For a Boise family of medical providers, Idaho criminal trans bathroom ban was the last straw
This year, Idaho Legislature approved trans bathroom ban, forcing teachers to out trans kids to parents, and re-banning LGBTQ+ pride flag displays by government
The Devitts have seen the Idaho Legislature and the governor approve a wave of anti-LGBTQ+ bills in recent years.
Michael and Dr. Angie Devitt, both medical professionals, watched their trans daughter, Eve, testify against a bill years ago that outlawed gender-affirming care for minors.
But this year’s criminal transgender bathroom ban — described by advocates as the most extreme in the nation for extending to private businesses — was the couple’s last straw.
So early this month, Michael Devitt notified patients that his practice, Focus Physical Therapy, would shut down at the end of August as his family prepared to move out of Idaho.
“Obviously, this law is a disaster for families like ours,” he wrote in a letter. “We can no longer take a road trip across our beloved state, or even enjoy a family night out at a restaurant, or a movie, without running the risk of Eve being charged and sent to a prison merely for using the facilities.”
A family of doctors in Idaho with a teenage trans daughter describes their decision to close their practice and leave the state after the governor signed a law last month threatening her with a felony charge and five years in prison if she uses any women's restroom
