Activists will have the opportunity to voice their concerns about legislation on a statewide level Wednesday during the Legislature’s annual lobby day.

The largest group of ISU students attending lobby day in Des Moines are voicing concern over legislation involving sexual orientation.

At least 40 members of Iowa’s chapters of PFLAG (Parents Friends and Family of Lesbians and Gays) and several ISU students will be lobbying at the state capitol to voice their concerns on two main issues, said Kate Varnum, president for PFLAG Cedar Rapids, and moderator for PFLAG Iowa.

Varnum said the pieces of legislation in question are Senate File 105 — which would prohibit discrimination in employment, housing, etc., based on sexual orientation — and Senate Study File 1057, which is designed to prohibit LGBT people from adopting children or becoming foster parents.

Carolyn Cutrona, president of Ames PFLAG and professor of psychology, said her goals for the lobby day are to draw attention to these pieces of legislation and to educate people.

Cutrona, who is the mother of a lesbian daughter, said she has been working with other parents for several years to provide safety and support for LGBT persons.

“We want our families to live their lives without interference and harassment,” she said.

“We’re going to start a war against misinformation and prejudice against our gay children.”

Alicia Claypool, co-chairwoman for LGBT Youth in Iowa Schools task force and vice chairwoman of the Iowa Civil Rights Commission, said she believes there is no reason a gay couple shouldn’t be able to adopt or foster a child.

“It’s pretty clear that this is a gay-bashing bill,” she said. “After all, the Iowa Foster Care Parenting Award went to a gay couple just a few years ago,” Claypool said.

Claypool said she does not see the need for this discriminatory bill. “With the shortage of good foster parents, this bill is definitely unnecessary,” she said.

Jeremy Hayes, LGBT Student Services coordinator, will attend his first lobby day Wednesday.

“I’ve been involved in the LGBT community in Ames for about five years, and I have fairly strong opinions about both of these bills,” he said.

Hayes said he is concerned the addition of sexual orientation to Iowa’s non-discrimination laws does not include gender identity and gender expression.

“There is no absolute male and absolute female,” he said. “Nobody fits all of the norms completely.”

Hayes said gender expression is the way a person sees him or herself, and is often used in discriminatory ways. “If a man dresses as a woman, he is likely to be discriminated against,” he said. “Society is very good at harassing anyone who doesn’t fit into its nice, neat categories.”