BOISE, Idaho (AP) – Bishop Brian Thom stood quietly in front of Idaho lawmakers, hastily collecting his thoughts before responding to a question in a room packed with supporters of religious freedom and hundreds of gay rights advocates.
“Can you tell me where gay people come from?” asked Democratic Rep. John McCrostie of Boise – Idaho’s only openly gay state lawmaker – as the crowded room let out a small laugh.
The House State Affairs Committee was in its fourth hour Monday of listening to testimony on legislation that would create protections for gay and lesbian people in Idaho. The bill had been denied a public hearing for nine consecutive years by the Republican-controlled Statehouse, but advocates refused to be ignored.
“If you are gay, sir, then I believe God made you that way,” said Thom, who supports the bill.
The room erupted in applause, causing Republican committee Chairman Tom Loertscher to bang his gavel and remind the crowd to follow the rules of decorum. But the more Thom spoke, the more the crowd cheered him on.