Iowa became the first US state to remove gender identity protections from its civil rights code on Friday when Gov. Kim Reynolds signed into law a bill that opponents say will expose transgender people and other Iowans to discrimination in all aspects of daily life.

Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds signed a bill that strikes gender identity from Iowa law, making the state the first to remove civil rights from a previously protected class.

The bill now heads to the governor’s desk for approval, despite the presence of more than 2,500 people protesting at the Iowa state capitol.