Civil rights organizations condemn Gov. Little's signing of Anti-Transgender legislation

BOISE, Idaho (CBS2) — Idaho Governor Brad Little signed two bills Monday that many civil rights organizations responded to with condemnation.

House Bills 500 and 509 were center to the controversy.

House bill 500 bans transgender girls and women from playing in female sports, while also requiring girls to prove their gender to participate in high school sports through a genital exam, DNA test, or testosterone levels test. House bill 509 bans Idahoans from changing the gender marker on their birth certificate.

The groups that announced their opposition included the ACLU, Human Rights Campaign (HRC), Moving Toward Freedom, Idaho Joint Democratic Caucus, Planned Parenthood and Lambda Legal.

Below is the statement from ACLU of Idaho:

"The ACLU of Idaho condemns Governor Brad Little's decision to sign discriminatory, unconstitutional, and deeply hurtful anti-transgender bills into law. Leaders from the business, faith, medical, education and athletics communities will not forget this decision or what it says about the governor's priorities during a global pandemic. The ACLU will see the governor in court. We encourage all Idahoans to email, call, and tweet Gov. Little to express outrage and disappointment at wasting precious taxpayer resources on blatantly anti-transgender bills at a time when we should be coming together for the health and wellbeing of our people."

The HRC also responded saying both the HB 500 and 509 are unconstitutional and will result in litigation at the cost of the Idaho taxpayer.

"Idaho is now a national innovator in discrimination, having passed and signed into law first-of-its-kind anti-transgender legislation. It also becomes the first state in the country this year to enact legislation that specifically singles out the transgender community for discriminatory treatment," HRC said.

Many of the groups called out Idaho legislature for passing the bills amid the coronavirus pandemic.

"We are living in an unprecedented global health crisis, with confirmed cases of COVID-19 increasing on a daily basis in Idaho, across the United States and around the world, but Governor Brad Little and the Idaho legislature have decided to prioritize the demonization of transgender people,” said Alphonso David, president of the Human Rights Campaign. “This is unacceptable, and a gross misuse of taxpayer funds and trust. Idaho is leading the way in anti-transgender discrimination, and at a time when life is hard enough for everyone, Idaho’s elected leaders will be remembered for working to make their transgender residents’ lives even harder. Shame on Governor Little and the legislators who championed this heinous legislation.”

The Idaho Joint Democratic Caucus, Planned Parenthood, Moving Toward Freedom and Lambda Legal all had similar responses.

“During a national pandemic like we have never seen before, Governor Little has vetoed several other bills with the justification of saving money to help Idahoans handle this ongoing crisis. He should have vetoed these hateful, discriminatory laws as well. I am stunned the GOP would prioritize genital exams for children and allowing hiring discrimination while people are dying by the thousands nationwide," said the Idaho Joint Democratic Caucus.

Shortly after it was announced Governor Little signed the bills, Boise Mayor McLean posted a message directed at those affected by the bill.

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