House Bill 1076 is not about accurate vital records or judges struggling with uniform decision making. It is a thinly veiled attempt to discriminate against transgender South Dakotans.

South Dakota needs to comply with 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.

The committee’s motion to kill this bill sends a clear message of inclusion and acceptance for our transgender friends and neighbors and that there is no place for discrimination like this in South Dakota.

The right to join with fellow citizens in protest or peaceful assembly is critical to a functioning democracy and at the core of the First Amendment. Hearing that President Biden canceled the Keystone XL permit is welcome news.

While it’s always important to appreciate the joy of the holidays, we also need to recognize the difficulties that come for some LGBTQ+ and Two Spirit people during this time of the year.

As advocacy manager, Jonelis oversees the organization’s legislative, public education and advocacy efforts and is responsible for developing issue campaigns to advance civil liberties and civil rights in South Dakota.

The ACLU of South Dakota, Equality South Dakota and the Transformation Project have released a tip sheet for South Dakota’s election workers that details best practices for interacting with gender non-conforming, non-binary and transgender voters. 

The ACLU of South Dakota’s campaign – amplified through digital and outdoor advertising, direct mail, an expansive email program and social media outreach – is encouraging voters to make a plan to vote, whether that’s absentee by mail or early at their county auditor’s office or in-person on Nov. 3.

South Dakota's counterproductive drug policies have swept thousands of nonviolent drug offenders into the state’s criminal legal system and cost taxpayers millions of dollars. This settlement is another reminder of why criminal justice reform is needed.