There is no official policy in Idaho, but a recent poll found that a whopping 88% of adults think that gay people should be able to adopt children.
A survey conducted in the state by the Idaho Family Institute found that 61% of respondents support allowing gay couples to adopt.
And a recent survey by the Human Rights Campaign found that more than two-thirds of Idahoans support a law that would allow gay couples in the country to adopt and to adopt up to six children.
But some of the more conservative parts of the state, such as the Boise-Shoal Creek and Redding areas, are among the most conservative places in the nation for public opinion, and the Idaho Department of Health estimates that between 7% and 10% of the population identify as LGBT.
“There’s a lot of fear out there that this is something that could cause some sort of backlash,” said Michael Brown, executive director of the Human Right Campaign, which has been pushing for a state law that allows gay people to adopt for years.
“People are really scared to even talk about it.
They’re really scared of how people are going to react.”
In an email to BuzzFeed News, a spokesperson for the Idaho Education Department said that the department’s Office of Student Support Services has no role in determining what constitutes an appropriate age for adoption.
“We are focused on providing services that help students succeed and are not involved in deciding what age to place children in care,” the spokesperson said.
But in many parts of Idaho, the issue is more complicated than it seems.
In a statement, a spokesman for the Boise City School District told BuzzFeed News that it supports the rights of all families, and that it would not be able provide information on age or gender preferences to students in order to avoid discrimination.
“This is an issue that we have always been supportive of and look forward to having the conversation with all the parents and caregivers that we work with,” said Brian Johnson, a spokeswoman for the school district.
“The decision to have a parent, for example, place their child with a sibling or partner of a friend or colleague, should be based on the best interest of that parent.”
The spokesman also said that parents of students in kindergarten through 12th grade have the right to contact the school with questions about age and gender preferences.
In fact, in many areas of Idaho and the US, parents of elementary school students are able to make such calls.
In 2017, a survey conducted by the Institute for Marriage and Family, a Christian right group, found that 85% of Idaho parents agreed with the statement that, “A child should be raised by a married parent.”
And a survey by Idaho Policy Institute, a libertarian-leaning think tank, found a similar sentiment among Idaho parents.
In 2015, a Washington state school board voted to adopt a policy requiring that students be raised in a home with their biological parents.
“It is extremely common for parents of children in public schools to discuss issues that may impact their child’s development in a private setting,” the school board said in a statement.
“In the context of this policy, these discussions must occur in a respectful manner and within the confines of the home environment.”
The school board also stated that it will take “care to make appropriate accommodations” for parents in a safe environment.
In February, Idaho became the second state in the US to pass a ban on adoption by same-sex couples.
In October, a judge ruled in favor of the Idaho parents, ruling that the ban was unconstitutional.
In March, the US Supreme Court will consider whether to take up the case.
