Idaho Republicans are targeting LGBTQ rights. Here are 6 bills to keep track of

The Idaho Legislature is a little over two months into the 2023 legislative session, and the people elected to make decisions for Idahoans have wasted little time targeting the rights of the LGBTQ community.

Several bills that have been discussed by the Legislature target health care and social and educational opportunities for the LGBTQ community. One has been passed by both the House and Senate and sent to Idaho Gov. Brad Little to sign into law.

Idaho is right in the thick of Republican-dominated states crafting anti-LGBTQ legislation. The American Civil Liberties Union is tracking over 400 bills nationwide aimed at taking away rights from the community.

Here are some of the bills that have been introduced in Idaho and the impact they would have. You can track the status of the proposed legislation, along with other important bills being discussed in Idaho, through the Idaho Statesman’s daily bill tracker.

Gender-affirming health care

House Bill 71 would make it a felony to provide gender-affirming medical care to transgender children. The bill, sponsored by Rep. Bruce Skaug, R-Nampa, would alter the current state code that prohibits female genital mutilation of a minor by also outlawing providing children with puberty blockers or transition-related surgeries, which typically aren’t performed on minors.

“The ability to procreate is a fundamental right that must be protected,” Skaug said earlier this month. “Don’t let their bodies be sterilized.”

Rep. Julianne Young, R-Blackfoot, said in February that gender-affirming care is a “quick fix” that could “lead to bigger problems” in the future. The House passed the bill, which will now be considered by a Senate committee.

Boise Pride

House Bill 170 would block state agencies from sponsoring or donating to nongovernmental organizations and charities without the governor’s permission.

The bill, introduced by Rep. Jason Monks, R-Meridian, comes after controversy surrounding the Boise Pride event in September. The Idaho Department of Health and Welfare was set to sponsor the event before Idaho GOP Chairwoman Dorothy Moon and other party members condemned the children’s drag show.

“I believe I would be derelict in my duties as a state representative if I didn’t do everything in my power to prevent taxpayer dollars from being used to support the Boise Pride Festival,” Monks wrote in a letter to Boise mayor Lauren McLean in September.

Monks also told the House State Affairs Committee that he has nothing against the pride event but does not think the government should be spending taxpayer money to sponsor it.

The House passed the bill, which will now need approval from the Senate.

Drag shows

House Bill 265 would prohibit drag show performances on public property. Idaho Family Policy Center President Blaine Conzatti introduced the bill in late February and stated in a news release that LGBTQ pride events in Coeur d’Alene and Boise inspired the bill.

The bill is co-sponsored by Sen. Ben Toews, R-Coeur d’Alene, and Rep. Brent Crane, R-Nampa.

“It does not matter whether we’re talking about a sexually explicit striptease or a sexually explicit drag show,” Conzatti told a legislative committee in February. “Neither belongs in a public park, a public facility or other places where children are present.”

The bill passed the House with a vote of 48-21 with one absentee, and it has been referred to the Senate State Affairs Committee.

Contract work

Senate Bill 1016 would ban local governments from requiring contractors to accommodate transgender individuals by providing separate bathrooms, showers or locker rooms that align with their gender identity. The bill would not apply to public works projects that require federal money.

The bill was brought forward by Sen. Scott Herndon, R-Sagle, who said that a general contractor brought the issue forward to him.

Senate Minority Leader Melissa Wintrow, D-Boise, described the bill as another example of “growing hostility against a group of people who just want to live their lives and go to the bathroom when they need to.”

Both the Senate and House have passed the bill, which has been sent to the governor’s office to be signed into law.

School bathrooms

Senate Bill 1100 would create a state policy that aims to ensure separate school bathrooms and locker rooms based on a student’s sex at birth. The bill would also allow students to sue their school if they find a member of the opposite sex in the bathroom.

The bill is sponsored by Sen. Ben Adams, R-Nampa, and the Idaho Family Policy Center, a religious lobbying group.

“This is a hot-button issue for a lot of people,” Adams told the Senate Education Committee in February. “That’s why this legislation is here. Imagine being a school superintendent or a school administrator and having this on your plate every day.”

When Sen. Carrie Semmelroth, D-Boise, asked if Adams believes transgender students are people, Adams said, “Everyone that comes into this world … is a biological male or a biological female.”

The bill passed the Senate with a 28-7 vote, and it will now be referred to a House committee.

Public libraries

Lawmakers have introduced several versions of bills targeting content they consider “harmful” material for minors, including LGBTQ content.

House Bill 227 would direct library boards to create policies that would make libraries clearly label shelves and material for specific age groups or grade levels and create a process for parents to challenge materials.

The bill outlines a “selection and access policy” for books considered “harmful” to minors. Books that fall under the category include pictures, images or visual descriptions of nudity, sex or sexual contact and lack “serious literary, artistic, political, or scientific value.”

A “secret folder” lawmakers distributed last year, before the House passed a bill on “harmful” materials, provided some examples of the content they were discussing. They included LGBTQ-friendly books, such as “Gender Queer,” by Maia Kobabe, and depictions of same-sex couples.