state South Dakota: Last News

At least 141 protests and threats against drag events across 47 states have happened in the U.S. this year, according to updated research by GLAAD and Equality Texas.These include incidents during Pride celebrations “and false rhetoric against performers deployed in campaign ads for the midterm elections,” the research report says.

Students at South Dakota State University, who are part of the school’s Gender and Sexualities Alliance, received a bomb threat after hosting a drag show that Libs of TikTok posted a false video about online.On November 25, SDSU’s Gender and Sexualities Alliance was contacted by the University Police Department to notify them that somebody sent a threatening email promising retaliation following its November 16 drag show to a local news affiliate, The Daily Beast reports. The university reportedly posted a bulletin on its website that read, “an explosive device or devices were placed on the campus of South Dakota State University.”Despite not explicitly naming the GSA in the bulletin, four group members claim their faculty advisors were notified of a threat against them.Members of the GSA are critical of the university for not publicly acknowledging the threats against the group, citing that it took two weeks for the campus police to notify the affected LGBTQ+ students of the incident.“I didn’t find out from UPD,” student Lindsay Tul told The Daily Beast. “I found out from the Discord that we have for our board members.

Democrats in the U.S. Senate are expected to put on the floor this week legislation to protect the marriages of same-sex couples, in response to far right U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas‘ call for cases to overturn the 2015 landmark Obergefell decision that found marriage equality is a constitutional right.

From left: Ashley Carrick, Jennie Armstrong, and Andrew GrayAlaska has elected its first out state legislators.Jennie Armstrong, a pansexual woman; and Andrew Gray, a gay man; and Ashley Carrick, a bisexual woman, have won their races for the Alaska House of Representatives. All are Democrats, Armstrong and Gray from Anchorage, Carrick from Fairbanks.Armstrong prevailed over Republican Liz Vazquez in House District 16, while Gray bested two Republicans and a Libertarian in District 20, and Carrick beat two Republicans and a Constitution Party member in District 35.

South Dakota once again has LGBTQ+ representation in its state legislature.Kameron Nelson, a gay man, won a seat in the South Dakota House from District 10, centered on Sioux Falls, the state’s largest city.In South Dakota, each district elects two representatives and one senator. For the representative seats, he and fellow Democrat Erin Healy bested Republicans John Mogen and Tom Sutton.South Dakota’s previous LGBTQ+ representation came from Angie Buhl O’Donnell, a bisexual woman who was a state senator from 2011 to 2015.

A teacher who taught in Maryland for years has settled a discrimination lawsuit, claiming she was subjected to “pervasive and severe” verbal and physical assaults because of her transgender identity.As a teacher in Prince George’s County between 2008 and 2017, Jennifer Eller claimed that teachers, administrators, and parents perpetuated a culture of discrimination and harassment toward transgender people, DCist reports.The parties reached a settlement between the Prince George’s County School Board and the federal government, under which the board agreed to adopt policies and procedures aimed at protecting transgender people from harassment. The settlement also included monetary compensation.Lambda Legal, representing Eller, celebrated the settlement in a press release.“Public schools should be safe havens where we prepare the leaders of tomorrow and where all are welcome regardless of background or identity.

Acey D. Morrison, a Two-Spirit member of the Lakota tribe, was shot to death August 21 in her hometown of Rapid City, S.D.She is one of 30 transgender, gender-nonconforming, or nonbinary people reported to have died by violence in 2022. There are likely many more such deaths that go unreported or misreported.

the nation's Title IX statutes proposed by the Department of Education earlier this year that, if adopted, would require publicly-funded schools to expand their nondiscrimination policies to incorporate students who do not identify as the gender their doctors assigned at birth. Those that don't could be subject to losing federal funding.The proposed changes, the AGs said, would "weaken the protections women have received from Title IX for the last fifty years" and pose a direct challenge to legislation passed by numerous states seeking to prevent transgender or gender nonconforming athletes from participating in women's sports."The Biden administration is putting girls and women at risk and ignoring science while it attempts to undo any meaningful definition of biological sex," Knudsen said in a statement.

Donald Trump for promising to issue pardons to Jan 6 insurrectionists.On a radio interview on September 1, Trump indicated that if elected again, he’d look at pardons for those who stormed the capitol: “I mean full pardons with an apology to many.”Trump’s comments faced immediate backlash from Democrats, but also made some GOP figures uncomfortable.The Hill approached several lawmakers and asked their opinion. Lindsey Graham, who is normally a devout Trump ally, was among those to break rank, calling it a “bad idea.”“Pardons are given to people who admit misconduct, rehabilitate themselves.

