(Radio Iowa) – A large crowd gathered at the Iowa Capitol Sunday afternoon for what organizers called a “rally to resist” bills in the legislature on L-G-T-B-Q issues. Organizers like Keenan Crow of One Iowa urged rally-goers to call, email and visit with their legislators and tell them to vote no. Several students addressed the crowd. Bekah Schurz, a junior at Carlisle high school, said the bills Republicans are advancing send a message that trans and queer Iowans do not belong here.

Republican lawmakers say they’re responding to parents’ concerns by proposing a ban on elementary classroom discussions about sexual orientation and requiring students use the bathroom that matches the gender on their birth certificate. Bills that would ban puberty blockers and gender reassignment surgery for minors are also eligible for debate in the Iowa House and Senate.