Add the words, Idaho

Invoking the wisdom of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. while encouraging the Idaho Legislature to "add the words" won't win praise from everybody.

We can live with that.

Adding four words - "sexual orientation" and "gender equity" - to the Idaho Human Rights Act isn't a question of political correctness dwarfing common sense or existing civil rights. With the exception of 10 Idaho cities, including Coeur d'Alene, that have taken the legal steps necessary for all citizens to be treated equally, the state of Idaho remains fertile ground for discrimination based on individuals' real or perceived sexuality.

It's fitting that shortly after celebrating Dr. King's birthday as a legal holiday, the Idaho Legislature is poised to consider adding the words to the human rights act. We hope the debate is vigorous and enlightening, because on this topic of sexual orientation and gender equity, a great deal of misunderstanding prevails. We know because we count ourselves among the generally ignorant.

In a Press story published Wednesday about an "add the words" rally, we referred to Leelah Alcorn, the transgender teen from Cincinnati who committed suicide because of parental disapproval, as a male. The AP Stylebook - a regularly updated language guide provided by The Associated Press for newspapers worldwide - instructs otherwise.

"Use the pronoun preferred by the individuals who have acquired the physical characteristics of the opposite sex or present themselves in a way that does not correspond with their sex at birth," AP suggests. "If that preference is not expressed, use the pronoun consistent with the way the individuals live publicly."

Our ignorance was further put on private display when a group of Press editors did not know what the "A" referred to in the acronym LGBTA. (We learned that it's "Ally" - Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Ally.) Self-flagellation isn't our objective by pointing out these shortcomings; recognizing the big gaps in general understanding is - and then, doing something about it together, righting a wrong on basic human rights.

"Freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed," Dr. King said.

He also encouraged people to speak up courageously - particularly when human rights are being threatened.

"Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter," he said.

We applaud the Idaho Legislature for ending that silence.

Now it's time to add the words.