It hasn’t been a good week for Kristi Noem.A South Dakota ethics board just determined there is “sufficient evidence” to suggest the vehemently anti-LGBTQ governor “engaged in misconduct” when she intervened to get her slacker daughter’s application for a real estate appraiser license approved in 2020 after it was initially rejected because she hadn’t completed the required training.Related: Gay-hating Gov. Kristi Noem just got a double dose of bad newsAfter denying Noem’s motions to dismiss the ethics complaint earlier this month, South Dakota’s Government Accountability Board unanimously voted on Monday that “appropriate action” could be taken against her for her alleged bad behavior, although it didn’t say what exactly that action should be.Now, the ball is in Noem’s court.The AP reports:The state’s Government Accountability Board appears to be letting Noem decide whether to defend herself in a public hearing or simply accept an “appropriate action” that the board hasn’t detailed.

The father of a transgender son is objecting strongly to a set of school policies on LGBTQ+ identity issued recently by the Catholic Diocese of Sioux Falls, S.D.“Students may not advocate, celebrate, or express same-sex attraction in such a way as to cause confusion or distraction in the context of Catholic school classes, activities, or events,” says a document titled “Human Sexuality in Educational Settings.” “When discussing homosexuality or homosexual inclinations, the use of the term ‘same-sex attraction’ is preferred, as it is a more appropriate description in accordance with the truths of Catholic faith and morals. For the purposes of this policy, advocating for civil unions between individuals of the same sex and/or civil rights to be granted to the individuals participating in the union shall be considered equivalent to advocating for individuals experiencing same-sex attraction.”It continues, “Students may not advocate, celebrate, or express transgenderism in such a way as to cause confusion or distraction in the context of Catholic school classes, activities, or events.

The father of a transgender son is objecting strongly to a set of school policies on LGBTQ+ identity issued recently by the Catholic Diocese of Sioux Falls, S.D.“Students may not advocate, celebrate, or express same-sex attraction in such a way as to cause confusion or distraction in the context of Catholic school classes, activities, or events,” says a document titled “Human Sexuality in Educational Settings.” “When discussing homosexuality or homosexual inclinations, the use of the term ‘same-sex attraction’ is preferred, as it is a more appropriate description in accordance with the truths of Catholic faith and morals. For the purposes of this policy, advocating for civil unions between individuals of the same sex and/or civil rights to be granted to the individuals participating in the union shall be considered equivalent to advocating for individuals experiencing same-sex attraction.”It continues, “Students may not advocate, celebrate, or express transgenderism in such a way as to cause confusion or distraction in the context of Catholic school classes, activities, or events.

Another setback for Kristi Noem.Last week, South Dakota’s Government Accountability Board voted to continue moving forward with its investigation into two separate ethics complaints against gay-hating Republican leader.Noem, who believes 10-year-old rape victims should be forced to have their rapist’s babies, tried to get the complaints tossed out, but the board chose instead to extend the time it has to investigate the allegations.Related: Kristi Noem in crisis mode over affair rumors, says she loves her husband, fears God, blah, blah, blahThe 50-year-old governor is accused of engaging in nepotism and abusing her power when she tried to have her daughter certified as a state real estate appraiser through the Department of Labor and Regulation in 2020 after her application was denied because she hadn’t completed the required training. She is also accused of using taxpayer money to fly state-owned airplanes to political events.All three of the board’s retired judges voted unanimously to deny Noem’s motions to dismiss the complaints then granted a 60-day extension to the investigation so they could consider the merits of the complaints.The decision comes two months after the Government Audit and Operations Committee, a GOP-controlled, 10-member panel of state lawmakers, unanimously determined Noem acted inappropriately.

Senate Democratic Majority Leader Chuck Schumer vowed to put the same-sex marriage protection bill to a full floor vote quickly, after it passed the House Tuesday by a strong 267-157 margin, including 49 Republican votes. While there aren’t currently enough votes in the Senate to pass the bill, at first glance it’s looking like it may become possible. The legislation, which does not make same-sex marriage the law of the land, protects existing marriages at the federal and state level.

In this photo from Thursday (June 23) an abortion-rights activist protests outside of the U.S. Supreme Court on Capitol Hill. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)

From left: Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee and Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey; photos courtesy of the governors' officesFlorida is getting all the attention with its heinous “don’t say gay” law taking effect, but several other states have major anti-LGBTQ+ laws that came into force Friday.Prominent among them is Alabama, which has its own version of a “don’t say gay” law.

The Supreme Court has overturned the constitutional right to an abortion in America. The court’s decision issued yesterday is the culmination of a generational conservative campaign to strike down Roe v. Wade, the 1973 Supreme Court ruling that established abortion rights.

