The largest LGBTQ+ organization in the state, One Iowa, will convene at the Iowa State Capitol to persuade legislators to give their community full equality for LGBTQ Day on the Hill on Thursday.

One Iowa was founded in 2005, and its main focus was marriage equality in Iowa. After the 2015 Supreme Court decision ruled gay marriage legal, One Iowa expanded its mission to advancing and preserving equality for LGBTQ+ Iowans, executive director Daniel Hoffman-Zinnel said.

One Iowa is concerned that new legislation will come through that will hinder the rights of the LGBTQ+ community, so they are holding the event to prevent the passing of any bills that would do just that.  

The day will start at noon with citizen activist training at Henry A. Wallace Auditorium, followed by the rally in the Iowa State Capitol rotunda at 1:30 p.m., ending with the press conference and meeting with legislators at 2 p.m.

LGBTQ+ Day on the Hill will include a press conference where members and advocates of One Iowa can reach out to the legislators. The press conference will include a panel of state legislators and local activists. 

The list of speakers includes Rep. Liz Bennett; the first recognized LGBTQ+ woman elected into Iowa legislature, Sophia Stone; president of Transformations Iowa, Rep. Ruth Ann Gaines; educator and civil rights advocate, Cecilia Martinez; a student activist from Simpson College and Zinnel; and the One Iowa executive director.

“We are focused on putting a face and a voice to the LGBTQ community so that our legislators know that they do have constituents that identify as LGBTQ,” Hoffman-Zinnel said.

For him, full equality means preserving what has already been established to help the LGBTQ+ community and protecting those measures.

“Iowa has an amazing legacy of equality,” Hoffman-Zinnel said. Hoffman-Zinnel hopes that this rally can continue the legacy of equality in Iowa.

Thursday will not be One Iowa’s first Day on the Hill, but it will be the first event focused on the larger LGBTQ+ community. In previous years, there have been Student LGBTQ Day on the Hill events, but this is the first year the larger Iowa LGBTQ+ community will hold the rally. Already, there are about 150 participants registered for the event. The participants were able to register by going to one.iowa.org to be involved with LGBTQ Day on the Hill.