Anti-discrimination campaign comes to Cd'A

Event taking place Saturday at the Human Rights Education

Institute 

Human rights activists in Kootenai County are inviting citizens to participate this weekend in a statewide grassroots effort to add the words "sexual orientation" and "gender identity" to Idaho anti-discrimination laws.

On Saturday, Coeur d'Alene will join a dozen Idaho towns where events are taking place to support the Add the Words movement.

The Coeur d'Alene event begins at 6 p.m. at the Human Rights Education Institute, 414 Mullan Road. 

Volunteers will be invited to send sticky notes to legislators, take part in a daylight vigil, and attend informative meetings.

"Many Idahoans are unaware that people in Idaho can still be fired from their jobs or denied housing just because they are gay or transgender," said Tony Stewart, secretary of the Kootenai County Task Force on Human Relations. "We invite the community to unite in support for our gay family members, neighbors, co-workers, classmates and friends because no one should live in fear of discrimination. We feel it is long past time that the legislature addressed this issue."

Add the Words is a volunteer organization working to demonstrate the level of public support for inclusion of gay and transgender Idahoans in the state's laws banning discrimination in employment, housing education and public accommodation.

Efforts to add the terms "sexual orientation" and "gender identity" to Idaho's anti- discrimination laws have been underway for the past six years. To date, legislators have yet to permit the bill a public hearing. Jennifer Whitney, Field Organizer for Planned Parenthood Votes Northwest, said she was heartened by the grassroots support for this legislation to end discrimination.

Citizens across the state have begun writing testimonies and short messages to legislators in support of the issue on sticky post-it notes. These are being hung daily by Add the Words volunteers on glass doors inside the state capitol building in Boise.

"This year has been different than other years because of the level of public support for the issue," said Mistie Tolman, spokesperson for Add the Words campaign. "Events in places like Lewiston are powerful. They reinforce the over 400 sticky note messages from 50 towns around the state that we have received so far this winter. It is critical for community members and law makers to have this dialogue. It is the hope of thousands of us across the state that lawmakers will give the legislation serious consideration this time

In 2007, a Boise State University Public Policy Survey, distributed around the state, found 63 percent of Idahoans believe it should be illegal to fire an employee because they are gay.

The Plummer event takes place Saturday from 2 to 3 p.m. beginning at the Plummer Community Center. It will end at the park at the intersection of Fifth and C streets. It is being co-hosted by the Benewah Human Rights Coalition.

Link: Add the Words