BOISE — About 200 demonstrators gathered inside the Statehouse Wednesday to convince Idaho lawmakers to pass legislation to protect lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people from employment and housing discrimination.
The demonstrators carried signs describing past instances of discrimination they -- or someone else -- has experienced.
They want lawmakers to add the words “gender identity” and “sexual orientation” to the Idaho Human Rights Act. The law bans discrimination based on race, sex, color, religion and national origin in housing, employment and public accommodations.
But that effort has been blocked for more than a decade because the state's Republican-controlled Legislature is concerned the change could infringe on religious freedoms.
Attempts to find a compromise proposal between lawmakers and activists have failed to gain traction.
(by Associated Press)
