Civil rights protections for transgender Iowans would be removed from state law under a bill introduced Thursday by Republicans on the Iowa House Judiciary Committee.

It would remove gender identity as a protected characteristic from the Iowa Civil Rights Act, which currently provides transgender Iowans with protection from discrimination in housing, education, employment, public accommodations and credit practices.

Max Mowitz, executive director of the LGBTQ rights organization One Iowa, said in a statement that the bill would erase transgender Iowans under the law.

“This is the worst bill we have ever seen come out of the Iowa Legislature, and that is a high bar,” Mowitz said. “This would wreak havoc on the lives of transgender people across the state, upending their ability to do basic things like rent an apartment or get a credit card.”