Rep. John McCrostie

House Bill 483, sponsored by Rep. John McCrostie, received almost unanimous support for a full hearing. It mirrors recent legislation approved in Utah in 2020. Currently, 20 states have outlawed conversion therapy for minors.

McCrostie said conversion therapy is defined as any practice or treatment that seeks to change a patient’s sexual orientation or gender identity. If passed, it would prevent an Idaho licensed mental health professional from utilizing conversion therapy with minors. Conversion therapy is broadly discredited by numerous medical organizations, including the American Medical Association and the American Counseling Association. It also poses high risk for severe depression, anxiety, drug and alcohol abuse, homelessness and suicide. 

The Trevor Project, the world’s largest suicide prevention and crisis intervention organization for LGBTQ youth, conducted a study in 2020 that found youth who had undergone conversion therapy were more than twice as likely to report having attempted suicide. The organization’s 2021 National Survey on LGBTQ Youth Mental Health showed that 13% of LGBTQ youth reported being subjected to conversion therapy, with 83% reporting it occurred when they were under age 18. Most were 15 years old at the time.

“Today, we are one step closer to making sure LGBTQ youth in Idaho are protected from this dangerous practice that has led so many young people to take their lives. Idaho’s rate of suicide, 5th highest in the U.S. as of 2020, is 1.5 times higher than the national average — that statistic is similar for Idaho teens as well,” McCrostie said. “By banning conversion therapy for minors, we can prevent suicide and better safeguard our LGBTQ youth, helping put them on the path to future success.”

Some schools are open for in-person instruction, some are open for online instruction, and some are open for a hybrid mix of instruction. We may walk through the building’s front door, or we may log in with a secure code to join the virtual classroom. Regardless of how we enter, schools remain open, and teachers are passionately excited to work with their students.

Rep. John McCrostie, District 16

Every teacher I know wants to provide their students a 21st century education with all the support they can muster in these challenging times. That may mean replacing a high five with an elbow bump, or a hug with verbal praise. It may mean the teacher calling the student who raises their hand, or it may mean the teacher calling the student who has pressed the “raise your hand” button. But make no mistake: like so many of us across the state and around the globe, Idaho teachers are working harder than ever during this global pandemic.

I believe at every step along the way, our government’s elected leaders — from the governor to the locally elected schools boards — have all acted in good faith, with pure hearts and motives. Any mistakes were never malicious but always with the best interests of Idaho and Idaho’s students. And our teachers have been hard at work in the trenches all along.

Let’s remember to extend a little daily grace to our friends and fellow community members in these unprecedented times, from the grocery store clerk to the neighborhood school teacher. We all want life to get back to normal. If we want more in-person learning in Idaho schools, we must work together. And if we work together, we will get there.

Rep. John McCrostie

Several major health organizations have discredited conversion therapy. According to the Trevor Project’s 2020 National Survey on LGBTQ Youth Mental Health, individuals under 18 who had undergone conversion therapy attempted suicide at more than twice the rate as those who had not. In 2018, Idaho’s suicide rate was the fifth highest in the nation. 

Currently, conversion therapy has been banned in 20 U.S. states, including the neighboring states of Utah, Washington and Oregon. 

“By becoming the next state to ban conversion therapy, Idaho can protect our citizens and prevent suicide,” McCrostie said following the introduction.

Tom Luna, the new Idaho GOP Chairman, recently previewed his plan for attacking Democratic candidates this election year:

Step One: Harp nonstop on a report generated for the City of Boise by a nonpartisan team of volunteers, and falsely attribute it to Idaho Democrats, who in fact never wrote, endorsed, or implemented it. The report compiled some citizens’ suggestions, and is not and never has been Democratic policy or platform.

Step Two: Call Democratic legislators “socialists,” ignoring the fact that we are not only capitalists who embrace the importance of businesses large and small, but many of us are business owners ourselves.

Step Three: Hope that voters will settle for name-calling and distortion, and won’t probe into actual positions or records.

This brazen misdirection by the GOP Chairman belies a fear that if Idaho voters really understand Democrats’ positions and the GOP’s dismal single-party governance record, the Republican super-majority would be in jeopardy.

