News & Commentary

By Chase Strangio, Staff Attorney, ACLU LGBT & HIV Project

By Chase Strangio, Staff Attorney, ACLU LGBT & HIV Project

The 2016 legislative session is well underway and the most-ever anti-LGBT bills have been introduced in states across the country. Dozens of bills in half the states threaten the livelihood of LGBT people. In many states, vulnerable transgender young people are singled out for discrimination.

When listening to the stories of transgender students one thing becomes abundantly clear: they just want to live their lives like everyone else and be treated respectfully. That’s why creating a law that treats these students differently from their peers and further stigmatizes them isn’t sensitive – it’s hurtful.

Last week the Supreme Court declared state marriage bans to be unconstitutional, in a historic win for equality. The ACLU of South Dakota hosted a pop-up celebration in downtown Sioux Falls for the landmark win for marriage equality.

The ACLU has a long history of defending the rights of the LGBT community on a local and national level.

Each year, the South Dakota Legislature convenes in January and works through March crafting, debating, and passing laws governing our state. Throughout its history, the ACLU of South Dakota has kept tabs on the goings-on in Pierre.