Story County GOP bars Sondra from public meetings following Civil Rights Complaint against candidates

photo and article by Sondra Wilson 9/16/2023

It all started on February 28 this year at the Iowa State Capitol building during College Day on the Hill:

Our class was invited to learn from and ask questions to Representative Carter Nordman and Senator Jesse Green. After asking them how they went about getting elected, a professor suggested that I attend both the Republican and Democratic central committee meetings in order to just “get involved”. I thought that was a great idea, and began attending both party meetings.

Then, on Aug. 21, at the Story County GOP Committee meeting, guest speaker Kathy Barnette gave a speech in favor of Presidential Candidate Vivek Ramaswamy. During her speech, Ms. Barnette slandered transgender people multiple times. Although most of her statements were directed toward the topic of transgender minors, she performed multiple defamatory statements which applied to transgender adults as well. As someone who suffers from PTSD due to numerous acts of violence and harassment I’ve faced over the years (in relation to medically transitioning), I recognized these statements as not only harmful to my reputation – but to the community as a whole and to other individuals. With the exceptionally high number of transgender people murdered each year, politicians ought approach this topic with at least some level of concern and awareness. Following one of Ms. Barnette’s statements, I could not hold back any longer, stating loudly enough so everyone in the room could hear, “It is not okay to make defamatory statements about transgender people. The Republican Party was founded on lifting black people up out of slavery, and now candidates are running on kicking [transgender] people down who are already at the bottom of the barrel with regard to human rights. The Republican Party – with regard to how it’s been treating transgender people lately – has lost its way.“

Following this exchange, on Aug. 23, I sent this letter to Story County GOP explaining why I found Ms. Barnette’s comments antithetical to the Republican Party. I also requested five minutes of speaking time to provide perspective to SC GOP members. After all, their meetings take place in my home town, so I feel like I should have a seat at the table with regard to this discussion – especially when speakers are coming from out of state and spreading disinformation and bigotry in my home town.

By September 8 I had not received a response to my request, and instead received an email inviting me to a “4th District Tailgate Presidential Rally and Straw Poll” on the following day. The flyer that was attached to the email was blurry, so I wasn’t sure which candidates would be there:

Due to repeated acts of defamation and proposed rights violations against transgender people by some Republican candidates lately, I urgently designed this poster to protest such rhetoric:

Upon arrival, I stood behind the fenced-in area where the rally was taking place. In the below photo, if you were to walk right along the fence line, that is where I was holding the sign – on the far side of the bleachers, behind the fence:

Several people engaged in conversations with me with regard to this hot political topic. I am aware people are used to hearing misleading and offensive propaganda about transgender people, however they hear very little from the people whom this propaganda adversely impacts. My goal was to let people know, “I am not okay with Presidential candidates coming to my home town and spreading bigotry, hate, and misinformation.“

Soon after, however, I was informed that the Republican Party of Iowa, who rented the Story County Fairgrounds, had requested me to leave because I was “not on the agenda”. Officers Rey Reynolds and Kellan Sydnes kindly escorted me off the property to a location where I was out of sight and could not be seen by the vast majority of attendees. The above photo became my new vantage point. I had been stuffed off to an area where my First Amendment activity would for the most part go unnoticed. Although I had silently been standing with my sign while on the property, throughout the rally I yelled with regard to what some of the candidates intend to do, and how what they were saying was harmful and defamatory. I yelled because it was the only way I could be heard after they escorted me to this remote, out-of-sight location.

As I stood there, I could easily hear the candidates through the loud speakers. Vivek and [John Doe speaker], whom I could not see due to where I’d been moved, both spoke about how they intend to eliminate federal laws in place which currently protect transgender people against discrimination. They intend to have people’s gender immutably defined by their ‘biological sex at birth’. Both candidates made several bigoted and defamatory statements against transgender people in order to further their agenda.

During my one-person protest, multiple people approached and sexually harassed me. People laughed at me, called me a man, and made condescending comments about my sexual anatomy.

After the event I filed a this complaint with the US Department of Justice because I witnessed a violation of 18 USC §241. Conspiracy against rights occurring at the rally; the statute reads: “If two or more persons conspire to injure, oppress, threaten, or intimidate any person in any State… in the free exercise or enjoyment of any right or privilege secured to him by the Constitution or laws of the United States… – They shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than ten years, or both….“

On September 15 I received a letter from Story County GOP’s Chair, Brett Barker, informing me that their meetings are no longer open to the public.

Page in making – check back soon.

Iowans! – Urgent Call to Action, LGBT+ and Allies