Voters deserve to know where Democrats actually stand. Here is our legislative agenda, plain and simple:

• A Strong Economy. Idaho has lost business opportunities due to inadequate infrastructure, an insufficiently skilled workforce, and a lack of affordable housing. We want to correct these deficiencies.  Let’s be honest—there’s a lot of crony capitalism in this state masquerading as real capitalism.  We’ll do a lot better without a one-party government whose focus is on well-connected insiders rather than making sure everyone has economic opportunity.
• The success of our communities starts with our schools. Teacher pay must be sufficient to recruit and retain quality educators. Lack of funding shouldn’t force schools into four-day weeks and sub-par education programs. Education should be adequately funded by the state as mandated by our Constitution – property taxpayers shouldn’t have to pass levies to keep schools operational.We should be generating a skilled workforce that draws high-wage employers to Idaho, not underfunding higher education, forcing tuition hikes that make a degree unaffordable.
• Fair Taxes. We oppose the GOP’s giant tax cuts and exemptions to those at the top that leave the rest of us with overblown property taxes and underfunded schools and infrastructure. The 2018 Republican income tax cut cost the state over $200 Million annually in revenue, gave over $5,000 a year in cuts to the wealthiest, but only $12 a year to earners in the bottom 20%, while leaving schools underfunded and giving nothing to those needing it most.  The indexed homeowner exemption should be restored and we must increase property tax assistance for seniors and veterans. Millions of dollars a year in internet sales taxes are currently held hostage by the majority party’s infighting. These funds should be used to fund education, repair infrastructure and reduce property taxes. And the legislature should examine the $2.5 billion a year in lost revenue from sales tax exemptions.
• Public Lands. Democrats always fight to protect public lands and your right to access and use them, as well as your right to enjoy clean air and clean water.
• Strong families. Idahoans should not have to work three jobs to support a family. We support gradual increases to the minimum wage and affordable, safe childcare.
• Public Safety. We support our first responders.  We back adequate funding for training and equipment, including ensuring proper standards for use of force.
• Idaho has 187 structurally deficient bridges, and 898 bridges that are past their expected structural life. You deserve roads and bridges that are strong enough for the needs of business and your family’s safety.
• Health Care. We support affordable, quality health care, so we and 61% of Idahoans who agreed with us made Medicaid expansion a reality.

Idaho Democrats are fighting for a more balanced legislature that addresses constituents’ needs.  After thousands of conversations with voters, we have found broad public support for our platform as described above, and the GOP is rightly concerned that a debate on real issues will not play out to their advantage.

In 90 days, you’ll have the chance to correct the harmful imbalance in our legislature. We hope that you’ll join us in paving a better road for Idaho’s future.

Important legislation that could significantly improve the quality of life for LGBTQ Idahoans still awaits a hearing. Add the Words, which would add “sexual orientation” and “gender identity” to Idaho’s Human Rights Act, would protect LGBTQ Idahoans from discrimination in housing, employment, and in public services. Failing to pass Add the Words makes LGBTQ Idahoans, in spite of being hard workers and good tenants, vulnerable to losing their jobs and being kicked out of their homes for simply being who they are. All Idahoans deserve to feel safe and secure in their homes and jobs, and we must ensure that no one worries about having a roof over their head or food on the table.

Suicide rates in Idaho continue to be some of the highest in the country, and the LGBTQ community is particularly vulnerable. To improve mental health of LGBTQ youth, I have introduced legislation to support these young people. I recently brought HB 482 forward to ban the dangerous practice of conversion therapy in Idaho. The harms of conversion therapy contribute to Idaho’s growing suicide problem, and this legislation helps mitigate that tragic outcome.

The House recently targeted Idaho’s transgender community with discriminatory legislation. House Bill 509 would prohibit Idahoans from making necessary changes to their birth certificate. Research shows that transgender individuals lacking an accurate gender marker are more prone to be harassed, denied services, and otherwise discriminated against. Transgender Idahoans depend on accurate legal documents to access basic services like driving a car. House Bill 509 simply is not the Idaho way.

