Iowa's governor signed legislation removing gender identity protections on Friday from the state's civil rights code, despite large, intense protests.

If signed by Gov. Kim Reynolds, the Republican-backed measure would eliminate state civil rights protections for transgender Iowans.

Iowa’s Republican-controlled state legislature passed a bill on Thursday that would remove gender identity as a protected class in the state’s civil rights code. Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds is expected as soon as Thursday evening to sign the bill into law,