If you have experience in Idaho politics, you know how excited Idaho lawmakers are about the idea of going into a room to talk about or even just watch a slide show on gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender issues. It helps sometimes to set your sites low and not expect them to come flocking to you -- even when you have set wafting pans of scented meatballs in the hallways nearby.

We figure if we keep knocking on the door and showing up, pretty soon it won't be so strange to see an out gay man in a Senate committee room or a lesbian speaking to the House Education Committee. We figure it can't hurt to let the novelty wear off and do a little something to help break down the stereotypes and the stigma.

We've learned a bit over the years. That's why, during Your Family Friends & Neighbors Speak Out Idaho GLBT lobby days our little teams of speakers essentially grabbed legislators in the hallways rather than waiting for busy, begrudging secretaries to grant them appointments. But that's also precisely why we again set up a Legislator Education Day and a week later brought one of the coolest presentations available on Idaho GLBT history to the Idaho State Capitol this February.

On Wednesday February 9th more than 15 gay, lesbian and bisexual Idahoans went into the Idaho Statehouse to spend the day talking to lawmakers about what it is like to be gay in Idaho. First organized as part of Idaho for Basic Right's lobby efforts in 1996, this third YFFN Speak Out Idaho citizen lobby & education day began with an evening training. The training this year drew more than 25 participants including several PFLAG parents, BSU BGLAD youth, transgender community members and a hand full of BSU social work students. The interactive workshop used fun, statehouse role play and taught participants to use their personal stories to help them talk about Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual & Transgender issues.

During the Statehouse legislator education day itself, groups of 3 to 5 of us met with 21 of Idaho's legislators and talked to them about issues ranging from school violence, censorship & homophobia to job discrimination, partnership benefits and believe it or not even Idaho's ridiculous sodomy laws. With the help of Democratic Senator Betsy Dunkin and Ketchum Democratic Representative Wendy Jaquet, we worked in advance this year to carefully focus on legislators we felt were the most neutral or persuadable on GLBT issues. As a result, only a few legislators we talked to seemed utterly unreceptive to what we had to say.

More often than not, in the meetings, lawmakers would admit that they didn't know that it is perfectly legal in Idaho to fire a person for no other reason than that you think they are gay or lesbian. Many legislators seemed genuinely interested in addressing school violence toward GLBT students. Their ears really perked up when they heard that other states have lost millions in lawsuits because they failed to set policies and act to address school violence against gay and lesbian students.

Without specific good or bad legislation to lobby on this year, our community got a rare chance to focus on doing some general education work. In years to come things will surely change. Undoubtedly we will consider proposing employment protections; again proposing hate crimes protections; and perhaps even following a majority of other states in bringing an end to Idaho's "sodomy" law (which, believe it or not, makes oral and anal sex between consenting gay or straight couples punishable by 5 years to life in prison!)

On February 16th, YFFN's Speak Out Idaho project presented part two of our 2000 legislator education work. Teaming up with BSU archivist and historian Alan Virta, we invited lawmakers to come learn a little about the specific challenges faced by, and contributions made by GLBT Idahoans over the past two centuries. Having delivered fliers to all 106 State Senators and Representatives, the Governor, Lieutenant Governor and Attorney General's office, as well as the Mayor and Boise City Council, turnout at the event was precisely as predicted.

"I'll be happy if two legislators show up." "Me too," We all agreed, putting the meatballs and pastries out and hoping the smell would drift down through the rotunda to the floor of the House & Senate. And it was two. Republican Senator Stan Hawkins from Eastern Idaho and Republican Representative Dorothy Reynolds from Caldwell braved the climb to the fourth floor and joined us for Alan's stories and pictures featuring a famous lesbian anthropologist & photographer, a transgender doctor, GLBT bar owners, police officers, tailors, statehouse employees and more.

While even the idea of meeting someone gay was foreign to many legislators in 1996, this year it is clear that we have made an impression. A few legislators actually sounded well rehearsed when they said that they see adding gays and lesbians as one step toward turning Idaho's anti-discrimination laws into a big "laundry list" of groups to protect. Other legislators told us that they now know they have friends or family members who are gay or lesbian and that this has affected how they feel about our issues.

What better argument could there be for all of us taking the time to get to know our own three legislators? They are regular people and one of the biggest parts of their jobs is listening the voters of Idaho. Introduce yourself. Tell them how you feel. Write them a letter, send e-mail or make a phone call now when they are in session, or later in the year when they are at home. If you want more info on how fun and simple this can be, call YFFN, come to one of our trainings or visit the YFFN web site: yffn.org.

As the lawmakers themselves said over and over this year, they think that voters will reject them if they pass laws to protect GLBT Idahoans from job discrimination and malicious harassment. Clearly, now more than ever, each of can accomplish so much by talking to other Idahoans about our issues. By being out, proud and productive citizens we can break the stereotypes and create a more open atmosphere which will help our legislators understand that it won't cost them their jobs if they vote YES to protect gay, lesbian, bisexual & transgender Idahoans from discrimination!

YFFN would like to thank Speak Out trainers Lori Watts, Nicole Prehoda, Nicole LeFavour and Javier Smith; fact sheet writers Carol Growhoski, Lori Watts, Javier Smith and John Hummel; and food volunteers Dallas Chase, the Boise CoOp & Ten O Two Restaurant; and finally presenter extrodinaire Alan Virta.

If you would like the Gay Life in Idaho Slide Show presented to your group call YFFN at 344-4295.