LGBTQ+ and Two Spirit Rights

The ACLU works to ensure that lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and Two Spirit people belong everywhere and can live openly and authentically without discrimination, harassment, or violence.

SF Pride Parade

The ACLU works to ensure that lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and Two Spirit people belong everywhere and can live openly and authentically without discrimination, harassment, or violence.

The ACLU has a long history of defending the LGBTQ+ and Two Spirit community. We brought our first LGBTQ rights case in 1936. What is now the Jon L. Stryker and Slobodan Randjelović LGBTQ & HIV Project was founded in 1986 and renamed in 2021.

Today, the ACLU brings more LGBTQ + and Two Spirit rights cases and advocacy initiatives than any other national organization does. In fact, the ACLU has been counsel in seven of the nine LGBTQ+ and Two Spirit rights cases that the U.S. Supreme Court has decided — more than any other organization. With our reach into the courts and legislatures of every state, there is no other organization that can match our record of making progress both in the courts of law and in the court of public opinion.

The ACLU’s current priorities are to end discrimination, harassment and violence toward transgender people, to close gaps in our federal and state civil rights laws, to prevent protections against discrimination from being undermined by a license to discriminate, and to protect LGBTQ+ and Two Spirit people in and from the criminal legal system.

The Latest

News & Commentary
All-Are-Welcome-photo

All Are Welcome in South Dakota.

If South Dakota is really open for business, it better be open to all.
News & Commentary
Thomas Lewis

A Historic Week for Transgender Rights

After a long, painful fight, our lawmakers are finally starting to realize that it’s time to put the awful history of injustice against transgender people behind us.
News & Commentary
Gavin Grimm, transgender student

Federal Court: Trans Kids Can’t Be Kicked Out of the Restroom

By James Esseks, Director, LGBT & HIV Project
News & Commentary
SD HB 1008 veto image

Hello from the Other Side: Legislative Recap 2016

By: Libby Skarin, Policy Director & Lobbyist, ACLU SDA glance at my calendar as I write this tells me that today is March 31. That date is cause for much celebration around the ACLU of South Dakota office because it means that we have officially made it to the other side of the 2016 legislative session! This year's 38 day session was a whirlwind so take a deep breath, grab yourself a cup of coffee, and let's recap!
Court Case
May 11, 2020

Rhines v. Young

UPDATE: On Nov. 4, 2019, Charles Rhines, 63, was executed by lethal injection for the 1992 murder of Donnivan Schaeffer. Rhines was initially scheduled to be executed at 1:30 p.m., but multiple unsuccessful appeals filed with the U.S. Supreme Court delayed the lethal injection by several hours.
Court Case
Oct 19, 2017

Bruce v. State of South Dakota

UPDATE: This federal lawsuit accusing the South Dakota state health plan of discrimination was dismissed following the death of our friend and plaintiff, Terri Bruce.
Court Case
Sep 24, 2014

Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) Filing Against Taco John's

UPDATE: The discrimination charge, which was filed with the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and the North Dakota Department of Labor, alleges that Taco John's violated Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the South Dakota Human Rights Act.