The Urban Dictionary defines “mama bear” as a mom who can be cuddly and lovable, but also ferocious when necessary to protect her cubs. That rings true for me. I am the Mama Bear of my family. This morning I was driving in my car with my daughter, who is a member of the LGBTQ+ community, down Harrison Boulevard in Boise—a route I take at least twice a day every day. What we saw brought tears to my daughter’s eyes, but the Mama Bear in me got angry. Almost every single pride flag that adorned Harrison Boulevard in honor of Pride Month was either missing, on the ground, or slashed to pieces. Of the forty or more flags that were put up days ago, only a few were still hanging.
What have we become? Where did this animosity and hate come from? This is unacceptable, and this is not the Boise, nor the Idaho that I was born and raised in. The past few years, the politicians in charge have absolutely abdicated any and all political courage. They sold their votes to the top bidder and allowed the far-right extremists to take over the Idaho Legislature. Speaker of the House Scott Bedke, my opponent, had several opportunities to make even the slightest incremental change. He could have used his political capital to bring the “Add the Words” language to a full vote of the House of Representatives. He refused. When asked at that time in 2014, his response, “The bill is not ready to advance at this point.” And here we are eight years later, and apparently it is still not ready to advance. This is inexcusable. This is a license for all of the hate-filled folks who spent last night slashing flags and destroying property, because Scott Bedke and his caucus have given permission to do so by refusing to recognize this hate.
And it is hate. Stealing and destroying pride flags is a hate crime. The pride flag stands for inclusiveness, love, and community. That is the Boise and the Idaho that I want to restore for my daughter. An inclusive community where love wins. That is one of the many reasons I am running for Lt. Governor. This Mama Bear will do everything she can to protect her cubs. These criminals full of hate kicked the hornets’ nest and we won’t take it sitting down. I will fight for each and every member of the LGBTQ+ community, my daughter included. My campaign is about restoring leadership, courage, and integrity to Idaho politics. And it starts with a change in leadership. We need change. It is time.