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#AddtheWords, bisexual, Brent Crane, Elaine Smith, freedom, gay, HB2, human rights, Idaho, John McCrostie, Ken Andrus Linden Bateman, lesbian, LGBT, Loertscher, Melissa Wintrow, Paulette Jordan, Pete Nielson, sexual orientation, transgender, Vito Barbieri
Despite 21 hours of testimony on Idaho House Bill 2, which would add the words, “gender equality, sexual preference” to already existing human rights legislation, the State Affairs Committee steadfastly refused to pass the bill on to the full House for consideration. Of the 154 brave souls who stood before the committee, 102 testified in favor of passage, 51 opposed, and one couldn’t make up his mind.
Senator Cherie Buckner-Webb, 5th generation Idahoan, providing concluding remarks in defense of HB 2 to the State Affairs Committee.
The committee, comprised of 13 Republicans (this IS Idaho) and 4 Democrats, voted straight down the party line. Notable comments during the discussion preceding the vote:
Rep Ken Andrus (R): (is he related to Cece?) Made the initial motion to hold the bill in committee (thus killing it for this session). Hundreds of thousands of his constituents had emailed him their fear for their religious freedoms should this bill be passed. Note: Both a reading of the bill and testimony of civil rights attorneys verified that the bill excludes religious organizations from compliance with human rights rules pertinent to this legislation. Representative Andrus stated that to you of “the Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual (sic)community, we do not feel that we discriminate against you. We have to address both sides of this issue and make rules that protect ALL of the people.”
Linden Bateman (R): the doddering geezer who stumbled off to the bathroom every 30 minutes during testimony: “After hearing all of your stories, I will be kinder and more compassionate, but I support the initial motion (to kill the bill).”
Brent J. Crane (R): (with an outspoken pledge to oppose any such legislation) “Definitions matter!” Mr. Crane is worried about the 50 some gender categories listed on Facebook. He is worried that the terms lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender will be expanded to include pedophiles and rapists—even though that claim was refuted by expert legal testimony.
Vito Barbieri (R):“I have been utterly moved to compassion in hearing your stories. Persecution, violence, and abuse needs to stop. BUT, this bill does not change behavior. By using this amendment as a sword rather than a shield, we force good people to accept deviant behavior against their own personal values.” He went on to expound upon the Gay Agenda and the possibility that this amendment would open the doors to sexual predators. Yada, yada. For some reason Representative Barbieri failed to hear the stories of sexual predation that happen routinely and with impunity to this marginalized community.
Pete Nielson (R): (perhaps the most disjointed and frightening comments spoken by any of the committee members) This geezer rambled on for about 15 minutes about how his papa taught him to dance with the ugly girls too, because then other people would ask them to dance. But, of course, he could not support this bill. “We must all practice kindness and forgiveness.”
Chairman Thomas F. Loertscher: (he did an admirable job of trying to run the meeting with equanimity and dignity) He expounded upon his youth and the discrimination he suffered (and still suffers) from being fat. He learned to deal with it. “We have all been changed in our hearts by this hearing,” he claimed. He called upon all the people of this great state to “stop the cruelty,” BUT, he could not accept the financial cost ramifications of this bill. “This is just not the right bill to correct the problem.”
Despite pleas from all four Democratic members of the committee to at least pass the bill on up to the full House for a hearing (minus a committee recommendation), roll was called after an hour of debate. Not one Republican could see fit to allow the bill a hearing by the larger body. The infamous 13 ruled over the the four voices of reason.
If “Leadership is about reasoning in difficult times,” as Melissa Wintrow (D) said, leadership does not exist in Idaho. And as Paulette Jordan (D) quoted from her Native American WWII war hero father, “America is not free until we are all free.”
I came late to this party. I invested only about 16 hours of my life in the hearings. Like so many of us, I tend to take a back seat to issues that don’t personally affect me. But I have reached a time in my life where I have nothing to lose but my own sanity. I must prepare myself for future battles. The people most affected by this decision have worked for nine years just to get the bill heard. They were devastated by the outcome, but they will regroup. As a friend commented as we sat braced for the bad news: Eventually this legislation will pass. These guys can go down in history as a bunch of stubborn old goats who stood in the way of progress, or they can shine as beacons of light in a dark time.
I will remember who the goats are and who the beacons of light are. I won’t sit by quietly allowing goats to rule in future elections and debates.
My gratitude and deepest respect go to Representatives Elaine Smith, Paulette Jordan, John McCrostie, and Melissa Wintrow, and to the 102 brave souls who stood before us all, sharing their life stories, their pain, their fear, their humility. I will have your back and go down with you.
Rangewriter 
Unfortunate yet not unexpected.
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Yeah, Kathy, you’re right.
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Thirteen folks are being left at the station as this train is moving. Please take solace in our GOP led legislature in NC is discussing a bill to say it is OK for a magistrate to refuse to marry LGBTs on moral grounds. Our state leaders want to make it legal to break the law and the duties of the magistrate.
The argument that is being used now is “you are unfairly infringing on my beliefs.” Two points in rebuttal, you can believe what you want as that is your right, but when your beliefs lead you to action that infringe upon the rights of others, then to call that into question is not unfair. It is also my right to shine a light on bigotry.
