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BOISE, Idaho (AP) — Two female lawmakers say Idaho laws are not just for men, so they should not be written that way.
Democratic Reps. Melissa Wintrow of Boise and Elaine Smith of Pocatello are backing legislation that would require gender neutral language in all state laws. The two-paragraph bill says laws should contain phrases such as "he/she" or "his/her," rather than default to the masculine pronoun.
"The purpose of this legislation is to show girls that they do belong," Wintrow said. "Language is a subtle and intentional way to show that. If we can't see ourselves in the language, how can we see ourselves in office?"
The measure is facing an uphill battle in the Republican-dominated Statehouse.
One Republican disputed the idea that masculine pronouns represent female oppression.
"Women control the world," says Rep. Tom Loertscher of Iona. "For most men, they are controlled a big deal."
The bill's sponsor disagreed and pointed out the many obstacles women's rights advocates have faced over the years.
"If women really did control the world, we wouldn't have had to fight so hard for the right to vote," Wintrow said.
A House committee narrowly voted to introduce the bill Wednesday after multiple GOP lawmakers warned that they likely would not approve it during its hearing. One Republican female lawmaker objected to the bill because she had never experienced sexism. Others described it as unnecessary political correctness.
"Some things are coming out of the feminist movement that are just over the top, like referring to God as 'he' or 'she,' or getting angry when people refer to God as a 'he,'" said Republican Rep. Linden Bateman of Idaho Falls. "I don't think (this) is necessary."
The bill is the first of its kind heading to a legislative hearing in Idaho, but the state has been scrubbing pieces of gender-specific language for years.
For example, a legislative committee is considering changing 40-year-old purchasing laws to include gender neutral references. Several laws also have been replaced "man/wife" with "spouse."
The incremental efforts are creating an inconsistent pattern. Earlier this year, a cosmetology-related bill was introduced with only masculine pronouns even though the industry is predominantly female.
State officials have been making a more concentrated effort over the years toward gender-neutral language, from drafting bills to changing state constitutions. In Washington, it took a six-year effort to fully remove gender specific words in its state laws.
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