BOISE, Idaho (AP) — A lesbian woman told members of the Senate and House she once lived in fear that her sexual orientation would be discovered by her employers. Mistie Tolman told the joint State Affairs committees on Wednesday that she kept no pictures of her partner on her desk and that she couldn't live life to her fullest because she worried that she'd be fired if her boss found out.

The forum in the Idaho Capitol's Lincoln Auditorium came a year after Republican senators rejected introducing a measure to update Idaho's Human Rights Act to protect gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people from discrimination. Advocates of these additions including Democratic Sen. Cherie Buckner-Webb of Boise requested Wednesday's session to make their case, in hopes of one day winning enough support for these changes.

More From 95.7 KEZJ