Gay in Idaho-The Short Prequel

On November 2, 1955, The Idaho Daily Statesman published an article titled THREE BOISE MEN ADMIT SEX CHARGES. The resulting furor (now known as Boys of Boise scandal or, more colloquially as just "The Boys of Boise") initially targeted pedophiles but was eventually widened to include all members of the gay community in Idaho.

Because of the scandal and the resulting moral panic, after the Stonewall riots Idaho was the same as Idaho before the riots. The gay community was quiet and withdrawn. The 1971 edition of the national "Gay Guide" said of Idaho that, "This State draws a complete blank, and chances of anything happening are very remote." Members of the GLBT community were quiet and unassuming. Gay life in the state revolved around dinner parties and other private gatherings that were spread by word of mouth.

Now 55 years later all of that has changed.

Diversity Newspaper Archive

Possibly the greatest historical resource for Idaho's LGBTQ population is the Diversity Newspaper, Idaho's only LGBT paper. Diversity is distributed throughout Idaho by The Community Center: Resources for Gay and Lesbian People at no charge.