Today, in a 6-0 vote, the Senate Health and Human Services Committee voted to kill legislation that would ban transgender people from obtaining birth certificates that accurately reflect their identity.
The ACLU of South Dakota opposed House Bill 1076. Forcing transgender South Dakotans to go through life with inaccurate birth certificates – a basic form of identification and essential government document – unnecessarily exposes them to discrimination, harassment and violence and would mean trans people would be forced to disclose their trans identity when accessing essential needs.
“By killing House Bill 1076, Senate lawmakers are upholding the Constitution’s promise that all people have a right to equal protection of the laws and to live freely and openly in society as who they are,” said Jett Jonelis, ACLU of South Dakota advocacy manager. “Let this be a signal to the South Dakota Legislature that discrimination against a marginalized group of people like this is a distraction from the needs of the state and hurts us all. It’s time we stop these attacks and the very real harm they cause to transgender people across our state.”
About the ACLU of South Dakota
The American Civil Liberties Union of South Dakota is a non-partisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to the preservation and enhancement of civil liberties and civil rights. The ACLU of South Dakota is part of a three-state chapter that also includes North Dakota and Wyoming. The team in South Dakota is supported by staff in those states.
The ACLU believes freedoms of press, speech, assembly, and religion, and the rights to due process, equal protection and privacy, are fundamental to a free people. In addition, the ACLU seeks to advance constitutional protections for groups traditionally denied their rights, including people of color, women, and the LGBTQ+ and Two Spirit communities. The ACLU of South Dakota carries out its work through selective litigation, lobbying at the state and local level, and through public education and awareness of what the Bill of Rights means for the people of South Dakota.
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