Dear Idaho

Hi there.

I don't know who I'm more disappointed with, Idaho, the voters, or the lawmakers.

I'm not going to go on about Republican vs Democrat or conservative vs liberal or what have you. In the first place, if my dad ever saw it he would lose his shit completely if I didn't come down somewhere to the right of Attila the Hun on most issues, and I love my dad. I don't want to see him lose the shit he has left. In the second place, I'm not entirely sure that I stand firmly enough on one side or the other to start sending out shockwaves. Most importantly is that I'm talking about issues that really come down to right vs. wrong.

I know we all have our gray areas, but there are some things we should pretty much be on board with. I've got friends who love babies: all babies, all the time, that's their motto. Babies in theaters, babies in restaurants, any time of the day or night is a-ok with them. I have friends who are somewhat less enthusiastic about babies and would like to ignore the issue (nudge, nudge). I don't know a single person, though, who would be wholeheartedly in favor of setting babies on fire. As a general rule, anyway. For example. So what I'm saying is there are some things we can just agree on, despite the weave of our particular moral fabric.

That said, what's going on with Idaho? Remember back in the 90s when everybody knew Idaho as that state with the potatoes and white supremacists? Oh yeah, they'd say, Idaho: Aryan Nation, right? And potatoes? Trust me, they said this. I went to college in Texas--not the bluest of states--and this is what they knew about Idaho. And these people were not lining up to pat us on the back. Well, they were universally in favor of the potatoes, but the supremacy thing was not going over well even there. So, the powers that be in ID realized that Idaho was going to have to downplay the racism thing, if for no other reason than to retain tourism money. And what did we get? "Idaho is too great for hate!" The Anne Frank Human Rights Memorial. And a whole lotta not much else. Flash forward 15 years, and Idaho lawmakers can't be bothered to include the terms "sexual orientation" and "gender identity" to the state's civil rights and human rights acts?

I know there are a lot of people, many in Idaho, who are more or less uncomfortable with gay folks, but I never would have dreamed that our elected officials would think it's okay to be so openly hostile to them. I mean, this isn't a question of whether or not you think gay marriage should be legal or if being gay is a choice. This is about whether its okay to fire somebody because they're gay, or if it's alright with you for a landlord to refuse to rent to someone because they're transgender. I'd think people in politics would be all about lip service to equality these days, even if they're mentally stuck in the 1950s.

So, I guess I know the answer to my question after all. These lawmakers are an embarrassment, but they know their politics. They're speaking for the people who voted them in. I'm disappointed in you, Idaho voters. I'm disappointed that you think it's okay these people are representing you. I want to know why our human rights umbrella isn't big enough to cover everyone. You might not be crazy about the LGBTQ community, but I'm pretty sure everyone involved is still human. I guess Idaho isn't too great to hate, just great enough to pretend it doesn't.

What's so great about that?