News & Commentary

This morning the Senate Health and Human Services Committee passed SB 149 on a 5-2 vote. This bill would allow taxpayer-supported agencies to refuse to provide any service, including adoption or foster care placement, on the basis of the agency's religious beliefs or moral convictions.

[UPDATE: The sponsors of SB 115 have withdrawn the bill. It's gone!] I worked hard to fight anti-transgender legislation last year, and I'm asking you to stand with me again for transgender teens. Because transgender youth deserve to go to school on equal terms with their peers and go about their days in peace.

South Dakota legislators introduced SB 115, a bill that targets transgender students in public schools, forcing them into isolated spaced and preventing them from participating in school activities on equal terms with their peers.

Plan now to attend a Legislative Coffee or Cracker Barrel: Legislative Coffees and/or Cracker Barrels are held in communities across the state and are attended by the Senators and Representatives who represent that district. These events are a great opportunity to show up and ask questions of your legislators throughout the session. Attend your Legislative Coffee or Cracker Barrel to let your elected officials know that you're paying attention this session!

In Alabama, Texas, South Carolina, South Dakota, Washington, and more, bills have been pre-filed or lawmakers have announced their plans to file bills that target transgender individuals for discrimination. Unconstitutional, unenforceable, and harmful, these bills send the message to trans people that our very existence is a problem for the lawmakers charged with protecting us.

Sign up to volunteer with the ACLU of South Dakota, and commit to showing up in Pierre, at local legislative coffees, and school board meetings!

Today, Human Rights Watch announced the launch of a report "Like Walking Through a Hailstorm: Discrimination against LGBT Youth in US Schools" which documents problems facing LGBT students. Both the ACLU of South Dakota and the Center for Equality were invited to speak at the press conference.

We are incredibly thankful to have the support of three term South Dakota State Senator Angie Buhl O'Donnell as we bring the Cheers to Liberty event to you in just two short weeks!

The Supreme Court granted an “emergency” stay yesterday to stop Gavin Grimm, a 17-year-old transgender boy from Virginia, from using the boys’ restroom at school.