Iowa’s measure was enacted amid a wave of similar legislation around the country, driven by Republican lawmakers, to prohibit discussion of gender and sexual orientation issues and restrict the use of restrooms in schools. Many of those laws prompted court challenges.

The ruling is a victory for the publishers and free speech advocates who challenged the law, but the judge’s decision is far from final.

In two federal lawsuits, book publishers and LGBTQ+ advocates said the Iowa law violates the first Amendment rights of students as well as authors.