VIDEO: I.D.A.H.O. around the world

IDAHO, International Day Against Homophobia

In Their Own Words

Boise Weekly

Members of Boise's GLBTQ community talk about what pride means to them

Compared to recent years, the last year in Idaho has been relatively quiet on the gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender front—unless, of course, a game of footsie in a Minnesota airport restroom counts as GLBTQ news.

Now, more than ever, Pride in Boise means something. For the gay community, it means everything.

Pride is not living a lie, not giving up living our lives so others are comfortable. Pride is walking though life on an uncertain and volatile path, with our heads held high. Pride is not allowing our spirits to be killed by those who vilify us. Pride is walking though life with an open mind and an open heart. Pride is staring down the daily fear with dignity and self-respect. Pride is claiming our birth-right. Pride is a state of being.

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Strike at homophobia

By HELEN JACK The Northern Star

BEN COOPER has existed on water and barley sugar since Friday.

Mr Cooper will starve until 9pm to highlight the plight of gay and lesbian asylum seekers around the world.

"As far as I know I am the only person in Australia to go on a hunger strike for this cause," said Mr Cooper, 20, of Lismore.

"But in capital cities around Australia people will be holding demonstrations."

Mr Cooper decided to embark on the hunger strike to support the International Day Against Homophobia.

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Idaho police ignore hate crime

A gay man in Ammon, Idaho, says the Bonneville County Sheriff's Office is ignoring his plea for protection from malicious harassment and he may seek legal action.

He says his house has been hit with human feces, spray painted with anti-gay insults, and vandalized.

Chukk Nielson told a local television reporter that he is fearful for his safety, that of his partner and his 11-year-old son.

“Came out to open mail, one time there was a deer head inside, and now there’s egg mush,” Nielson told KIDK reporter Araksya Karapetyan .

He said his property was "spray painted with words fag and queer." Nielson also said human feces was wrapped inside toilet papered and "thrown up against our house.”

Nielson said several outdoor lights were stolen from an outside bush. He told the local reporter that some of the egg thrown at his house will not come off. "Can’t get egg off, once it got hot, it baked on,” he said.

He said that the police told him he has to see the people who have done the crime before they can act upon his many requests for protection and that the police never record his complaint.

“We’ve been told unless we physically see the perpetrators doing the action, that they can’t do anything about it. They did take picture every time, but never got filed, don’t have case number don’t know where file went,” he said.

Neilson said the police are not taking an active role in the investigation because of his sexual orientation.