(ABC 6 News) — Iowa House representatives have advanced a bill that would strip gender identity from the state’s Civil Rights Act.

Gender identity has been protected since 2007. It means people cannot be discriminated against in housing, education employment, or public accommodations because of their gender identity.

This new bill would remove that protection and defines “sex” in state law as either male or female and assigned only at birth.

The author of the bill says protections given specifically to transgender Iowans creates a “protected class” that discriminates against women.

“Liberal Democrats who championed women’s rights, who helped forge women’s sports, and Title IX and all of these issues are now perfectly okay with erasing women. The discrimination is happening now,” said Rep. Steve Holt.

Because of the bill, protestors flocked to the Iowa Capitol, many of whom were arrested. On the floor, some Democratic lawmakers are fighting back too.

“The best way that I can describe it is three unconstitutional bills and a trench coat because it is unconstitutional across the board,” said Rep. Aime Wichtendahl. “Trying to reclassify an entire group of people as an ideology to enable them to further propose further discrimination. It’s sickening. It’s shameful.”

The bill was fast tracked through the Republican-led Judiciary Committee and is scheduled to be taken up by both the House and Senate as early as the end of the week.

During last year’s session, representatives introduced a similar bill, but it failed to pass through the House.