SD Lawmakers Launch Full-Blown Attack on LGBT Rights

SD Lawmakers Launch Full-Blown Attack on LGBT Rights Feb 11, 2016 4:41:22 GMT -6

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Post by Logan on Feb 11, 2016 4:41:22 GMT -6

South Dakota lawmakers have launched a full-blown attack on LGBT rights, passing two pieces of legislation this week that would do irreparable harm to the state’s LGBT community.

If signed into law, these two bills would legalize discrimination against LGBT citizens and ban transgender students from participating in high school athletics in a manner that is consistent with their gender identity.

HB 1107, a so-called “religious freedom” bill, was the first of the two proposed bills passed in the state’s House on Tuesday, attaining 46 yes votes and finding only 10 opposed.

Via The Human Rights Campaign (HRC):

Disguised as an attempt to protect religious beliefs, HB 1107 would authorize any “individual, corporation, company, sole proprietorship, partnership, society, club, organization, or association” to wield religion as a sword of discrimination against same-sex couples, transgender people, and single mothers without losing taxpayer funding, contracts, licensing, employment, or other forms of state recognition. Taxpayer-funded adoption agencies could refuse to act in the best interest of children if it means placing them in the loving and committed homes of LGBT couples. Single mothers could be denied help from taxpayer-funded charities. Therapists who have lost their licences because they practice abusive “conversion therapy” on transgender kids or who shame the child of gay parents would still be recognized as licensed by the state. The consequences could be dangerously far reaching.