Being afraid to come out to friends, family members, and coworkers is just the beginning for many Idahoans who identify as gay. By coming out publicly, they also run the risk of being denied services and being fired from their jobs.
Currently, the words “sexual orientation” and “gender identity” are left out of Idaho’s Human Rights Act–the legislation that provides reporting and mediation services for workplace, housing, public accommodation, transportation, and education disputes. This act gives these organizations the ability to refuse service and make judgments on the basis of gender and sexual identity.
For this reason and others, the Coeur d’Alene chapter of PFLAG met for brunch at the CDA library last Saturday to discuss ways the LGBTQ+ community and their allies could fight back.
PFLAG, the national organization formerly known as “Parents, Families, and Friends of Lesbians and Gays,” has been offering community and support to parents, families, friends and allies of those who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer. As the United States’ largest organization for LGBTQ+ members and their allies, the Coeur d’Alene chapter has also been working to make an impact on our local community.
Recently they have teamed up with “Add the Words, Idaho,” a non-profit organization that has been working to amend Idaho’s Human Rights Act to include the words “sexual orientation” and “gender identity” in order to protect the LGBTQ+ community.
Josh Swan, an NIC graduate and member-at-large on Coeur d’ Alene PFLAG’s Board of Directors, related the importance of adding the words to the existing legislation. He explained that it gives the LGBTQ+ community the confidence to be unafraid to express themselves.
“They [LGBTQ+ community members] don’t feel safe because they aren’t protected in the realms of education, housing, employment, or public accommodations,” Swan said. “No one should have to live in fear of being themselves.”
Another goal of the PFLAG meeting was to offer members of the LGBTQ+ community and their allies a place of support.
For some members of the LGBTQ+ community, finding acceptance and a feeling of belonging is a difficult journey. So leaders and community members of PFLAG stressed the importance of getting involved in local GSA (Gender Sexuality Alliance or Gay Straight Alliance) clubs.
Lauren Merlino, president of North Idaho College’s GSA club, spoke at the PFLAG meeting to encourage local LGBTQ+ students and their allies to get involved on campus.
“Everyone deserves the right to be a part of their community,” Merlino said. “The goal of GSA club is to provide a safe, inclusive and fun atmosphere for gender and sexually diverse individuals and their allies.”
The PFLAG meeting concluded by encouraging members to go out into the community and find those who agree with their mission. Rather than trying to change people’s minds or argue with them, leaders of the group assured that their goals would be more achievable if LGBTQ+ members continue to search for supporters in their own hometowns.
Even in the face of legislative limitations, groups like PFLAG and the GSA have been giving members of the LGBTQ+ community the ability to find a sense of belonging and a platform to fight for what they believe in.
For more info, visit the groups Facebook page: PFLAG CDA, call 208-907-1078, or email pflagcda@gmail.com