Sorry for the vote, but great work on the turnout. BTG
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OMG, don’t let our top rodent, Governor Otter, see that tactic. He is still busy fighting for Idaho’s legal right to NOT accept same sex marriage. (Spending money on legal fees that could be bolstering our 49th-from-the-bottom-ranked education.) When that fails, as it will, I can just see him pulling the “unfairly infringing on my beliefs” standard out to protect the magistrates. It’s the same logic that allows doctors, nurses, and pharmacists to refuse to administer birth control measures. It is the same logic that was trotted out in much of the opposition to “Add the the Words.” “Special rights” (human rights to you and me) applied to gender equality and sexual orientation would infringe on frightened idiots’ right to believe that they are superior beings, would infringe on their “safety” in public restrooms, ….
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WTF ???? I stopped reading at: “we force good people to accept deviant behavior against their own personal values.”
“GOOD People” VS “DEVIANT behaviour” !
Even our stupid conservative Prime Minister would ever espouse such an ignorant belief.
These right wing folk probably hate the Taliban and don’t see how similar their judgy-ness is to its narrow beliefs and world view.
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EGGsactly, Sybil! It all comes back around the self-righteous belief that there is only ONE right way of thinking and believing. If you stake your entire life upon believing that you are part of the righteous, then any ideas that contradict your ideology must be fostered by the devil, right? It really doesn’t matter what flavor you subscribe to, if you firmly believe there is only one right flavor, all others must be eliminated from the face of the planet. Fundamentally logical. ? The mayhem explodes around the globe. If there ever were a Jesus, what would he think if he could see what goes on in his name?
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I would add that their is a distinction between “judgyness” and disapproval. On a Biblical basis, I may find fault with a particular view of morality, and thus disapprove; however, when I look down my nose, condescend, and begin to judge another’s morality based upon my where I suppose my own morality falls on the sliding scale, that when a problem begins to emerge.
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As usual, Dink, you have supplied a really logical refinement to the discussion. I agree exactly. This is why it shouldn’t be so difficult to include others at our table. We are not being asked to live as they live or to even like or approve of the way the live. But we must not deny them their right to live as they believe they should. I may highly disapprove of the way my neighbors raise their children, but as long as the kids are healthy, well-fed and clean, I have no right to impose my beliefs on them.
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You know, my typos are really getting out of hand. Lol.
I agree with you. It’s a shame that these matters have to be legislated, as they are more freedoms that are inherent in mankind.
I am of the mindset that words have specific definitions, and historical value. It frustrates me that modern lexicographers define words according to the times, and allow for whatever misuse of pronunciation.
Marriage is a word that is already defined, and has spiritual and historical value. I am not for redefining words. Believe it or not, Sir Elton John is in agreement with me on this matter.
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I sat through lot of these meetings in the 70’s while covering the Idaho legislature. the accounts of this hearing brings back a lot of memories. the names have changed (save for Rep. Bateman) but it’s the same bunch of yahoos that have governed Idaho for as long as I can remember. Amazingly most of them seem to acknowledge pangs of conscience but can’t bring themselves to vote on it. They remain on the wrong side of history. My current congressman in Colorado is gay, as is one of my state reps. My state senator who lives around the corner carried gay marriage legislation. I voted for all of them and you know the sun came up the next morning. Colorado has become a destination for the creative class, Despite its attractions and climate Idaho is becoming a bug light for the knuckle dragging element that were once even unwelcome in republican circles.
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I think the yahoos who profess to have been moved by the horror stories of victims of abuse, feel cloaked in the omniscient righteousness of their Biblical dogma. There is, you know, only ONE right way,only ONE God (oh excuse me, one trinity), and if these “poor troubled souls would just repent, Jesus would deliver them from their misery.”
Oh I love this!”Idaho is becoming a bug light for the knuckle dragging element that were once even unwelcome in republican circles.” I may have to steal that line.
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The time will definitely come when the victims of others’ ignorance and prejudice will be honored, included and respected. Until then, it’s voices like yours, LInda, and the likes of the 102 others who spoke before the backward, closed minded politicians of the State Affairs Committee in Idaho and elsewhere, will at last be heard. Indeed, as Paulette Jordan (D) quoted from her Native American WWII war hero father, “America is not free until we are all free.” This is both the plea and the promise of what our nation’s forefathers and all freedom loving people have wanted and intended.
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Well, we certainly hope that a time will come when everyone is respected and honored. I wish I were as optimistic as you, Bob. It seems as soon as we leap one hurdle in the battle, another crops up. Perhaps this is the human condition? Perpetual battle between good and evil?
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I thought of you today when one of our ministers in his sermon today, mentioned that a well-known activist /theologian made the statement that he is no longer engaging in these tiresome debates with fundamentalists on homosexuality and who is wrong/right but is moving on to other issues.That was a refreshing thought.
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It is a refreshing thought, for him. I am taking a hiatus. I have only so much energy for nonsense. But I’m also painfully aware that the disenfranchised aren’t afforded a hiatus from madness, and often they are not in a good position to speak out for their own cause. Sigh. I shouldn’t feel guilty for my isolationist tendency, yet I do. Thanks for thinking of me! You are a bright spot. 😉
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