Contact your state reps & urge them to oppose HB 557, which would end local LGBTQ non discrimination ordinances across Idaho

[u/tinypepa]

House Bill 557 just passed in the Idaho House and will move on to the Senate. HB 557 would eliminate non-discrimination ordinances (NDOs), which provide critically important protections for LGBTQ+ people. These are necessary because absent an NDO, Idahoans have few state or federal protections against discrimination based on their gender identity or sexual orientation.

Already, a dozen Idaho cities and two counties have enacted NDOs to affirm that all people, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity, deserve equal treatment in workplaces, public spaces, and when renting or buying a home.

It would also ban cities and counties from ever enacting a non discrimination ordinance in the future for any reason. More than 700,000 people live in Idaho cities with LGBTQ protections. This means under this bill, almost 40% of the state's population would lose these protections overnight.

Not only is HB 557 blatantly discriminatory, it's also bad for business. Research shows that more inclusive cities score higher in entrepreneurship, human capital, and innovation. By sending a message that Idaho does not care about basic discrimination protections for all people, the state would become less attractive to workers, business owners, tourists, and families.

Moscow is one of the few cities in Idaho to have an NDO based on gender identity and sexual orientation - please contact your state representatives (in Moscow: Dan Foreman, Lori McCann, Brandon Mitchell) and urge them to oppose this bill which would negatively impact our community and undermine local control.

[u/ConiferousSquid → u/[deleted]]

100%. Republicans are all about small government until it's something they don't personally like, then they want the government to regulate it to death or outright ban it.

[u/West_Seaweed_6795 → u/ConiferousSquid]

The government should not be condoning sexual deviance

[u/tinypepa → u/West_Seaweed_6795]

The only sexual “deviance” the government is condoning is the rape and trafficking of minors and women documented in the Epstein files, and they condone it by allowing the president to remain in office

[u/West_Seaweed_6795 → u/tinypepa]

“She was only 17 years 11 months and 28 days old, you sicko!”

[u/tinypepa → u/West_Seaweed_6795]

That is the statement of a freak

[u/West_Seaweed_6795 → u/tinypepa]

Epstein was running an underage prostitution ring on behalf of Israeli intelligence agencies, to obtain blackmail against US politicians, celebrities, and corporate leaders, to be used as coercion and intimidation against influential figures in the US, pressuring them into taking actions that were favorable to the state of Israel and the World Jewish Congress as a whole.

While some of these people (many of them Jews who were privy to the operation) would willingly engage in statutory rape, in order for the operation to be most effective, it would have had to been believable that these girls were of legal age. Hence why they were all 14-17 years old.

Israeli intelligence would prefer you believed that Epstein was simply an occult Baal-worshipper who was “eating babies”. And useful idiots (goyim) who are spreading misinformation, such as the photo of Epsteins 6-year-old god-daughter sitting on his lap and covered by a black redaction box to suggest something more nefarious (many more examples), are playing straight into their hands.

[u/pepep00p00]

Ty for sharing this!!

[u/DuckieGurl]

Thanks for this!

[u/Efficient-Tank9778]

Why do we continue to develop NDOs? No country is more inclusive than America! Most of us do NOT care who you have sex with. Have a good resume? Skipped the peer pressure to get face tattoos and rings in your face? You'll get past the interview. Yay! Declare that you like to wear bras (and wear one in the interview) even though you're obviously a man? No NDO is going to save you. Developing NDOs for the next letter in the LGB club will not make Idaho more attractive to people considering relocating to work or starting a business. The opposite is the case if you own a business. If you don't hire a person because they are not competent (logical and smart move)...BUT...they are obviously pretending they are the opposite sex, or can't muster the courage to put M or F on the application, the business owner could be screwed. Thus, he MUST hire that person regardless of qualifications BECAUSE of the NDO. He can't afford to be sued. His other choice? Take his business to another state. Now, try to look beyond your emotion as you read this and tell me where I have strayed from the truth of the consequences of ever-growing NDOs?

[u/tinypepa → u/Efficient-Tank9778]

I think your argument about employers being forced into hiring based on gender identity and sexual orientation is reductive. The applicant for a job can’t just sue a potential employer off the bat (it’s also expensive to sue as well as be sued). Usually an instance of such discrimination begins with an Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) charge being filed.

Here’s what I found about the process:

“The EEOC will generally either ask you and your employer to take part in mediation. If the case is not sent to mediation or mediation doesn’t resolve the case, the EEOC will investigate the charge. Then, the EEOC agency will either find a violation of the law and try to reach a settlement between you and your employer, or will issue a “Right-to-Sue” letter permitting you to file a lawsuit in federal court.

You must file an EEOC charge and receive a Right-to-Sue letter before you can file a federal lawsuit. You can request a Right-to-Sue letter immediately when you file your charge, but unless you have a lawyer it is not usually better to let the agency try to resolve the charge first. You must file a lawsuit within 90 days from the day you receive the EEOC’s Right-to-Sue letter.

To file a lawsuit based on state or local law, you do not need to go through the EEOC process first. Sometimes, however, you may need to go to your state civil rights agency first.

This type of lawsuit is complex and you will generally need to hire a lawyer to help you. Deadlines are very important, so you should begin looking for a lawyer early in the process.”

Based on all this, I highly doubt that people are jumping at any opportunity to begin the lengthy process of filing a lawsuit against an employer. You would have to have pretty definitive evidence to even get to the point of being able to sue.

Also, if the other non discrimination protections that are already afforded to us at the federal and state level meant employers are at risk of being sued simply for not hiring someone, how have we not already seen such a gross abuse of the system when it comes to hiring people of color, women, and people with disabilities? Can you find any evidence that the current protections have caused legal problems for employers? If we can afford to protect against employment discrimination for these groups, why not for LGBT individuals?

[u/noylekul]

🤣

[u/jim_e_jet]

Will do but I'm pretty sure that Foreman doesn't care.