How Homophobic is High School for the Boys of Boise?

In the biggest homophobic witch hunt of the pre-Stonewall Era, the town of Boise, Idaho was shaken in October 1955 by allegations that a notorious "homosexual ring" was corrupting local boys.

Most real gay men left town, as did many straight men with feminine mannerisms or other "suspicious" traits.  Of those who remained, 1500 were questioned (5% of the adult male population).  16 were arrested.

Today Boise advertises itself as "gay-friendly," at least as gay friendly as you can get in Idaho.  There are several gay bars and an annual gay pride festival.  On Citydata.com, a "proud gay pro-Trump couple" asks if they would fit in to Boise, and are told "as long as you don't flaunt it (being gay, not being pro-Trump), you'll be fine."

Boise has six public high schools:

1.Boise High School is downtown, next door to the Cathedral of the Rockies and five blocks from the State Capitol.  .  It has a National Anthem Club (what do they do, sing it?), a Rubix Cube Club, a Fetty Wap Club, A Bob Ross Club, and a BOI-se Club, but no Gay-Straight Alliance.

Score 0/1











2. Borah High School, founded in 1958, was named after a state senator. Its mascot is a lion.  It has a Latin Club, a Japanese Club, a War Child Club, Labyrinths and Lions, the Strong Men, and a Gender-Sexuality Alliance (GSA).

Score 1/2

The four high schools in the city limits have an annual "Grapple for the Granite" wrestling tournament.  The winner gets to lug this gigantic granite slab back home.



3. Capital High School is on the north side, across from a Latter-Day Saints church.  It "does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, or age."  Uh, oh, they forgot "sexual orientation."  But they do have a Gay-Straight Alliance with its own facebook page and 87 members.

It's the home of this football player and his buffed friend.

Score 2/3









4. Centennial High School in uncorporated West Ada is the alma mater of Aaron Paul of Breaking Bad and Bojack Horseman.  Students can sign up for a bowling club, a snow club, a prom advisory committee, and cheerleading.  Seems rather old-fashioned.  No gay group.

Score 2/4











5. Frank Church High School. founded in 2008, was named after another state senator.  It's an alternative high school for less advantaged students.   I couldn't find a list of student activities, but it seems to be partnered with the fundamentalist Eastwind Church, so I can't imagine that it's gay friendly.

I also couldn't find any evidence of athletic teams, so here's a student participating in the annual "Rake Up Boise" campaign, to get rid of dead leaves.

Score 2/5











6. Timberline High School, on the south side near the airport, has a timber wolf as a mascot.  No gay group.  But at least there's wrestling.

Score 2/6













I was quite sure that the private schools in Boise would be decidedly un-gay friendly, but no harm in checking them out.

7. Bishop Kelly High School has a Dead Economists Society, a Human Rights Club, and a Patriotism Club, but no gay group, obviously. But rather a hunky wrestling team.

Score 2/7












8. One Stone is a student-led and directed non-profit high school.  Huh?

Classes use the "design-thinking process" to solve problems.

Huh?

One of the main activities is Project Good, in which students do good deeds: help young students face the pressure to succeed; help elders deal with loneliness; help youth become safer during swimming; help young women find their voice.

No gay groups listed, but they must be gay-friendly.  They're getting the point.

Score 3/8






9. Foothills School of Arts and Sciences only goes to Grade 9, which I guess counts as high school.  They don't discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation in hiring, but nothing about students.

Score 3/9

10. The Riverstone International School.  300 students, 25% from outside the U.S.  It doesn't discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation in student admission.  Close enough.
















Score 4/10.  40% gay-friendly.  Not the greatest score, but better than in 1955.