Forum Attracts ‘Words’ Backers
Members of the Gay Straight Alliance and Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG) protest the Kootenai County State Legislators who voted against the “Add the Words” bill during a town hall meeting hosted by the Kootenai County Republican Party and the North Idaho College Republicans on Saturday morning. Protestors held a hand over their mouths to signify that there voice is not heard by the Kootenai County State Legislators. (Press photo: Tess Freeman)
More than 20 demonstrators stood with their hands over their mouths during the Kootenai County state legislators' town hall meeting Saturday, symbolizing that they feel their voices are not being heard. "By holding our hands over our mouths, we're representing that we're being denied a voice in the Human Rights Act and that the words 'sexual orientation' and 'gender identity' are not included," said Lauren Merlino, 20, who serves as the president of North Idaho College's Gender and Sexuality Alliance. The demonstrators silently stood in the rear of the room during the two-hour meeting, with a few coming and going and the number increasing to 25 at one point. They attended in response to the events in Boise regarding House Bill 2, known as the "Add the Words" bill, that the House State Affairs Committee voted to kill Thursday/Devin Heilman, Coeur d'Alene Press. More here.
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