BOISE, Idaho — A Jan. 29, 2015, public hearing at the Idaho Capitol seemed like a turning point for LGBTQ rights in the state.
After a decade of ignoring proposals to include protections for gay and transgender people in the Idaho Human Rights Act, Republican leaders agreed to host a hearing on the issue.
Public testimony lasted three days and most speakers testified in support of the bill. The legislative committee hearing followed rallies and Statehouse demonstrations by activists who supported adding the words “sexual orientation” and “gender identity” to the law that bars discrimination based on race, religion and sex.
