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.”

Words matter…

Your recent divisive words mattered, but in a way you may not have expected — they actually united the very group of “medicated, meddlesome, and quarrelsome” women you hoped to segregate and diminish. People across Idaho are raising their voices on social media to celebrate women for the very achievements you condemn, from being a first-generation college student to a medical doctor or civil engineer.

These successes were championed, not criticized as you would’ve liked. You yearn to return to the dark ages, but it’s clear the clock will not be turned back. Thankfully, that dystopian worldview is fading, and thousands of people will ensure we keep moving forward; I’m one of them.

Higher education changed my life, and allowed me to look beyond my once-limited perspective. I’ve seen it do the same for so many students while working at different universities, including Boise State, where I was hired as the first full-time Women’s Center director and taught gender studies classes. And I know you have also seen the liberating effect of education, especially for women, which is why you’re so fearful.

As women become the majority of college graduates, pursue fields previously dominated by men, like medicine or engineering, and fight for equal pay, the patriarchal ideals you hold dear are being challenged, resulting in a loss of power and control.

This is why you’ve aligned yourself with radical conservative activists — like extremist special interest groups, the lieutenant governor’s task force, and choice GOP legislators — trying to dismantle public education and deny women and other marginalized groups opportunities to succeed. These attitudes materialized in a vote to block funding for childcare and pre-K because it would enable women to “come out of the home,” a prime example of institutionalized sexism based on fear of what you perceive you will lose.

There is no reason to fear an equitable society when there is so much to gain, allowing everyone to fulfill their god-given right to pursue happiness and live the life they have chosen. People who experience social advantages are being asked right now to recognize the benefits society affords them based solely on their race and sex. Although success isn’t guaranteed, these immutable traits — like being white and male — don’t work against them. Women and people from historically marginalized groups have not always been valued by society in that way, and must work harder to gain access to those same rights and opportunities. This can be uncomfortable to reconcile, but this pales in comparison to discrimination.

Your words are insidious and dangerous, but there are enough educated, community-minded, and caring Idahoans who see through your misaligned tactics. The next step is to elect them.

In the meantime, Mr. Yenor, I invite you to take off your blinders and join us as we create a world in which everyone is free to pursue their dreams, care for themselves and their families, and live a fulfilling life without fear of being locked into a one-size-fits-all role predetermined by whomever is in power.

A world where transgender people can express their true selves without fear of harm and exclusion from sports or public spaces; where Black parents don’t have to experience the pain of teaching their kids how to respond to authorities or combat racism; where women can walk freely at night without using their keys as makeshift brass knuckles; and where universities don’t lose funding for trying to create a safe and inclusive environment.

Words matter. I hope you listen to mine, and the many Idahoans condemning yours.

Sen. Melissa Wintrow

Republican legislators have leveled an assault on higher education programs addressing what they define as “social justice” issues. They cut Boise State’s budget because they felt threatened by diversity/inclusion programs, which are shown to have positive impacts on graduation rates. GOP legislators killed an early education bill from fear children would be introduced to “social justice” teachings — coursework emphasizing acceptance of all people. Quoting one legislator, these programs would also “encourage women to leave the home,” so the majority voted against funding early learning.

Sexism is alive and well in the legislature. Sentiments about a woman’s “proper” place in society simmer under the surface until they bubble up in votes like these, and he’s not alone. We see it in decision after decision. We couldn’t pass a simple bill to expand access to prescription contraception. We don’t have full-time kindergarten or preschool because of sexist attitudes about a woman’s so-called role. After fighting to raise awareness about sexual and domestic violence, we couldn’t pass common sense legislation to keep firearms out of the hands of convicted domestic abusers.

Clearly, if you don’t fit in the majority, you will be silenced, de-funded, erased…dare I say canceled due to fear that traditional culture will be pushed aside.

This backlash against “justice for all” is not uncommon. When people in power feel their way of life is threatened, a common reaction to protect and fight back emerges. Our fight shouldn’t be against everyday citizens just trying to get by; it should be a fight against myths of meritocracy and individualism that have been ingrained in education and culture. I was taught growing up if you just worked hard enough, you could do anything, but that’s really not true.

We have all been indoctrinated into a false narrative of our history. Policies and laws in our country have been enacted to work against people not in the majority. A quick Google search reveals what my public education left out about being American and the difficulty accessing the American Dream if you aren’t in the majority.

I was taught about the founding fathers, but I wasn’t told they owned slaves. I was taught the Thanksgiving story, but not the Trail of Tears and genocide of indigenous people. I learned about Abraham Lincoln, but not the Great Compromise deeming Blacks as ⅗ of a person, nor about lynching or Jim Crow. I was taught nothing about “redlining,” the Government’s practice to segregate and deny property ownership to people of color. I learned about the Civil War but not the Confederate Cornerstone Speech that used Christianity to justify slavery.

