BOISE, Idaho – A policy legally denying the existence of transgender people in Idaho signed into law earlier this month has lowered Idaho’s equality profile with an organization which tracks legal discrimination.
The Movement Advancement Project tracks discrimination across every US state. With the signing of HB 421, which legally denies the existence of transgender people, makes Idaho one of six states to explicitly deny legal protections to the community according to the project.
Idaho has a -6.5 out of 23 ranking on gender identity policy from the project, and is ranked as a poor place for LGBTQ+ people to live overall.
The new law signed by Governor Brad Little (R) added an additional negative point to the organization’s gender identity score.
Washington has some of the strongest protections for LGBTQ+ people nationally, whereas Idaho nears the top of states that intentionally discriminate against gender and sexuality minorities according to the advancement project.
