Pride and prejudice: Right decision, wrong message over Idaho LGBTQ+ festival | Opinion

Attacks against the LGBTQ+ community are becoming alarmingly loud and brazenly out in the open in Idaho.

Nampa Mayor Debbie Kling on Tuesday felt compelled to issue a press release telling residents that the city wouldn’t be canceling a park permit for the Canyon County Pride Festival.

Apparently, some residents have been calling on the city to nix the event, scheduled for Sunday, June 9, at Lakeview Park in Nampa.

It’s incredible that residents in this Canyon County city of 100,000 people would call for the government to cancel a group’s right to assemble because they don’t like the message. Don’t like the message? Guess what? Don’t go. But don’t tell others they can’t.

Keep in mind that residents in Canyon County just voted this month for a bunch of candidates who ran on platforms of “freedom” and “liberty.”

But once again, these so-called “freedom-loving” citizens demonstrate that it’s freedom only for certain people. It’s not really about freedom; it’s all about adherence to certain moral and religious beliefs and imposing those beliefs on others.

In her press release, Kling acknowledged that what’s at stake here are First Amendment protections of basic rights, quoting the protection of “freedom of speech” and “the right of the people peaceably to assemble.”

So to those who called up the city of Nampa and asked them to cancel the permit for the Pride Festival, you clearly don’t truly believe in the tenets of the Constitution.

But while Kling is ultimately doing the right thing here, she’s going about it the wrong way.

“While this event does not reflect the personal beliefs and convictions of myself, the Nampa City Council, and many living in Nampa who have already reached out to us requesting it be canceled,” Kling wrote in a press release, “the advice of our legal counsel was that the City of Nampa must recognize the protected first amendment rights of those scheduling and involved in this event.”

There are so many things wrong with that statement.

First, why the need to say the event “does not reflect” your personal beliefs? What are those personal beliefs? That you’re not gay? Or that you don’t condone homosexuality? Or you don’t believe LGBTQ+ people should be allowed to be in public and gather?

The statement seems to be saying, “We know homosexuality is wrong in our minds, but there’s nothing we can do about it, because of the damned Constitution.”

And aligning yourself and the City Council members with those anti-Constitution constituents who wanted a permit to be denied based on bigotry and discrimination, the message is: “We get it, we’re on your side, we’d cancel it if we could, but we can’t.”

Finally, Kling admits to having to get “the advice of our legal counsel.” Really? You needed to ask your lawyers whether you could violate the U.S. Constitution? You weren’t sure you’re not allowed to discriminate? You actually thought about it enough to seek legal advice?

The mayor’s press release seeks to clarify even further: “The use of the park by this group is not an endorsement of their message or views by the City of Nampa.”

This is dangerous stuff.

It was only two years ago, remember, that the Christo-fascist Patriot Front plotted to incite a riot at a similar Pride festival in Coeur d’Alene, with the possibility of violence. They were wearing masks and carrying shields, and all piled into a U-Haul truck.

Instead of aligning with the hateful, angry bigots calling on the city to violate the Constitution, the mayor should be sending a different message.

Here, we’ll write it for her:

“I support the Canyon County Pride Festival and all those who attend it. These are members of our community. They are our neighbors, our friends, our co-workers, our fellow church members, and they deserve our support and acceptance, and they have every right to gather and celebrate.

“Calls to cancel this event are rooted in hatred, bigotry and homophobia, and have no place in the city of Nampa.

“As your mayor, I refuse to condemn or cancel a peaceful and joyful celebration in our city. Instead, I condemn those who are filled with hate and judgment against members of our own community.

“Nampa is better than that.”

Or at least it should be.