SOUTH DAKOTA: LGBT Groups Call For Governor’s Veto After Passage Of Anti-Transgender “Bathroom” Bill

The vote was 20-15. If the governor signs the bill, South Dakota will become the first state with such a law.

From Lambda Legal:

Today the South Dakota Senate passed House Bill 1008, a discriminatory bill that prevents transgender students from accessing restrooms and single-sex facilities that correspond with their gender identity. Lambda Legal is calling on Governor Dennis Daugaard to veto the bill.

“House Bill 1008 is an attack on some of the most vulnerable members of our community, transgender young people,” said Kyle Palazzolo, Staff Attorney in the Midwest Regional Office of Lambda Legal. “An attack like this is unprecedented and extreme. South Dakota would be the first state that goes to such lengths to target and harm transgender youth. Shame on the members of the South Dakota Legislature who voted in favor of this bill for ignoring the fundamental obligation that schools have to create a safe learning environment for ALL students. This bill sends a dangerous message and may limit the potential educational outcomes for already vulnerable transgender students. We strongly urge Governor Daugaard to veto this bill upon arrival.”

From the Transgender Law Center:

“It is distressing and disturbing that South Dakota legislators would jeopardize the state school systems’ funding and the lives of South Dakota youth in an effort to single out transgender students for discrimination, harassment, and exclusion. Every single child, including transgender youth, should have the opportunity to succeed and be treated fairly by our schools and elected officials. Using state law to force a student to use a separate bathroom from their peers just because they are transgender is not only dangerous and wrong, it is a violation of federal law. If signed by the governor, this bill would endanger students and open up South Dakota schools to legal chaos, liability, and the loss of millions in federal funds. Transgender Law Center urges Governor Daugaard to veto this bill and stop South Dakota from becoming the first state in the country to fly in the face of federal law by mandating discrimination against transgender young people.”

From the Human Rights Campaign:

“The Republican leadership of South Dakota’s legislature has disgracefully failed to fulfill its most fundamental obligation – to protect the state’s young people from harm,” said HRC President Chad Griffin. “It is inconceivable that Governor Daugaard would decide the fate of this bill while saying he’s never met a transgender person in his life. We urge him in the strongest possible terms to veto this legislation, and to engage in thoughtful dialogue with his transgender constituents, especially South Dakota’s transgender children. Knowledge is power, and we hope that by learning about their experiences, the daily challenges they face, and the damage this bill will inflict on their lives, that he will show true leadership and reject this measure. History has never looked kindly upon those who attack the basic civil rights of their fellow Americans, and history will not treat kindly those who support this discriminatory measure.”

South Dakota’s governor is a Republican in his second term.