Community members pushed for an ordinance to keep drag and pride events out of public areas in early June, and are now upset at what they perceive to be a slow response. This has been an ongoing discussion which the council says it can do little about.
“I express my disappointment that an ordinance has not been drafted, addressed and voted on,” said Ron Nate, Madison County Chair of Mass Resistance Idaho and protest organizer at the Rexburg Pride event. “You need to stand up for America’s family community and support America’s family values.”
Adding to the 18 public comments at a city council meeting on June 7, eight citizens re-emphasized their view and told the council not to stay stagnant on this issue.
Kelly McKamey, who gave a presentation on this subject to the council at the June 7 meeting, also expressed disappointment in the lack of progress.
“You, I’m most disappointed with,” McKamey said, pointing at Robert Chambers, a council member of almost two years “You teach religion on campus. You used to be an authority seventy. I can’t believe you wouldn’t stand up for the things of this community.”
Mayor Jerry Merrill interrupted before McKamey finished.
“Let’s actually not go to personal attacks,” he said.
“It’s very personal,” McKamey said.
Council member Robert Chambers has six years’ worth of experience on the Pocatello City Council and is the department chair of the Religion Department at BYU-Idaho.
Chambers did not respond to McKamey’s comments as state statutes restrict topics not on the agenda being mentioned in meetings. While public comment is open to whatever topic, the council members must stick to what is planned on the agenda.
At an earlier meeting, the council met to discuss the community’s desire to keep drag out of Rexburg public spaces and had a conversation about the state’s agenda for the coming legislative session. At the meeting, the city attorney, Stephen Zollinger, told community members where the city stood.
“We looked at what the surrounding states have been doing and how they’ve been received,” Zollinger said. “We make our recommendations that we continue to use the existing statutory language that we have, and just make sure that we enforce it in a way that protects against any type of predatory behavior.”
The council was content with its decision. However, some community members attended Wednesday’s meeting to share their concerns.
“I would like to see protection for the children of this community and not rely upon anyone in Boise to take care of our children,” said Rexburg resident Doug Norton. “So we’re here to watch after our own, call out the evil that’s been perpetrated on us.”
Idaho code 59-401 is the loyalty oath. Before elected into office, each member of the council has raised a hand to take an oath as stated:
“I (Elected or Appointed Official) do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will. support the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of the State of Idaho …”
Despite community members’ passion, the council is accountable to uphold the constitution.
“The law is the law,” Merrill said. “The law states that people can assemble and they have the right to free speech as long as they don’t cross the line into obscenity, and obscenity is very well-defined in Idaho State Code.”
