Shortly after Senate Bill 49, legislation that would have put restrictions on transgender student athletes, failed in the South Dakota senate, a similar bill is back – this time in the state house – along with two additional bills that would codify discrimination against transgender youth.
The ACLU of South Dakota opposes House Bills 1108, 1205 and 1225.
“These bills continue to single transgender students out for discrimination in our state,” said Libby Skarin, policy director for the ACLU of South Dakota. “When transgender young people are supported by their parents and communities their mental health outcomes are comparable to those of their non-transgender peers. When transgender students are shunned and rejected, however, this leads to high rates of suicide and other serious harms. Like the many bathroom bills in previous years, these bills would hurt transgender youth, violate federal law and expose our state to legal liability.”
About the ACLU of South Dakota
Decisions made during the annual sessions of the South Dakota Legislature have a deep and lasting impact on our state’s people and communities. As new laws are created and others repealed or written, it’s important to ensure that these changes preserve and strengthen our constitutional rights.
The American Civil Liberties Union of South Dakota is a non-partisan organization dedicated to the preservation and enhancement of civil liberties and civil rights. 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 LGBT 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 people of South Dakota.
For up-to-date information on the bills the ACLU of South Dakota is tracking, go to www.aclusd.org.
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