Additional anti-LGBTQ legislation circulating the statehouse, House Bill 500, would require all female athletes in public high schools to undergo invasive “internal and external examination of reproductive organs” and other medical tests just to play sports. The bill specifically targets transgender athletes yet hurts the lives of all girls and women who wish to participate in public school sports. Participation in extracurriculars increases grades and promotes confidence, self-worth and overall health.

The legislature bears the responsibility to protect all citizens of Idaho and to provide equity and justice to those who need it most. Idaho’s LGBTQ community needs and deserves safety and well-being. I ask the legislature to join me in supporting our LGBTQ citizens and to focus our legislation back on concern and compassion for our communities.

“Conversion therapy has been discredited by a number of prominent health organizations”. Rep. McCrostie explained. “It is an incredibly harmful practice that has no proven benefits, actually encourages self-harm, and drastically increases the likelihood of suicide attempts in LGBTQ young people. In 2017, Idaho’s suicide rate was 5th in the nation. By becoming the next state to ban the practice of conversion therapy, Idaho can prevent suicide and protect our citizens.”

“The Trevor Project applauds Representative John McCrostie and all fair-minded legislators in Idaho for taking the first step to protect the Gem State’s most vulnerable youth from the dangerous and discredited practice of conversion therapy,” said Troy Stevenson, Campaign Manager for 50 Bills 50 States at The Trevor Project. “According to our research, LGBTQ youth who had undergone conversion therapy were more than twice as likely to attempt suicide than those who did not. Implementing these vital protections will work to save young lives in Idaho.”

The Trevor Project, the world’s largest suicide prevention and crisis intervention organization for LGBTQ youth, released in June 2019 the results of its inaugural 2019 National Survey on LGBTQ Mental Health, including the following insights around conversion therapy:

• LGBTQ youth who had undergone conversion therapy were more than twice as likely to attempt suicide as those who did not.
• 42 percent of LGBTQ youth who underwent conversion therapy reported a suicide attempt in the past year.
• 57 percent of transgender and non-binary youth who have undergone conversion therapy reported a suicide attempt in the last year.

Conversion therapy is widely opposed by prominent professional medical associations including the American Medical Association, the American Psychological Association, and the American Academy of Pediatrics. The Trevor Project’s 50 Bills 50 States campaign is the largest grassroots campaign in the world endeavoring to protect LGBTQ youth from conversion therapy.

The committee voted to reject the standards. Democrats on the committee continually voiced their support for the standards throughout several days of testimony and expressed their disappointment for the rejection of the current academic content standards.

“We heard overwhelming support from educators, businesses, parents and education stakeholders from every part of the state for the current content standards.” Representative Chris Abernathy/ (D-Pocatello) explained. “Idaho teachers believe in the Idaho Content Standards and its positive impact on their students. I am disappointed that the committee did not vote to uphold the wishes of educators. The removal of our content standards will hurt Idaho Students.”

“Idaho students benefit from the Idaho Content Standards.” Assistant Democratic Leader, Representative John McCrostie/(D-Garden City) said. “As an Idaho teacher, I understand that removing academic content standards is against the best interest of our students. Educators in Idaho understand how to implement the standards, and now the legislature has just pulled the rug out from under them. The removal will disrupt classrooms across our state. Our state must have content standards so that local school districts can craft curriculum so that our students are prepared for a 21st-century workplace. The committee’s rejection of standards will waste taxpayer time and money drafting new standards, distributing updated curriculum, and updating teachers on the changes in content.”

Rep. McCrostie was the first openly LGBTQ man elected to the Idaho State Legislature and is now the first openly LGBTQ individual to occupy a leadership position in the Idaho Legislature.

“I am simultaneously humbled and proud to be the first openly gay man elected to a leadership position in the Idaho House.” Rep. McCrostie said. “In a conservative state, it’s incredibly important to show young Idahoans that LGBTQ individuals have a place in their government. My position is an important step to bring LGBTQ issues to the forefront in the Idaho legislature and to create the protections that all Idaho citizens deserve.”

“I appreciate the support and confidence of my legislative colleagues to represent their best interests in my new leadership position. I look forward to all we will accomplish together in the upcoming legislative session.”