sex acts. 

“This is a huge win for Iowa parents,” said Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird (R). “Parents should always know that school is a safe place for their children to learn, not be concerned they are being indoctrinated with inappropriate sexual materials and philosophies. I am grateful that our law protecting children was upheld today.”   

A lower court judge issued a preliminary injunction against the law saying it was overly broad and could include books with “undeniable political, artistic, literary, and/or scientific value,” such as “1984.”  

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