Ada County adds LGBTQ status to anti-discrimination policy

Ada County has expanded its anti-discrimination policy to include protections for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer employees.

Boise State Public Radio reports the new policy has been in the works for a couple of months now, and was recently approved by the Ada County Commissioners.

Commissioner Diana Lachiondo, a Democrat, said the change is a small but important way to support current and prospective county employees.

More than a dozen cities across Idaho – including Boise and Meridian in Ada County – have passed broader ordinances that ban discrimination against all members of the LGBTQ community in the areas of employment, housing and public accommodations.

Idaho lawmakers have refused for years to add protections for gender identity and sexual orientation to the state’s human rights laws, with some lawmakers citing concerns that such protections would harm religious groups.