OPINION: People deserve fairness, regardless of gender identity

Talking about gender identity can be downright difficult — especially for many across North Idaho. LGBTQ+ rights are a flashpoint that often ignites strong feelings one way or another. 

This topic is especially tough to talk about in predominantly White, Christian and straight North Idaho. For many, queer people are the flamboyant boogeyman in the corner — faceless, nameless and morally bankrupt. 

What happens when we unmask the boogeyman, and get to know people for who they authentically are? We might find that, at the end of the day, we are all just human. We might also discover that our queer neighbors are some of the most courageous and kind people among us. 

Last week, we saw what happens when a queer person suddenly becomes human in the eyes of others. A jury unanimously awarded more than $1.1 million in damages to a drag performer who sued a North Idaho blogger for defamation.

We are intentionally not naming the blogger. They don’t deserve any more attention. 

We thank Eric Posey, also known on stage as Mona Liza Million, for his remarkable courage. 

In 2022, the blogger shared a second-hand video of Mr. Posey publicly dancing in Drag in which Mr. Posey’s private areas were blurred. The added blurring was intended to suggest indecent exposure. The video was doctored, the blogger knew this, but called for Mr. Posey’s arrest anyway. This call to action led to a firestorm of irrational fear that queer people were being sexually suggestive to children. 

In court, Mr. Posey spent an entire week listening to attorneys analyze the most private parts of his life in great detail. Videos and still images zoomed into his genital area, looking for any shadow of possible exposure. His mental health and employment were discussed. 

This queer person that North Idahoans feared so much was suddenly VERY human. 

How often do we think about the queer members of our community as a caricature?

This is a vital question that we must all ask ourselves — one with powerful implications for the future of our hometown. In order to make North Idaho a welcoming place for all, we must work tirelessly to peel away labels and stereotypes and see people as our very human neighbors. Everyone in North Idaho must know in their bones that they are “endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” 

All people are created equal.   

Mr. Posey, and so many others who live quietly in the shadows, have jobs, homes, families, hobbies and lives. When we allow homophobia to spread, either online or in private conversation, real human lives are changed. Mr. Posey had to move to protect his anonymity. Online comments threatened his safety. Homophobia spread like wildfire when people were led to believe a queer person was exposing himself to children. 

An exhaustive trial found this to be verifiably untrue, and yet a life was turned upside down by the lie. 

Especially in North Idaho, it is easier to live in the shadows and listen quietly to the homophobia all around us rather than stand up. Most people who don’t fit the stereotypical gender mold in North Idaho simply leave. 

We express our heartfelt sympathy to the parents of queer children who no longer feel physically safe coming home. It is the work of our lifetime to make North Idaho a place where all can feel safe. 

We also thank Mr. Posey for his remarkable courage. And we encourage all to begin seeing queer people as this jury did — as human beings who don’t deserve to be publicly defamed. 

Most of all we encourage you to come see for yourself what Pride is all about. On Saturday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at City Park, you have a chance to see people for who they really are. Come with an open mind and curiosity, and meet some of your queer neighbors. Democrats will be there, enthusiastically hosting a booth for another year. 

As we are kind to one another and see everyone as human beings, we unmask the caricature and peel back the labels. 

We are all just people after all.

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Evan Koch is chairman of the Kootenai County Democrats.