My public education reflected the values of the “majority;” it wasn’t until an educator challenged my own thinking, I began to examine what “justice for all…” meant to those not in the majority. Educators are demonized for encouraging critical thought and inviting us to lean into discomfort as we learn a more complete narrative about our history. Social justice programs are merely set up to open our minds to a more inclusive truth.

Being from the white majority, I may not be responsible for past oppression, but I am responsible for righting wrongs and acknowledging how I have benefitted from that privilege. And if we are going to achieve “justice for all,” we must look beyond what a quick Google search tells us and beyond what makes us (the majority) feel comfortable.

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.

During the legislative session, Democratic legislators fought the legislation every step of the way. House Minority Leader Representative Ilana Rubel/(D-Boise) requested the Attorney General opinion that articulated the reasons the bill would likely be found unconstitutional.

“Attorneys General (past and present), Democratic legislators, Idaho citizens and leaders of Idaho’s business community fought House Bill 500 from the beginning.” Rep. Rubel explained. “We knew it was unconstitutional, discriminatory, and would cost taxpayers a fortune in unsuccessful court battles. Moreover, it was totally unnecessary. There are well-thought-out rules developed by the organizations overseeing competitive sports that address transgender athletes. These rules have worked well for many years to keep competition fair, and there had never been a single instance identified in Idaho history where there was a problem arising from transgender athletes.  Republican legislators created a crisis out of whole cloth, and now, even a conservative, Trump-appointed judge has concluded the law is likely unconstitutional.”

“The defense costs arising from HB500 are already substantial and continuing to mount. And yet we are told that the state is so cash-strapped it has no choice but to cut $99 million from our education budget and deny teachers the pay they were promised. It is long past time for the GOP supermajority to reset its priorities. They knew when they passed this bill that a pandemic and economic downturn were upon us. Now more than ever tax dollars should be used to meet the needs of our citizens, not to finance costly court battles over clearly unconstitutional and totally unnecessary legislation.”

Senator Maryanne Jordan/(D-Boise) expressed appreciation for the decision, but she was disappointed that the law even made it to the court in the first place. 

“Democratic legislators, lawyers, advocacy groups, and constituents are not surprised by the court’s decision. Regardless, we are relieved that the court struck down this gross infringement of personal liberty.” Sen. Jordan said. “The Idaho legislature refused to acknowledge that this restriction had already lost in court once. Republican legislators chose to violate their constituents’ rights and waste money to fight a court battle they knew they were going to lose.”

“I am deeply thankful to the District Court for upholding the U.S. Constitution in Idaho, even when the legislature is determined to pass unconstitutional laws that oppress Idahoans. However, the state wasted thousands of taxpayer dollars during an economic crisis that will not end soon. Republican legislators are reaching into taxpayer’s wallets to defend knowingly unconstitutional legislation when most Idahoans are worried about putting food on the table and keeping a roof over their heads.” 

So what did our GOP-dominated Legislature do during these critical weeks? Did it beef up our unemployment insurance system so the expected flood of claims could be processed quickly and efficiently? Afraid not. Laid-off workers were left with a totally inadequate system that left their claims unpaid and their calls unanswered for months.

Did our Legislature help Idaho schools prepare to shift to a remote learning model? Nope – not a peep about training teachers, improving student broadband access, or providing resources that would have enabled a successful transition to online education. What about property tax relief, for which citizens had been begging for months? Another big no – the party in charge blocked six different property tax relief bills sponsored by Democrats.

Instead of focusing on providing help to Idaho’s people and businesses, the GOP supermajority spent these precious weeks ramming through bills on every divisive social issue they could think of. Most notably, over the strenuous objection of every Democratic legislator, they passed the nation’s most extreme anti-transgender legislation. In doing so, the GOP supermajority disregarded warnings from current and former Attorneys-General that the bills were unconstitutional and would cost the state a fortune to defend, and they ignored forceful opposition by many of the state’s largest employers (including Micron, the INL, Clif Bar and Chobani) who warned of serious harm to business interests.

Now, our reeling businesses and workers must pay the price for these legislators’ reckless actions at a time when we can least afford it. California law does not allow taxpayer dollars to pay for travel to states that discriminate against LGBTQ Americans, and Idaho just landed on this banned travel list because of our new anti-transgender laws. This means that California’s public universities will not be able to send athletes, students, or even debate teams to Idaho. Conference and convention planners will be reluctant to choose Idaho for events because California state employees won’t be able to come. Further, this announcement comes on the heels of news that the NCAA is considering blacklisting Idaho because of these laws, potentially costing $15 million in lost business.

Our hospitality industry was already hit brutally by the coronavirus pandemic. The very last thing our hotels and restaurants need right now is this devastating and totally unnecessary blow, dealt by Idaho’s own legislature. As we are now looking at cutting $100 million from our education budget and deep cuts to other critical services, it is beyond infuriating to watch tens of millions of dollars set on fire by a GOP-dominated legislature that seems only to be interested in escalating culture wars.

