POCATELLO — A day after Pocatello voters decided to keep an ordinance banning discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity, a small group of local residents staged a protest to raise awareness of issues affecting the LGBT community.

Wearing paper hearts sporting the “All Love is Equal” symbol, the protesters assembled at Caldwell Park on Wednesday afternoon, encouraging passing motorists to honk in support of LGBT issues. The protest location was chosen because of it’s close proximity to the Bannock County Courthouse.

“I want us to be heard and speak up for what we believe in and to show that we deserve the same rights as everybody else and should all be treated equally,” said co-organizer Billy Karn of Chubbuck.

On Tuesday, Pocatello residents voted to keep the anti-discrimination ordinance by a margin of 147 votes. The vote was razor-thin, with 4,885 people voting to keep the ordinance and 4,738 voting to appeal it.

“It was a great feeling when we won,” said protester Amy Scheibe of Pocatello. “Now we can focus on gay marriage. It’s one small step at a time.”

Scheibe and fellow protester Alysia Weathers worked with FAIR Pocatello to increase support in keeping the ordinance. Both participated in door-to-door campaigning.

Not all the news from Tuesday was encouraging for the protesters. Earlier in the day, a stay was issued by the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals preventing same-sex marriages in the state from being recognized. Idaho’s ban on same-sex marriage was lifted on May 13 by U.S. District Magistrate Judge Candy Dale. Dale said the law was unconstitutional.

“The governor is spending a million dollars of taxpayer money to fight something I support,” said protester Lacey Jackson of Pocatello. “I work hard for my money and pay my taxes and I don’t want to pay for something I’m opposed to.”

For the protesters, issues such as legal protection from discrimination is deeply personal, with those in attendance recalling stories of bullying, physical assaults and harassment.

Karn says that he has been bullied his whole life, and recalls an instance in high school when he was physically attacked by a group of other students because of his sexual orientation.

“I started to ditch school a lot because I didn’t feel safe,” he said.

Weathers said that when she was attending high school in Florida, a soda bottle was thrown at her head.

“The principal said I instigated it,” she said. “All I was doing was holding my girlfriend’s hand.”

Though co-organizer Janvier Orrante is not LGBT herself, many of her close friends are and it hurts her to see their struggles.

“I feel like I have more rights than my friends,” she said. “I’ve actually had friends commit suicide because of the bullying and discrimination.”

Karn says that he has been bullied his whole life, and recalls an instance in high school when he was physically attacked by a group of other students because of his sexual orientation.

“I started to ditch school a lot because I didn’t feel safe,” he said.

Weathers said that when she was attending high school in Florida, a soda bottle was thrown at her head.

“The principal said I instigated it,” she said. “All I was doing was holding my girlfriend’s hand.”  

Though co-organizer Janvier Orrante is not LGBT herself, many of her close friends are and it hurts her to see their struggles.

“I feel like I have more rights than my friends,” she said. “I’ve actually had friends commit suicide because of the bullying and discrimination.”