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<\/p>\nSouth Dakota to Consider Anti-Trans Locker Room Bill<\/b><\/p>\n
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The latest state-level attempt to micromanage gender identity among trans<\/a> youths comes in South Dakota, where two Republican lawmakers have introduced a bill<\/a>\u00a0that specifically designates locker room use by students in accordance with their sex<\/a> at birth.<\/p>\n A similar bill was\u00a0actually vetoed by Republican Governor Dennis Daugaard<\/a>\u00a0last year, who appropriately said of that bill that it \u201cdoes not address any pressing issue concerning the school districts of South Dakota\u201d and would instead needlessly \u201cimpose statewide standards\u201d and \u201cremove the ability of local school districts\u201d to determine what is best for their students.<\/p>\n Of the new attempt by Republican State Senator Lance Russell, resident advocates responded warily on behalf of the students who would be singled out:<\/p>\n Libby Skarin, policy director for the American Civil Liberties Union of South Dakota, said in a statement that lawmakers should reject the bill and \u201cand all attempts to codify discrimination.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s disappointing that legislators are targeting transgender kids, who are already very vulnerable,\u201d said Terri Bruce, a 53-year-old transgender man<\/a> who fought against the bill last year. \u201cTransgender girls<\/a> are girls<\/a>. Transgender boys<\/a> are boys<\/a>. Period,\u201d Bruce said. \u201cDo we really have to do this again?\u201d<\/p>\n For his part, Governor Daugaard has already signaled his intention to veto any bill that is\u00a0\u201csubstantially the same\u201d as last year\u2019s.<\/p>\n But conservative activists have fixed doggedly on the issue, and it is possible a ballot measure that echoes the language of the legislation may go before the state\u2019s voters next year. So-called \u201cbathroom bills\u201d are likewise in vogue at the state level, including the notorious HB2 bill in North Carolina<\/a>.<\/p>\n The post South Dakota to Consider Anti-Trans Locker Room Bill<\/a> appeared first on Towleroad<\/a>.<\/p>\n