Bobby Kaufmann
The chairman of the Oversight Committee in the Iowa House will hold a hearing next month to air complaints about a yearly anti-bullying conference for Iowa students who are gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender or questioning their sexuality.
Republican Representative Bobby Kaufmann of Wilton says he’s heard from parents who allege “obscene material” was presented at the conference that “would not have made the cut in an R-rated movie.”
The Governor’s Conference on LGBTQ Youth is hosted by Iowa Safe Schools. The non-profit group is not associated with the governor or state government, but Kaufmann says some Iowa schools used taxpayer dollars to shuttle students to the conference.
Iowa Safe Schools executive director Nate Monson says the hearing will wind up being a “witch hunt” against homosexual kids. The Democratic leader in the Iowa House says Republicans are seeking a “phony excuse” to kill an anti-bullying bill for the fourth year in a row.
About 600 Iowa teenagers and 400 parents and teachers attended this past spring’s Conference on LGBTQ Youth. The House Oversight Committee hearing is scheduled for Wednesday, November 18. A staffer who works for Republican legislators says the names of those who’ll testify will be released closed to that date.