Thousands of paper hearts flood Idaho capital as lawmakers pass anti-LGBTQ+ bills

Thousands of paper hearts rained down inside the Idaho capitol as state lawmakers considered several bills targeting the LGBTQ+ community.

The Idaho Senate approved the bills earlier this week, sending them to Republican Gov. Brad Little for signature. House Bill 538 would prevent public employees from being required to use people’s preferred pronouns and names, and House Bill 421 redefines “gender” to be synonymous with sex, contrary to the scientifically supported definitions upheld by all major medical organizations .

House Bill 668, a law put forth earlier this year that bans public funds such as Medicaid from covering gender-affirming care, was also signed by Little last week.

To protest the legislation and show support for the LGBTQ+ community, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Idaho took to social media to ask local residents to mail in homemade paper hearts. Across just ten days, the organization collected over 48,000, representing the 48,000 Idaho residents who identified as LGBTQ+ in the 2020 Census.

Activists brought the hearts into the Idaho capitol while lawmakers considered the legislation, dropping them from over the railing on the fourth floor of the rotunda. The building was soon flooded with colorful hearts as protestors brandished transgender-inclusive signs and read letters from queer Idahoans addressed to Little.

Rebecca De León, spokesperson for the ACLU of Idaho, told the Idaho Statesman that "we wanted specifically lawmakers to be able to see the hearts and to hear what we have been trying to tell them all session."

“It feels like they have not been listening, so we wanted to come bring the hearts to them," she said.

The organization also assigned a "clean-up crew" to collect the hearts after the protest. It intends to use them in a future project, though it is uncertain right now what that will be.

Despite the heartfelt demonstration, lawmakers overwhelmingly voted in favor of both the bills. Democratic legislators scrutinized the legislation during the session, with Sen. Mary Shea raising concerns not only about government overreach and human rights infringements, but also the sheer cost it will have on taxpayers in the state.

“Idaho has already lost twice civil rights litigation concerning gender identification on birth certificates,” she said, according to the outlet. “By our calculation, we have paid approximately $14 million over the last decade trying to defend statutes like this one. I’m really concerned about what this is going to mean for Idaho taxpayers.”

Some lawmakers took the time to show their support for the demonstrations, including Sen. Melissa Wintrow, who called the protest "a beautiful representation of all the lives being negatively impacted by legislation."

"LGBTQ+ community, I want you to know that I see you, I believe in you, and I stand with you," she wrote. "You are loved, you are valued, and you belong."