BOISE, Idaho — A safe space. That is what the group Queer Teens of Boise says they offer to LGBTQ high school students in the community. The group says, amid legislation that will impact their community, the weekly meetings offer a place of respect.
- On Tuesday HB538, which would ban public entities, like schools from telling people to respect preferred pronouns, was passed. It now awaits the governor's signature.
- This is one of the multiple bills that LGBTQ community members say target their community.
(The following is a transcription of the full broadcast story.)
Once a week, Boise teen Liliana Rauer meets with other high school students. They talk about life, they laugh, and they are all in the LGBTQ community.
"This is queer teens of Boise," said Atlas Jones, a student. "It's a very good space to kind of connect and talk about those things without having to explain yourself."
"It's just a place to hang out and be comfortable," said Icarus Kapuscinski, another student.
A safe space, that's what the folks who go there have called it.
"I wanted to create a space independent of school, where anybody who is in the LGBTQ community could just show up and just have that joy that you get from having a community of people," Rauer said.
Rauer, a trans teen, created this space, in part, to combat what's happening just blocks away at the Idaho Capitol building.
On Tuesday, the Idaho Legislature passed HB538 which would ban government entities, like schools, from requiring people to abide by preferred pronouns, when it does not match the person's biological sex.
It also prohibits students using names that differ from their birth name, unless there is written permission from a parent.
Supporters of this bill say it's a First Amendment issue.
"It is no longer become an issue of compelled an issue, it is now control is what it has become," said Senator Chris Trakel.
Representative Ted Hill from Eagle sponsored the bill, I sent multiple emails and calls to meet with him, but never got a response.
Boise school district tells Idaho News 6 they don't have a policy specific to pronouns, but if a student or staff member asks to be known by a pronoun, the district respects that.
Back at the club though, students say this bill is harmful,
"Name and Identities are just so important to us as people," Said Luke Lincoln, a first-time club goer.
For the children, Rauer says their club can be a place to escape.
"We get to be kids around each other, and not have to feel like we have to be the face of the LGBTQ community, or have to fight the legislation that's hurting us, or have to explain who we are to people… we just get to be who we are," Rauer said.
