• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Advertise
  • Contact Us
  • About Towleroad
  • Towleroad on Social Media
  • Privacy Policy

Towleroad Gay News

Gay Blog Towleroad: More than gay news | gay men

  • Travel
  • Sports
  • Law/Justice
  • Celebrities
  • Republicans
  • Madonna
  • Books
  • Men
  • Trans Rights
  • Royals
  • Monkeypox
  • Corporate giants say anti-LGBT law would hurt Uganda’s economy
  • Early 2024 salvos foreshadow unpredictable Trump vs DeSantis fight
  • Megyn Kelly Attacks Trans Swimmer Lia Thomas After She’s Honored By ESPN For Women’s History Month

Rabidly Anti-Gay Iowa Lawmaker Assigned to Investigate LGBTQ Youth Conference

John Wright January 19, 2016 Leave a Comment

Greg Heartsill

In what appears to be a blatant conflict of interests, Greg Heartsill, the same anti-gay Iowa lawmaker who led a hateful legislative crusade against an LGBT youth conference, has been assigned to investigate allegations that the event included inappropriate sexual content last year.

Screen Shot 2016-01-18 at 5.24.41 PMGOP state Rep. Bobby Kaufmann, chairman of the House Government Oversight Committee, last week appointed two members of his panel, one Democrat and one Republican, to investigate the annual Governor’s Conference on LGBTQ Youth. The Republican assigned by Kaufmann to investigate the conference is Rep. Greg Heartsill (shown above with his wife and Sen. Ted Cruz’s father, Rafael, and at right teaching schoolchildren about the Bill of Rights).

Last year, Heartsill introduced an amendment that would have required students to obtain parental consent before attending the conference. During a floor debate on the amendment, Heartsill acknowledged that he didn’t even know what LGBTQ stood for. He also later wrote a letter to school superintendents demanding information about how many students from their districts attended the conference, and whether the districts covered any of the costs.

Organized by Iowa Safe Schools, a nonprofit advocacy group, the educational conference is the largest of its kind in the nation, drawing more than 1,000 students, parents and teachers from across the Midwest to address issues like bullying, homelessness, suicide and sexual health among LGBT youth.

Nate Monson, executive director of Iowa Safe Schools, said the other lawmaker appointed by Kaufmann to investigate the conference, Democratic Rep. Phyllis Thede, is a supporter of safe schools. However, Monson told The New Civil Rights Movement he believes Heartsill will attempt to use the investigation to leverage support for a similar amendment this year.

“He’s going to use this spot to bully and harass Iowa Safe Schools to try and get that passed in addition to stopping kids from coming this year by distorting the event,” Monson said. “Most of our attendees are rural kids who come with teachers and their parents. Every year these youth get to meet a major figure in our community. … Homeless youth from one of our shelters come annually and for those kids rejected by their families to know everything is OK, that’s why we do this. Heartsill has no shame in wanting to hurt our most vulnerable youth.”

In his letter to school superintendents last year, Heartsill wrote: “Recent news and eyewitness reports have indicated that certain Iowa students were subjected to sexually graphic and obscene presentations during this year’s Governor’s LGBTQ Youth Conference that was held at Prairie Meadows in Altoona on Friday, April 3, 2015. It has also been reported that the closing speaker made frequent use of profanity during his presentation and even suggested that students vandalize the property of those who might disagree with their views.”

Heartsill, who’s suggested that conference organizers could face criminal charges, based his letter on a report from the Family Leader, the anti-LGBT hate group led by Bob Vander Plaats, which sent an undercover operative to the conference last year. Both students and educators who participated in the conference have denied the allegations in the undercover operative’s report.

This year’s conference is set for April 29 in Des Moines. To support the conference, which is funded entirely by donations, go here.

Topics: Uncategorized More Posts About: Bobby Kaufmann, Des Moines, Discrimination, Gay Youth, Greg Heartsill, Iowa, Nate Monson

Related Posts
  • Iowa Democratic Party leader says he was target of racist threats, some Explicitly violent
  • Iowa GOP Gov. Kim Reynolds Decides to Lift All COVID Restrictions for 47th-Ranked State in Vaccinations Starting… Super Bowl Sunday
  • GOP Senator Chuck Grassley Test Positive for COVID
  • Early 2024 salvos foreshadow unpredictable Trump vs DeSantis fight

    Early 2024 salvos foreshadow unpredictable Trump vs DeSantis fight

    Published by Reuters By Tim Reid, Alexandra Ulmer and James Oliphant (Reuters) – The battle for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination has for months been seen as a two-man race: a fight between Donald Trump and …Read More »
  • Megyn Kelly Attacks Trans Swimmer Lia Thomas After She’s Honored By ESPN For Women’s History Month

    Megyn Kelly Attacks Trans Swimmer Lia Thomas After She’s Honored By ESPN For Women’s History Month

