Human Rights Campaign Leads Effort to Lobby Idaho Lawmakers to Stand Up for LGBTQ+ Community

by HRC Staff •

Boise, Idaho — The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) — the nation’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ+) civil rights organization — led 50 activists, advocates, and supporters yesterday in rallying support for LGBTQ+ equality at the Idaho State Capitol. HRC organizers held meetings with members from both parties including leadership in the State Senate. Idaho lawmakers are currently weighing legislation that would restrict access to mental health care, make the act of providing gender affirming health care a felony, and permit public works contractors to refuse to provide transgender people with access to bathrooms consistent with their gender identity.

Human Rights Campaign Deputy National Campaign Director John Gruber issued the following statement today:

“In Idaho, we understand the importance of letting people live their own lives free from the fear of government intrusion. But right now, extreme politicians in Idaho are writing laws that interfere with deeply personal health care decisions that should be left up to patients and their doctors. Bills being pushed by Idaho legislators would have a disastrous impact on families across the state. We showed up to ask lawmakers to stop these bad bills from ever becoming law.”

Less than two months into 2023, HRC is already tracking more than 340 anti-LGBTQ+ bills that have been introduced in statehouses across the country. 150 of those would specifically restrict the rights of transgender people, the highest number of bills targeting transgender people in a single year to date.

So far this year, HRC is tracking:

  • 90 bills that would prevent trans youth from being able to access age-appropriate, medically-necessary, best-practice health care; two have already become law, in Utah and South Dakota.

  • More bathroom ban bills filed than in any previous year,

  • And 28 anti-LGBTQ+ bills which have passed at least one chamber, 10 of which are specifically anti-trans.

The Human Rights Campaign is America’s largest civil rights organization working to achieve equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer people. HRC envisions a world where LGBTQ+ people are embraced as full members of society at home, at work and in every community.

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Topics:
Laws and Legislation