Editorial: Idaho should heed changing tides on gay, transgender rights

The end of discrimination against gay, lesbian and transgendered citizens hasn’t been swift, but it is inevitable. A review of recent developments shows that Idaho’s dogged resistance may be subsiding.

Two-thirds of Idahoans believe the state should prohibit discrimination in housing and the workplace, according to a recent statewide poll by Zions Bank. Furthermore, 58 percent of Republicans and 64 percent of Mormons were supportive of anti-discrimination laws.

Other polls show that when the current generation of seniors passes, resistance will crumble.

Last year, the Idaho Legislature refused, as it has for years, to grant a hearing to “Add the Words” advocates, who then silently swarmed the Capitol in protest. They want “sexual orientation” and “gender identity” added to the Human Rights Act, which would bar discrimination on those grounds.

Some cities, such as Coeur d’Alene and Sandpoint, have taken such action, but the Legislature has for years rebuffed advocates seeking statewide relief. Some lawmakers even considered repealing those local ordinances.

But, perhaps sensing the change in public sentiment, legislative leaders are reportedly amenable to a full hearing on “Add the Words” legislation this year. At the very least, this would put the onus on lawmakers to explain, for the record, why businesses should be allowed to fire workers for being gay, or why landlords can refuse to rent.

On another front, Florida became the latest state to have its gay marriage ban struck down, and presumptive Republican presidential candidate Jeb Bush, the former governor of the Sunshine State, is urging acceptance of the new reality.

Idaho Gov. Butch Otter should pay heed, rather than continue his pseudo-quixotic effort to stop the legal avalanche with a spoon. Instead, his office recently filed a 41-page petition with the U.S. Supreme Court, saying Idaho’s case is the “ideal vehicle” to settle the matter. It’s more like a clown car fueled with taxpayer dollars. Otter’s folly has gained national attention and could hurt the state’s reputation for years to come.

The courts already have mocked the state’s contention that gay marriages will harm children and ruin traditional couplings. This hasn’t been the case in other states, such as Washington. No reason to think it will occur in Idaho.

Jeb Bush didn’t go so far as to endorse gay marriage, but he did say that everyone should “show respect” to the loving couples involved. Otter could begin to do the same by stifling his insulting legal arguments.

Attitudes about gay rights have changed dramatically. Eleven years ago, President George W. Bush could support a federal ban on gay marriage and be sure that it was an electoral winner. He could confidently criticize “a few judges and local authorities.”

But now the prohibitionists are in retreat, as they struggle to thwart the rising public consensus. Here’s two words for them to add: “We surrender.”