    Published by Radar Online @liakthomas/Instagram, mega Political pundit Megyn Kelly blasted collegiate transgender swimmer Lia Thomas after ESPN honored the athlete as part of its Women’s History Month celebration, RadarOnline.com has learned. In yet another attempt …Read More »
  • Nashville school shooter had ’emotional disorder’ and small arsenal, police say

    Nashville school shooter had ’emotional disorder’ and small arsenal, police say

    Published by Reuters By Sandra Stojanovic NASHVILLE, Tennessee (Reuters) – The 28-year-old former student who killed three children and three adults at a Christian grade school in Nashville on Monday was under a doctor’s care for …Read More »
  • Emily Ratajkowski ‘Begging’ Pal Olivia Wilde For ‘Forgiveness’ After Messy Harry Styles Make Out, Spills Source: ‘This Is A Betrayal’

    Emily Ratajkowski ‘Begging’ Pal Olivia Wilde For ‘Forgiveness’ After Messy Harry Styles Make Out, Spills Source: ‘This Is A Betrayal’

    Published by OK Magazine mega Emily Ratajkowski found herself in hot water with Olivia Wilde after locking lips with the director’s ex-boyfriend Harry Styles. According to an insider, the supermodel is “begging” Wilde, 39, for “forgiveness” …Read More »
Previous Post: « Gus Kenworthy Tells Conan How He Almost Came Out on Live TV at the Olympics: WATCH
Next Post: Human Rights Campaign Endorses Hillary Clinton for President »

Primary Sidebar

Adjacent News

  • Portraits of Dogs: London’s Wallace Collection explores canine character and charm

    Portraits of Dogs: London’s Wallace Collection explores canine character and charm

  • LGBTQ+ trailblazer and comedian Paul O’Grady dies at 67

    LGBTQ+ trailblazer and comedian Paul O’Grady dies at 67

  • Florida bill would instantly ban books based on a single objection from one resident

    Florida bill would instantly ban books based on a single objection from one resident

Good Trash: Going to Read It Somewhere, Y'know

  • Kanye West thanks Jonah Hill for making him ‘like Jewish people again’

    Kanye West thanks Jonah Hill for making him ‘like Jewish people again’

  • Harry Styles, Emily Ratajkowski And Olivia Wilde Spark ‘Throuple’ Chatter In Hollywood After Wild Make-Out Session Caught On Video

    Harry Styles, Emily Ratajkowski And Olivia Wilde Spark ‘Throuple’ Chatter In Hollywood After Wild Make-Out Session Caught On Video

  • Jennifer Aniston Recalls Cher Poking Fun At Her For Eating All The Cold Cuts In Her Home During Actress’ High School Days

    Jennifer Aniston Recalls Cher Poking Fun At Her For Eating All The Cold Cuts In Her Home During Actress’ High School Days

RSS Partner Links

  • An error has occurred, which probably means the feed is down. Try again later.

Most Recent

  • Corporate giants say anti-LGBT law would hurt Uganda’s economy

    Corporate giants say anti-LGBT law would hurt Uganda’s economy

  • Early 2024 salvos foreshadow unpredictable Trump vs DeSantis fight

    Early 2024 salvos foreshadow unpredictable Trump vs DeSantis fight

  • Megyn Kelly Attacks Trans Swimmer Lia Thomas After She’s Honored By ESPN For Women’s History Month

    Megyn Kelly Attacks Trans Swimmer Lia Thomas After She’s Honored By ESPN For Women’s History Month

  • Nashville school shooter had ’emotional disorder’ and small arsenal, police say

    Nashville school shooter had ’emotional disorder’ and small arsenal, police say

  • Emily Ratajkowski ‘Begging’ Pal Olivia Wilde For ‘Forgiveness’ After Messy Harry Styles Make Out, Spills Source: ‘This Is A Betrayal’

    Emily Ratajkowski ‘Begging’ Pal Olivia Wilde For ‘Forgiveness’ After Messy Harry Styles Make Out, Spills Source: ‘This Is A Betrayal’

  • Madonna Ridicules Tennessee Lawmakers’ ‘Unacceptable & Inhumane Oppression Of LGBTQ+ Community’: ‘See You In Nashville’

    Madonna Ridicules Tennessee Lawmakers’ ‘Unacceptable & Inhumane Oppression Of LGBTQ+ Community’: ‘See You In Nashville’

  • Adam Lambert got a job at Starbucks to buy makeup

    Adam Lambert got a job at Starbucks to buy makeup

  • Sir Elton John walks six miles a week in his swimming pool

    Sir Elton John walks six miles a week in his swimming pool

Most Commented

Social

Twitter @tlrd | Facebook | Instagram @tlrd

Footer

Copyright © 2023 · Log in

×