Both of Idaho’s new discriminatory anti-transgender laws are currently being challenged in federal court. Maybe we’ll get lucky and the judicial branch will strike them down, saving us from more catastrophic impact to our hospitality industry. But we shouldn’t have to count on such intervention to save us from our own elected leaders. We should have a legislature that focuses on helping, or at least that does no harm.

The myth of the GOP as the “pro-business, fiscally conservative” party has been shattered once again. Too often the majority party is ready and willing to inflict crippling economic losses on Idaho workers and businesses in service of a divisive social agenda. For decades, GOP legislators have forced taxpayers to pay millions to defend right-wing legislation that was clearly unconstitutional but passed anyway to indulge various ideological fixations. We can’t afford this behavior any longer. We are in a recession and that money needs to go to schools, roads and necessary government services. Idaho voters – you have the power. Insist that your legislators stop wantonly hurting our economy and stay focused on protecting our freedoms and improving education, economy and quality of life.

House Minority Leader Representative Ilana Rubel/(D-Boise) expressed her extreme disappointment in the Idaho legislature.

“It was extremely foreseeable that Idaho’s new anti-transgender laws would create a cascading financial disaster for our state.” Rep. Rubel said. “The legislature was not only warned by current and former attorneys-general that these laws were unconstitutional and would cost a fortune to defend, but was further warned by a group of Idaho’s leading employers that passing such openly discriminatory legislation would cause severe damage to the business community. I am proud that every Democratic legislator heeded those warnings and voted against the bills.

Now, our reeling businesses and workers must pay the price for GOP legislators’ reckless actions at a time when we can least afford it. California law does not allow taxpayer dollars to pay for travel to states that discriminate against LGBTQ Americans, and Idaho just landed on this banned travel list because of our new anti-transgender laws. This means that California’s public universities will likely not be able to send athletes, students, or even debate teams to Idaho. Conference and convention planners will be reluctant to choose Idaho for events because California state employees won’t be able to come. Further, this announcement comes on the heels of news that the NCAA is considering blacklisting Idaho because of these laws, potentially costing $15 million in lost business.

Our hospitality industry was already hit brutally by the coronavirus pandemic. The very last thing our hotels and restaurants need right now is this devastating and totally unnecessary blow, dealt by Idaho’s own legislature. As the Governor is now looking at cutting $100 million from our education budget and deep cuts to other critical services, it is beyond infuriating to watch tens of millions of dollars set on fire by a GOP-dominated legislature that seems only to be interested in escalating culture wars.

This crisis was created out of whole cloth by the legislature. There had never been a single reported problem arising from any transgender athlete in the state of Idaho, nor from any transgender person seeking to revise the gender marker on their birth certificate. Now, we face a legal, human rights and financial crisis manufactured by the GOP supermajority. We can’t afford this behavior any longer. Idaho is in a recession and our precious tax dollars must be used for schools, roads and necessary government services.”

Senator Grant Burgoyne/(D-Boise) and Senator Cherie Buckner-Webb/(D-Boise) applauded the decision and reflected on its impact for Idaho.

“LGBTQ Idahoans and their friends, families, and those who cared for them breathed a long-awaited sigh of relief today.” Sen. Buckner-Webb said. “For 14 years, Democrats have been fighting to Add the Words to the Idaho Human Rights Act that would protect Idahoans from discrimination in the workplace, housing, and public utilities. Unfortunately, the legislature refused time and time again to even have the conversation with us. Thankfully, the U.S. Supreme Court took up the appropriate action to look out for our citizens.”

“The U.S. Supreme Court recognizes that gender identity and sexual orientation does not impact your quality of work and does not make you deserving of discrimination.” Sen. Burgoyne. “Being who you are and loving who you love are not reasons to be fired from your job. This is a huge step in the right direction. In my legal practice and in the legislature, I have argued for decades that the prohibition on sex discrimination in the federal and state civil rights laws includes a bar on sexual orientation and gender identity discrimination. I am very glad to see that the U.S. Supreme Court agrees. Simple justice demands that everyone be able to be who they are without fear of discrimination, hate or violence.”

Sen. Nelson expressed his appreciation for the vigil and its organizers.

“George Floyd’s death is unacceptable and we cannot tolerate the excessive use of force by the Police.” Sen. Nelson said. “I deeply appreciate that our community has come together to demand justice for black communities in every part of the country. Idahoans across the state, including myself, are taking time to acknowledge the systemic, institutionalized racism that exists in our communities. During this vigil, I am reflecting on my own privilege and examining the racism that exists at all levels of society.”

“The vigil is a peaceful, safe event that gives Idahoans a place to mourn the loss of fellow human beings and imagine a better, less violent future. The organizers have been very responsible by encouraging participants to bring masks and social distance to avoid any coronavirus spread. They are also encouraging attendees to donate money to bail out funds to help individuals in other states. I could not be prouder of District 5 and I am honored to serve as their Senator.”