State GOP wants to ban local governments from protecting LGBTQ+ rights…

[Jessica_Rose ✅]

State GOP wants to ban local governments from protecting LGBTQ+ rights... to help bakers

https://www.lgbtqnation.com/2026/02/state-gop-wants-to-ban-local-governments-from-protecting-lgbtq-rights-to-help-bakers/ 🔗

Alex Bollinger (5 Feb 2026)

A bill that would ban cities in Idaho from protecting LGBTQ+ people from discrimination advanced in the Idaho House of Representatives on Monday.

H.B. 557, which was written by the conservative Christian organization Idaho Family Policy Center, would ban local governments from having or enforcing anti-discrimination measures that go beyond state law. Since the state's anti-discrimination laws do not include sexual orientation or gender identity, local governments that have already passed LGBTQ+-inclusive laws would not be able to enforce them.

Currently, about a dozen cities and counties in the state ban discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity; according to the Movement Advancement Project, these ordinances cover around 34% of the state's population.

But Republican state lawmakers argue that these rules violate the religious rights of bakers.

"It's happened across the country. We see those in the headlines. We've heard stories: the bakers, the photographers, the wedding venues being forced to participate in ceremonies, which they hold a close religious belief that they cannot do that," said state Rep. Bruce Skaug (R), the bill's sponsor, at a committee hearing.

Opponents of the bill said it was about much more than bakeries.

"What we are talking about is people having the right to have a home, to have a home for themselves and for their families," Nikson Mathews, who is transgender, told the committee, the Idaho Capital-Sun reports. "We are talking about the right for people to have a job in order to make a living for themselves and their families."

[Lori Dee ✅]

H.B. 557, which was written by the conservative Christian organization Idaho Family Policy Center

I thought laws were written by legislators.

The logic is flawed here. Baking a cake, taking photos, catering, and providing space do not make one a "participant".

If I watch a ball game, does that make me an athlete?
If I photograph an ICE agent, does that make me law enforcement?
If I watch a parade, is that the same as marching in the parade?

The concept is ludicrous.