Boise Pride, Dems Respond to Idaho Legislature's Call to Reverse SameSex Marriage
Jan 08, 2025
Representatives with Boise Pride, Planned Parenthood Alliance Advocates, and the Idaho Democratic Caucus are responding publicly to a House Resolution and House Joint Memorial introduced on Tuesday by Idaho GOP lawmakers, which they say target the LGBTQ+ community.House Joint Memorial 1Introduced on Tuesday, House Joint Memorial 1, by Rep. Heather Scott, R-Blanchard, calls upon the U.S. Supreme Court to reverse Obergefell v. Hodges, and "restore the natural definition of marriage, a union of one man and one woman." It continues, "...the Idaho Legislature insists on restoring the issue of marriage and enforcement of all laws pertaining to marriage back to the several states and the people."According to Joint Senate and House rules, a Joint Memorial is not a bill, but rather a "petition or representation" to "whoever can effectuate the request."In response, representatives from Boise Pride say, "While this is not a law, its a stark reminder that our rights are under attack, and the fight for equality is far from over."A joint statement on Tuesday from House Minority Leader Ilana Rubel, D-Boise, and Senate Minority Leader Melissa Wintrow, D-Boise, calls the memorial a "sad distraction." The lawmakers wrote in part, "...it should be offensive to all Idahoans who value their individual rights and freedoms and just want to live their lives without egregious government interference." House Joint Memorial 1 is now in the hands of the House State Affairs Committee.House Concurrent Resolution 2Also introduced on the House Floor on Tuesday House Concurrent Resolution 2, from Rep. Barbara Ehardt, R-Idaho Falls, commends the Boise State Women's Volleyball team for "...its courage and commitment in standing strongly for the integrity of Women's Sports."As Idaho News 6 previously reported, the Boise State women's volleyball team and a few other Mountain West Conference volleyball teams made national headlines late last year after forfeiting games against San Jose State University during the regular season, reportedly amid revelations that one of SJSU's players is transgender.The resolution calls on the NCAA to "...revoke its transgender student-athlete participation policy." It also calls on the Mountain West Conference to "correct its regressive policy of allowing biological men in women's sports and to return to the original intent of Title IX, and to correct the Boise State University women's volleyball team record, as well as all other schools' records in the conference, to reflect all forfeits as 'no contests' rather than losses."This resolution comes on the heels of Governor Brad Little's remarks during his State of the State Address on Monday. In the address, he said, "Idaho was the first state to take action to defend women's sports. I'm incredibly proud of Boise State University's women's volleyball team for standing up for what's right."The Governor received a long-standing ovation from several GOP lawmakers. In response to both the resolution and joint memorial that were introduced on Tuesday, the Idaho Director of the Planned Parenthood Alliance Advocates writes, "While we know our Democratic legislators will vote against this bill on its substance, failing to oppose bigotry at every opportunity perpetuates harm and weakens our shared values of justice and equality."Check back for updates, as Idaho News 6 will continue following all the latest developments during the 2025 legislative session.