News & Commentary

Today, Idaho Attorney General Raúl Labrador asked the U.S. Supreme Court to review a Ninth Circuit decision that blocked enforcement of Idaho's ban on participation in school sports for transgender athletes.

Two Idaho families are challenging HB 71, a dangerous law that intrudes on the rights and lives of transgender youth

The City of Boise and Jax Perez, a former Boise Public Library employee, who is transgender with a nonbinary gender identity and who uses they/them pronouns, have settled Perez’s federal employment discrimination lawsuit. Perez initially filed a charge of discrimination with the Idaho Human Rights Commission in 2020, after the City issued them a formal employment warning. The discipline warned Perez that it had been inappropriate for them to “make known” to a patron that they were a member of the LGBTQ community during Pride Month, June 2019. Perez later filed a federal lawsuit based, in part, on similar facts in June 2021.

A federal judge today blocked Idaho’s law targeting transgender student athletes.

Earlier this year, the Idaho Legislature passed a bill that bans women and girls who are transgender from school and college sports. The law also forces all girls and women who participate in school athletics to endure invasive testing to prove their sex if anyone disputes their gender. The bill was known as House Bill 500, or HB 500 for short. The Governor signed the bill and on July 1, 2020, it became an Idaho law.What is the lawsuit about?The law makes Idaho the only state to completely bar all women and girls who are transgender from sports. We sued because trans people belong everywhere, including in schools and on sports teams. The lawsuit asks the court to strike down the new law.What is the hearing on July 22 about?The hearing is for the lawyers in the case to make arguments to the judge about HB 500. There are three big topics they will argue about:Will the judge #LetLindsayRun? The judge has to decide whether to stop HB 500 from taking effect during the coming school year. The judge can do that by issuing an order called a “preliminary injunction.” That order would stop the government from enforcing HB 500 for now. If the court issues an injunction, Lindsay Hecox can try out for Boise State’s cross-country team next month.Should the court dismiss the case? State officials have all asked

Idaho passed a new law this year about gender markers on Idaho birth certificates. A gender marker is the place on an Idaho birth certificate that says whether a person is “male” or “female.” The new law was known as House Bill 509 or HB 509.

Former Attorneys General Tony Park, Wayne Kidwell, David Leroy, Jim Jones, and Al Lance write a letter to Idaho Governor Brad Little, asking him to veto House Bill 500 based on constitutional violations.

After a long, hard-fought legislative session defending LGBTQ+ rights and fending off discriminatory bills, we’re excited to celebrate and be in community with our LGBTQ+ friends and allies at several Pride events taking place this summer.

It’s a joyous day to be living in America today. To be part of a historical moment when the highest court of the nation affirms a fundamental civil right; that all people who choose to marry, regardless of gender or sexual orientation can do so with the full protection of the law.  This is a momentous win for freedom, equality, inclusion, and above all, love. We can celebrate that our nation has made a monumental step to honor its promise that all people have the right to the pursuit of happiness, liberty and justice for all.