OPINION: Idaho must step up when its timid leaders won’t

This editorial was published by the Idaho Press of Nampa.

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For decades, June has been known as Pride Month to honor the anniversary of the 1969 Stonewall Uprising in Manhattan, largely considered a tipping point for the LGBTQ rights movement.

Events centered around pride are meant to create an accepting, joyful atmosphere where people feel safe to be who they are.

This month in Idaho, that has not always been the case. Recent headlines include a white nationalist group who sought to incite a riot at a Coeur d’Alene pride event, bigoted and violent anti-LGBTQ rhetoric from a Boise pastor, and the stolen and vandalized rainbow flags on Boise’s Harrison Boulevard.

Is this the Idaho we want future generations to grow up in?

While most residents here are not so filled with a lack of tolerance as we’ve seen in these high-profile cases, we must ask ourselves why this state is a magnet for such abhorrent behavior. The 31 Patriot Front members who were arrested in northern Idaho earlier this month came from all over the U.S., so why did they come here?

Hate is not new nor is it exclusive to Idaho. But for people who live in this state, it is incumbent upon us to act directly and vehemently against such acts of intolerance, in all of its forms.

Our state’s top leaders have responded timidly, with weak statements or in some cases with silence. When the Aryan Nations created the dark stain on northern Idaho in the 1980s and early ’90s, the state’s leaders reacted strongly and in no uncertain terms that this state would not tolerate that kind of hate and violence.

Where is the strong response now?

Today, it’s possible many of our elected leaders have courted these extremists while campaigning, and now they’re afraid to upset them for fear of losing their vote.

If our elected officials won’t unequivocally condemn these actions, then all of us must stand up to groups like Patriot Front. We need to remind them that their methods of inciting violence and hostility are not welcome here. It’s not enough to simply disagree with them, we must disavow them, publicly. The minor legal punishment those 31 men faced — a misdemeanor charge and a fine, all while being released on relatively low bonds — could send the wrong signal to other hate groups to come here.

It can be intimidating to stand up to such angry people, but it’s necessary. And it’s less intimidating if it’s done as a community.

It was heartening to see disavowals such as from the Interfaith Equality Coalition against a Boise pastor’s call for his congregation to “put all queers to death.” The group of local faith leaders who wrote a letter said, “Our highest calling is to recognize and respect the sacred dignity of all humanity as we seek to love one another.”

Our actions toward other human beings matter, be it at the individual, neighborhood or community level — it’s imperative that we treat each other with respect and kindness. With this in mind, how we vote and interact with our elected leaders will also shape the kind of society we live in. If we support candidates who preach hate, then we will get hate in return.

Elect people who have shown they hold high regard for their fellow citizens. And vote out those who’ve shown otherwise.

Encourage those who currently sit in office to call out hate and violence. Remind them to have courage against such a vocal minority who may even be part of their base. Write letters, make calls, remind them that the majority of their constituents are not extremists.

This month, and beyond, let’s show our neighbors that they are welcome here. We can create the type of place where we want our children to grow up and feel free to be themselves.