Idaho Governor Signs 2 Anti-LGBTQ Bills Into Law

Idaho Gov. Brad Little (R) signed into law two bills into law on Tuesday that negatively impact the LGBTQ community.

House Bill 752 creates criminal charges for people who “knowingly and willfully” enter a bathroom or changing room designated for the opposite sex, with some exceptions. The law applies in government-owned buildings and places of public accommodations, like private businesses.

A first offense carries a misdemeanor, punishable by up to one year in prison. Things escalate from there – a second offense within five years is a felony, punishable by up to five years in prison. For using the bathroom…

Three other states — Utah, Florida and Kansas — have criminal bans on trans people using bathrooms that align with their gender identity.

It’s worth noting that Gov. Little signed the bill on the annual Transgender Day of Visibility.

While the city of Boise proclaimed March 31 as Transgender Day of Visibility, Idaho Gov. Brad Little signed legislation that would make it a crime to use a restroom that doesn’t match the sex assigned at birth.

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— Idaho Statesman (@idahostatesman.com) April 1, 2026 at 9:20 AM

House Bill 561 prohibits certain public displays, including Pride flags, to be displayed on government property.

In order to bypass a similar law approved last year, the city of Boise designated the Pride flag an official flag of the city. This new law now includes a $2,000 a day fine.

Upon the governor’s signing of the bill, Boise Mayor Lauren McLean ordered its Pride flag flying at City Hall to be removed. At the same time, she underscored that Boise’s core values remain unchanged.

From local news affiliate KTVB:

“Today, Governor Little signed HB 561 into law—a bill written with one purpose in mind: to prevent Boise from expressing our values by flying our official Pride flag, something we have done with the support of our community for more than a decade,” she wrote.

The mayor explained that the financial penalties would fall on taxpayers, which led the city to remove the flags from city property.

“Because the law includes a substantial penalty – one that would ultimately fall on the taxpayers of Boise to shoulder—I decided to take down the city’s official Pride flag,” McLean stated.

“But let me be clear: Boise’s values have not changed, and they are not defined by any single action taken at the Statehouse.”

Undeterred, a large number of Idahoans gathered on the steps of the State Capitol to observe this year’s Trans Day of Visibility.