NEWS/CITYDESK NEWS LAU R IE PEAR M AN
MAKING CHANGE IN MERIDIAN
Proposed taxi ordinance would require newer cabs and require drivers to speak English.
School district ready to reconsider Gay-Straight Alliance Club
GHOST RIDERS IN THE CAB
GEORGE PRENTICE Changing policy is tough enough. Changing someone’s mind or heart may be the ultimate challenge. No one knows for sure what changed the minds or hearts of Meridian School Board trustees when they did a 180-degree turnaround on Oct. 25 regarding a proposed Alejandra Ayon and Eric Anderson found a what they called a “lifeline” in a Gay-Straight Alliance club. policy governing student organizations. But proponents, advocating for a Gay-Straight Alliance Club at Mountain View High least. It really hurts.” School, said the change was monumental, not nizations fighting for the civil rights of the Ayon didn’t join Borah’s Gay-Straight Allijust for students’ constitutional rights but for LGBT community. ance because she was gay. “The changes that they were proposing tolerance and acceptance. Using the newly re“It was really crazy because I had to vised policy as a foundation, Mountain View would have been very bad for gay-straight students are now ready to reignite their effort alliances in particular, including a prohibition come out to my parents as being straight,” of topics that clubs could discuss,” said Peter said Ayon. “They were sure I was a lesbian to start a club which, at its heart, promotes because I hung out with so many gay people. Renn, staff attorney with Lambda Legal. tolerance for the lesbian, gay, bisexual and I had straight friends that didn’t understand, “The one proposal that troubled us the most transgender community. so I had to remind them that being straight was the requirement of parental permission. “The safety and well-being of LGBT was as much a part of the Gay-Straight Allistudents, who are often targeted for bullying, Kids who are in most need of participation ance as anyone. I always point out that I’m a in a Gay-Straight Alliance are most often the must come first,” said Krista Perry, co-chair straight advocate.” kids who have the greatest difficulty seeking of the Idaho Safe Schools Coalition. “We Meanwhile the Meridian School District and obtaining parental permission.” commend the district for recognizing that.” spent this past summer researching approEric Anderson, 20, and Alejandra Ayon, One year may not seem like a long time, priate policies for organizations, not just 19, said they knew exactly what Renn was but for a small group of students at Mountalking about. Both struggled for acceptance Gay-Straight Alliances but all clubs in Idaho’s tain View, it felt like a lifetime. In November largest school district. when they attended Borah High School 2010, the students attempted to form a GSA “In reality, that’s how many policies in the Boise School Club. In their letter morph,” said Dr. Bruce Gestrin, the district’s District, but they said of application, the they found “a lifeline” assistant superintendent and the man charged students proposed an A new group of Mountain View High School in a Gay-Straight Alli- with crafting the policy. “You find good organization “wherein students has resubmitted a GSA club apexamples, question them, investigate them, plication, which is expected to be considered ance club. students of differing by the district’s school board, using the new and ask if it passes the legal test and meets “My family is sexual orientation, inpolicy as a foundation, on Tuesday, Dec. 13. Mormon. Growing up, our needs. It’s never as simple as some people cluding straight allies, think. It always takes a lot of input.” I wasn’t terribly comcould work together Gestrin said he spoke to principals fortable with myself,” to discuss social issues said Anderson. “By the time I was 16, I knew throughout his district and researched similar and promote the tolerance of all teens, repolicies in districts from across the nation. In gardless of characteristics that set them apart I was gay, but it was a very slow coming-out the end, the policy removed any requirement process. I didn’t get too much support from from societal norms.” But in January, the Meridian School Board our spiritual community. It wasn’t until I was of parental permission. Additionally the new policy denied any restriction to appropriate 17, when I knew I had to tell my parents. It decided to slow the application process discussion of sexual orientation or general was terrifying.” down, pending a thorough review. discussions of sexually related topics. IroniAnderson remembered the first time he “Our board said they wanted to look at cally, when the Board of Trustees approved walked into a Gay-Straight Alliance Club what clubs we had and what we had been the new policy, it held the meeting at Mounmeeting at Borah High School. approving,” said Eric Exline, the district’s tain View High School. “It was a total accident,” said Anderson. director of community relations. “We inIt has been a full year since the original quired about all the clubs, and there are a lot “I thought I was walking into a tennis club meeting, but some of my friends were in the request for a Gay-Straight Alliance Club at of them—a rock-paper-scissor club, a chess Mountain View, but Perry confirmed for BW room so I stayed. I found a place where I club, drag racing. It’s an extensive list.” that a new group of students has resubmitted could associate with other people who were A new policy regarding student organizaa GSA club application, which is expected to gay. If people have the chance to be authentions in the Meridian district went through be considered by the district’s school board, tic, they perform so much better in school several revised drafts, including a few early using the new policy as a foundation, on because they’re not worried about being proposals that got the attention of Lambda called a fag. It can ruin your day at the very Tuesday, Dec. 13. Legal, one of the nation’s largest legal orgaWWW. B OISEWEEKLY.C O M
The City of Boise has been deploying so-called “ghost riders” to take taxis over the last several years in an effort to monitor cab drivers’ service levels. “Ghost riders are city employees who have occasionally been checking on taxis,” said Adam Park, communications director for Boise Mayor Dave Bieter. “And they confirmed what we had been hearing from customers.” Park said that what the mayor’s office had been hearing wasn’t good. “In the last couple of years in particular, we have received an increased number of complaints from citizens and travelers regarding taxi service,“ said Park. “Particularly rides to and from the airport.” As a result, staff began working on a proposed taxi ordinance Boise’s existing taxi license that could holders have the opportunity dramatically to provide written comments change how on the proposed ordinance cabs operate until Friday, Dec. 9. in Boise. “This has been a three-year process,” said Craig Croner, Boise’s administrative services manager, who helped craft the proposed ordinance. “We’re really trying to enhance customers’ experiences of coming in and out of the airport.” Among the proposed changes: a requirement for all drivers to accept debit and credit cards for payment, no tobacco use by drivers or passengers, and increased frequency of vehicle inspections. “We don’t want to hamstring the taxi industry but we want to have some guidelines in place,” said Croner. Another proposal would require all taxi drivers and owners to demonstrate an ability to read, write and speak English. “Sometimes a language barrier could lead a driver to take passengers in the wrong location,” said Park. Croner said several people had called City Hall to complain that they hadn’t been able to fully communicate with their taxi driver. “As a result, they were taken way out of their way and had to pay extra,” said Croner. After receiving written comments from stakeholders, the proposed ordinance would come before the Boise City Council at a workshop on Tuesday, Dec. 13, before being scheduled for a public hearing and final vote. According to the City Clerk’s Office, there are currently 70 licensed taxi companies in Boise with a total of 154 cabs. —George Prentice
BOISEweekly | NOVEMBER 30 – DECEMBER 6, 2011 | 9