Warning: This article contains discussion of discrimination against the LGBTQ+ community which some readers may find distressing.
Republican lawmakers from Idaho have called to restore the 'natural definition of marriage' after Donald Trump’s presidential election win.
It's been less than 10 days since the 78-year-old Republican leader - who is also the first convicted felon to assume the presidential role - was sworn in as the 47th president of the United States.
In his first week or so in the role, Trump has signed a flurry of executive orders - many of which directly affect minority communities in the States, including members of the LGBTQ+ community.
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Following his inauguration, Idaho’s Republican-dominated state House of Representatives called on the Supreme Court to reverse a 2015 ruling that laid down a fundamental right of same-sex couples to marry.
Earlier this week on Monday (27 January), Idaho lawmakers voted 46-24 to overturn Obergefell v. Hodges, the landmark 2015 case that legalised same-sex marriage nationwide.
The resolution in question calls on justices to 'restore the natural definition of marriage, a union of one man and one woman'.
"Since court rulings are not laws and only legislatures elected by the people may pass laws, Obergefell is an illegitimate overreach," it reads.
"The Idaho Legislature calls upon the Supreme Court of the United States to reverse Obergefell and restore the natural definition of marriage, a union of one man and one woman.''
Only 15 House Republicans joined all Idaho Democrats in opposition.
Now, the measure does not currently carry the force of the law and it still needs approval by the Idaho Senate, which is also controlled by Republicans, before any request could be sent to the Supreme Court.
However, despite this, the vote does highlight just how much right-wing opposition to LGBTQ+ rights is emboldened under Trump’s administration.
State Representative Heather Scott, a Republican who sponsored the measure, said during the shocking hearing: "The federal government does not have the authority to just create rights...
"Just because you may agree with their decision and how they define marriage as a right, I would ask you to substitute any other issue and ask yourself, 'Do I want the federal government creating rights and for us, for Idahoans?'"
House Minority Leader Ilana Rubel, a Democrat, told Newsweek: "The Supreme Court wisely recognized in the Obergefell decision that our Constitution guarantees the freedom to marry the person you love, and that fundamental right should not be subject to the anti-LGBTQ biases of a state legislature.
"The partner you choose is not the government's choice nor should it be. GOP [Grand Old Party, AKA Republicans] politicians must get out of the business of persecuting their own citizens."
If you’ve been affected by any of these issues and want to speak to someone in confidence, contact the LGBT Foundation on 0345 3 30 30 30, 10am–6pm Monday to Friday, or email [email protected]
Topics: US News, Donald Trump, Sex and Relationships, LGBTQ, News, Politics
Rhiannon Ingle