Idaho lawmakers kill discrimination protections bill for LGBTI’s

An Idaho bill that would have provided discrimination protection for gays and lesbians in employment, education and housing to the Idaho Human Rights Act was defeated last week in that states Senate State Affairs Committee.

Idaho’s Human Rights Act currently forbids discrimination based on race, sex, religion, color, national origin or mental or physical disability but not on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity.

In the their presentation one of the bills co-sponsors, Sen. Charles Coiner (R-Twin Falls), compared the gay, lesbian and transgender community’s push to be included in the law to the push to forbid discrimination based on physical or mental disability.

“Their movement is a few years behind but it’s moving forward,” Coiner said. “We’ve got work to do.”

Another of the bill’s sponsors, Senator Nicole LeFavour (D-Boise), who is Idaho’s only openly gay lawmaker, told committee members that more than 42,000 gay, lesbian and transgendered people in Idaho “live in fear” that they can be fired because many employers and individuals feel it is OK to do so by virtue of their omission from the states Human Rights Act.

According to a survey by the Social Science Research Center at Boise State University, 64 percent of Idahoans said is should not be legal to fire an employee because he or she is perceived to be gay or lesbian. A majority of Idaho Republicans (57.9 percent), Democrats (66.9 percent) and independents (67.4 percent) are “inclined to believe” job discrimination against gays and lesbians should be illegal, according to the study.

Nevertheless, the Senate committee rejected the proposal on a 5 to 2 voice vote without comment as about 50 disappointed supporters of the bill looked on.

On her blog Senator LeFavour said of the defeat…

On a simple print hearing vote this morning where seven committee members heard from Senator Coiner first and then from me on why more than 42,000 people deserve to be able to work at their jobs, go to school and live in a house or apartment without fear, the senate state affairs committee voted five to two not to introduce the proposal as a bill.

Not to even give it the courtesy of print. Not to acknowledge that discrimination against gay people might be a problem worth discussing inside the state’s law making body.

Clearly we have far far to go and need many more voices in there with ours because people all over this state live quietly in fear every day. In school rooms, in board rooms, at desks, in processing plants and apartment complexes. What are the values of a state which, by omission, condones discrimination year after year, whose law makers know better, but refuse to stand up and act…