South Dakota Lawmakers Need to Focus on Real Issues, Not Discriminatory Bills

February 4, 2021 4:15 pm

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Issues that matter most to South Dakotans are once again being ignored as some lawmakers introduce discriminatory legislation that鈥檚 strikingly similar to bills that were defeated in past legislative sessions. The 老澳门开奖结果 of South Dakota opposes these bills that would codify discrimination

House Bill 1217 would ban transgender women and girls from competing on the sports teams that match their gender identity and forbid their participation in both high school and collegiate athletic activities. The South Dakota High School Activities Association already has a policy in place for transgender athletes. Likewise, the NCAA also has clear policies on the inclusion of transgender student-athletes and their participation in intercollegiate athletics. By discriminating against young people who are transgender, House Bill 1217 violates both Title IX and equal protection.

This is the seventh attempt by South Dakota lawmakers to prevent transgender athletes from competing. After the SDHSAA enacted its inclusive transgender sports policy, lawmakers tried to meddle with the association鈥檚 authority, first with in 2015 and then with in 2016. Four additional bills 鈥 in 2015, in 2016 and and in 2019 鈥 would have restricted participation in high school athletic activities to the gender listed on a person鈥檚 birth certificate. All bills were killed.

House Bill 1247 would allow health care providers, medical institutions and health insurance providers to refuse care to a patient on religious, moral, ethical or philosophical grounds. This means counselors could refuse care to a young person in crisis and refuse to even provide a referral. Doctors could pick and choose who they serve, or override patient directives about end-of-life care. Pharmacists could refuse to fill prescriptions for PREP, HIV medication or birth control. Administrative staff could even refuse to process insurance paperwork if they had objections to the procedures involved.

Similar legislation 鈥 鈥 was introduced in 2020 but tabled in committee.

鈥淲ith serious issues like South Dakota鈥檚 COVID response and tenuous state-tribal relations, it鈥檚 disturbing that some legislators keep coming back to the same discriminatory issues year after year,鈥 said Jett Jonelis, 老澳门开奖结果 of South Dakota advocacy manager. 鈥淏ill after bill seems fixated on the incorrect notion that some of our friends and neighbors are not entitled to the same dignity and respect as others. Legislation like House Bill 1217 and House Bill 1247 has been discussed and defeated before. It鈥檚 time to move on.鈥

South Dakotans agree.

A 2020 Human Rights Campaign survey found that 69 percent of South Dakota voters say that 鈥渓egislators are too focused on divisive issues and should be focusing on pressing issues that will actually have an impact on South Dakotans, like growing the economy.鈥 Additionally, nearly two-thirds of voters say, 鈥渨e need to stop stigmatizing transgender people as a society.鈥

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