Protect Drag in Idaho

The North Idaho Pride Alliance supports drag in Idaho. Drag is an artistic expression of feelings, personas, and culture, with the purpose of entertaining audiences in safe spaces. It is enjoyed by people of all ages, sexualities, gender expressions, and backgrounds.

 

As an LGBTQIA+ organization, we stand up and support drag performers locally, regionally, and nationally, and we're proud to "Support Drag in Idaho."

 

In January 2023, Senator Ben Toews sponsored a bill to ban drag performances and performers from any publicly funded spaces, such as local community colleges, public libraries, or other community buildings. It also prohibits these types of performances in public, including Pride Festivals. This bill allows everyday citizens to report performers, businesses, and organizations and imposes a heavy fine if voted into law.

 

The bill luckily didn't make it out of committee, as it prohibited "artistic expression" and infringed on the arts community. Sadly, the 2024 legislative season had plenty of bills targeting the LGBTQIA+ community. We expect this to continue, and we anticipate seeing a form of this anti-drag bill again in future legislative sessions with more carefully worded language to make it vague enough to pass through the committee.

 

Take a moment to realize the implications this bill could have for others in your community, not just the LGBTQIA+ community. Does your organization host any benefit events where one gender dresses as the opposite to raise money? Does your local high school put on any plays where students might have to dress in the opposite gender? This bill has lasting implications for many activities, both LGBTQIA+ and straight.

 

We want to show Senator Toews (and supporters) that North Idaho and the greater Idaho communities support drag, drag performers, drag performances, and our First Amendment rights!