Ok, admittedly Idaho has produced some nuts in its time including straight man Larry Craig(note I said “straight man” rather than “straight guy” because that whole debacle has been more about funny set up lines than a debate of straight vs gay), but this one definitely ranks up there. Walt Bayes, Republican candidate for Idaho District 11, House Seat B amongst what appears to be 3 other Republican candidates and one Democratic candidate was published in the Saturday May 10th edition of the Idaho Press-Tribune as saying that Idaho schools need to set up separate bathroom and shower facilities for Gay students.

More after the jumpWalt got Idaho’s attention two years ago for

“going on an anti-abortion hunger strike that lasted 59 days”

said in his campaign literature as quoted in the Idaho Press-Tribune

“It is absolutely wrong to force any student to share the same bathrooms and showers with homosexual teachers or students.”

In defense of Idaho Republicans, the Press-Tribune reports that none of the other candidates agrees with his position. Walt continues

“I don’t really have an answer for it, but we’re going to have to do something if there’s going to be a considerable number of our people who are going to go that way (homosexual).”

“We’re going to (need) some kind of separation..”

Gee Walt, do Gays have cooties? C’mon, even Idaho can do better than this for the state legislature, though maybe they are just trying to live up to the reputation of Oklahomo’s State Rep. Sally Kern. The whole concept of separate but equal was repudiated in this country a long time ago. And even the raising of an issue like this should be proof positive of the civil rights nature of the LGBTQI community’s fight for equal rights in this country, for those who have expressed doubts of the equality of racial rights and LGBTQI rights.

I have no doubt that ole Walt is going to receive a good drubbing at the polls in November, but in the meantime we in the LGBTQI community need to make sure that ideas like this are repudiated soundly as they are expressed. America too often mistakes silence for acquiescence.