LGBTQ issues
Governors risk NCAA ramifications with opposition to transgender policy, scholar says
Governors criticizing an NCAA policy on transgender student athletes may put their universities at risk of “penalties or ramifications” if those institutions disobey the policy, according to a sports law scholar. Joshua Lens is an assistant professor of recreation and sport management at the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, who wrote an article on NCAA transgender […]
Bans on abortion and gender-affirming care are attacks on liberty
Across the country, our bodies have become political battlegrounds. Politicians are passing extreme bans on abortion, restricting access to birth control and medication abortion, and keeping transgender people from accessing the care that they need. It’s happening here in South Dakota, too. This past year has been devastating for our right and ability to make […]
LGBTQ+ candidate recruitment event draws dozens to downtown Sioux Falls
SIOUX FALLS — Being an LGBTQ+ lawmaker in a deep red state may feel like an uphill battle, but offering a presence and voice in statehouses “makes a big difference” behind the scenes. That was a key message at a candidate recruitment event in downtown Sioux Falls on Saturday organized by the Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit […]
Board approves ‘minors on campus’ policy following drag show controversy
The state Board of Regents unanimously approved a policy Tuesday responding to public concerns about minors attending a drag show on a college campus. “We threaded the needle between state statute and First Amendment issues or potential challenges,” said board president Tim Rave. “This is a good first step with the framework in place.” Drag […]
Board reviews ‘minors on campus’ policy in response to drag show
The state Board of Regents reviewed a draft policy Thursday in Aberdeen responding to public concerns about minors attending a drag show on a college campus. “I think we are at a good place here, but we expect some tweaks around the margins,” said Nathan Lukkes, the board’s chief of staff. “The policy essentially establishes […]
Senate committee kills ‘lewd or lascivious’ drag show bill
A bill that would ban “lewd or lascivious” content at state institutions and public schools died in the Senate Education Committee on Tuesday morning. The bill, introduced by Rep. Chris Karr, R-Sioux Falls, previously passed the House with a 60-10 vote. It was amended in a House committee to allow the South Dakota Board of […]
Noem signs transgender youth health care ban into law
Gov. Kristi Noem signed a bill into law Monday that would ban some forms of health care for transgender youth. HB 1080 is dubbed the “Help Not Harm” Bill by proponents. When it takes effect July 1, it will ban health care professionals who treat transgender children from prescribing drugs such as puberty blockers and […]
Bills limiting drag shows: Committee passes one, tables another
PIERRE — The House State Affairs Committee tabled one bill that would limit drag performances in South Dakota but passed a related bill Monday morning. The first bill, HB 1125, would expand obscenity laws to include drag shows and prohibit exposing children to such performances. The bill was tabled after a failed motion to pass […]
Lawmakers send transgender youth health care ban to Noem’s desk
South Dakota legislators sent a bill to Gov. Kristi Noem’s desk Thursday that would ban some forms of health care for transgender youth. Noem will now decide whether to sign the bill into law. She previously expressed support for the legislation. Supporters said the bill would protect children and parents from making decisions they might […]
Transgender youth health care ban passes another committee
A bill that would ban some forms of health care for transgender youth passed the state Senate Health and Human Services committee 4-2 Wednesday at the Capitol in Pierre, after testimony similar to earlier hearings. Senators Sydney Davis, R-Burbank; Michael Diedrich, R-Rapid City; Al Novstrup, R-Aberdeen; and Erin Tobin, R-Winner, all voted to pass the […]
New bill would ban several forms of transgender health care for youth
PIERRE – A group of South Dakota Republicans introduced a bill Tuesday that would prohibit physicians from providing some services to transgender youth. A Democratic legislator and the American Civil Liberties Union of South Dakota immediately condemned the bill, which the ACLU labeled as “discriminatory.” Rep. Bethany Soye, R-Sioux Falls, introduced the “Help Not Harm […]
Transgender employee at center of contract controversy pledges to fight on
Jack Fonder trusted his doctor. He’d spent years under her care, and she understood his medical history. But that changed when he transitioned. “It was one of the worst experiences I’ve ever had,” he recalled. Fonder is a transgender man – a person whose gender identity is as a man, but was assigned female sex […]