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Idaho minister convicted of misdemeanor for role in protesting anti-trans laws
An Idaho minister was convicted of trespassing after protesting anti-trans laws, but says she and others will keep speaking out despite possible jail time because some feel “no one’s heard” about these Idaho policies.
By Emma Maple | FāVS News Reporter
BOISE, Idaho — Tuesday, a jury in Idaho convicted the Rev. Sara LaWall of trespassing while she was participating in a protest against anti-transgender legislation passed by the state this year.
The trial, which LaWall requested rather than accepting a plea deal, was one more step in her advocacy. Now, the Unitarian Universalist minister faces the possibility of up to 6 months of jail.
LaWall and eight others were charged with trespassing while at the Idaho State Capitol in April, requesting a meeting with the governor to discuss legislation related to transgender people.
One law that the group was protesting, HB 752, requires people to only use sex-segregated facilities, like bathrooms, that align with their sex at birth. The measure is partially on hold following a preliminary injunction issued in June.
That law carries a maximum sentence of one year in jail. The difference between maximum sentences in the transgender law versus the trespassing law, in LaWall’s mind, is astonishing.
“I was found guilty of willfully and knowingly trespassing, and the fact that those sentences are so disproportionate, feels really hurtful and scary,” LaWall, who is the mother of a transgender child, said.
LaWall’s sentencing is set for Sept. 17.
Commitment to counter Christian nationalism
The advocacy at the capitol was just one example of people, organized by interfaith leaders, who are standing up against what they perceive as unjust laws that target and criminalize transgender behavior.
The goal, according to LaWall, is to have a regular presence at the capitol as a way to “counter the rising Christian nationalism that is coming out of that building.”
Other faith groups in Idaho have also pushed back against the politics, led by a predominantly Christian legislature, that are shaping the state right now.
The two laws at the center of LaWall’s protest were the bathroom bill and HB 822, which requires schools, childcare centers and medical providers to notify parents if their child appears to be questioning gender identity through name, pronouns and even appearance.
On April 1, to stand against those laws, LaWall and others said they walked every floor of the capitol building, singing and chanting prayers. The procession ended in the governor’s office, where a meeting was requested.
“The governor was obviously unavailable,” LaWall said. A group of about 25 people sat in his office, waiting until he was free to listen.
“He needs to hear from community he’s not heard from, any of the community members directly impacted by this legislation,” LaWall said.
“It feels especially important to be able to hear those stories,” she said. “And that didn’t happen.”
Putting ‘bodies on the line’ to protest
Instead, at 5 p.m. when the capitol closed to the public, the group was asked to leave. Many members of the group did so willingly, but nine people — including a pastor and a Sunday school teacher — chose to “stick it out through the closing,” LaWall said. Those people were arrested by the Idaho State Police and charged with criminal misdemeanor trespassing.
“Three of those folks were trans folks themselves,” LaWall said. “Putting their own bodies on the line to make this statement about how harmful this is.”
Following the arrest, six people accepted a plea deal that reduced the crime from a misdemeanor to a civil infraction, according to people involved in the situation.
Dustin Miller, a transgender man who decided not to take a plea deal, said he is fighting the law because of his 10-year-old transgender daughter.
“She just wants to be safe,” he said. “The only thing I’m guilty of is showing up at the governor’s office with hope and prayer in my heart, thinking maybe if I beg him, he won’t sign that HB 822 bill that’s on his desk.”
Miller is scheduled for a status conference on Sept. 9. The third person going to trial, Andrea Rane, was not available for an interview. Her trial is scheduled for Sept. 8, according to the Ada County Prosecutor’s Office.
The Prosecutor’s Office, the Idaho State Police and the governor’s office either declined to comment or did not respond to a request for comment on the situation.
Faith drives the protests
For many people who were at the capitol that day, fighting for transgender rights is inherently tied to their faith.
“Governor Brad Little is supposed to be a man of faith and integrity, that cares about people,” Carolyn Blackhurst, a Sunday school teacher at Southminster Presbyterian Church in Boise, said. “He should be ashamed of himself.”
LaWall said one of her goals with going to trial was to be able to bring awareness to the legislation Idaho is passing. However, LaWall said she was barred from discussing the political reason she was in the capitol beyond just saying she was there to protest.
“I wasn’t able to tell much of the story,” she said. “It was really difficult to not be able to say more.”
Whenever and however possible, LaWall and the others who were arrested that day said they hope to keep telling their story and raising awareness about the laws.
Miller, the transgender man who is facing a potential trial, said he brings the topic up whenever he can.
“I bring it up and ask if they know about the laws that Idaho is passing against trans bodies,” Miller said, adding that most people he talks to have no idea the laws are being passed.
“That’s why we have to keep it out there,” he said. “No one’s heard.”
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