In response to a policy of the Biden administration that protects LGBTQ+ students from discrimination, a Republican senator is considering scrapping a bipartisan deal to extend school meal funding. As funding for the program expires on June 30, Democrats are scrambling to pass the bill and send it to President Biden before the deadline. Without this bill, millions of children face hunger and food insecurity.In contrast to previous attempts to extend the funds for a year, Republican leadership has not threatened to block these efforts this time, according to Politico.

South Dakota’s gay-hating, God fearing governor Kristi Noem is absolutely giddy over the last abortion clinic in her state putting a pause on abortion procedures.Related: Kristi Noem’s chances of ever being president were just flushed down the toilet“Abortions have stopped in South Dakota. We have prayed for this day, and now it is here,” Noem, who opposes same-sex marriage, hates trans people, and is a champion for religious freedom laws, tweeted. “Now, we must redouble our focus on taking care of mothers in crisis.

LA Times they are unable to locate Ezra Miller to serve a court order of protection against him, while their 18-year-old activist daughter released a video refuting their claims of cult-like grooming and manipulation by the actor.Chase Iron Eyes and his wife, Sara Jumping Eagle, said they have an interim protection order from a Standing Rock Sioux tribal court, but the court has been unable to locate Miller to serve it. While Tokata Iron Eyes is 18 years old, tribal courts still have jurisdiction in the matter.“They move around so much [that] we’re stuck in this legal limbo situation, and we can’t serve them in any place they’re in long enough,” Chase Iron Eyes told the Times in a joint interview with Jumping Eagle.

Thirty-one members of the racist, neo-Nazi Patriot Front, including the group's founder, were arrested in the city after police stopped a U-Haul truck filled with the suspected would-be rioters. The members are being charged with conspiracy to riot — a misdemeanor offense.According to White, a tipster called authorities around 1:38 p.m.

COEUR D’ALENE, Idaho — Dozens of members of a white supremacist group were arrested on Saturday in Idaho before they could act on plans to riot at a local Pride event, the police said. After receiving a tip from a concerned citizen, the police detained and charged 31 people who belonged to a far-right group known as Patriot Front, said Lee White, the chief of the Coeur d’Alene Police Department, at a news conference.

detained by police in Coeur d'Alene after a concerned citizen reported seeing dozens of masked individuals who "looked like a little army" loading riot gear into a U-Haul. Only one of the members was from Idaho, according to the Idaho Statesman.

Justice League star.According to court documents first seen and reported by TMZ, Miller is accused of grooming Tokata, now 18, since they first met in 2016 when she was 12 and Miller was 23 while the actor was visiting the Standing Rock Reservation in South Dakota. Iron Eyes’s parents claim Miller supplied their daughter with marijuana, alcohol, and LSD in order to control and manipulate her.Miller and Iron Eyes developed a close relationship and the Fantastic Beasts star later flew Tokata to London in 2017 when she was 14 to visit the studio where the movie was filmed.

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Whatever chances Gov. Kristi Noem ever had at being the GOP nominee for president were officially killed this week.South Dakota lawmakers have unanimously approved a five-page report that says Noem acted inappropriately when she intervened to help get her mediocre daughter’s real estate career off the ground.The vehemently anti-LGBTQ governor is accused of engaging in nepotism and abusing her power when she got her daughter Kassidy certified as a state real estate appraiser through the Department of Labor and Regulation in 2020 after her application was initially denied.Related: Kristi Noem in crisis mode over affair rumors, says she loves her husband, fears God, blah, blah, blahAccording to the report, the 25-year-old hadn’t completed all the required training before applying for her appraiser’s license.

South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster has signed a bill banning trans athletes from competing in school athletics into law.

In Watertown, South Dakota, on April 25, Calvin Hillesland, a German teacher at Watertown High School, handed letters to four trans and nonbinary students. The letters, shared widely on social media by at least two sources, begin as follows:"I am hoping that by now you know me well enough from class to be able to trust me.I respect you.I support you.I want what's best for you.If there were a rattlesnake under a pile of leaves on the path in front of you, I'm hoping you could easily imagine that I would run out ahead of you to warn you.If your home were on fire, I'm hoping you could believe that I would try to help you get out."As this point, the letter takes a turn."That's sort of what's happening now.When you asked me to call your friends by masculine names and I started trying to do that, I was wrong.

A teacher in South Dakota with more than thirty years of experience is coming under fire one month before his planned retirement after images of a bigoted letter he distributed to a group of transgender high school students became public on social media. Now, as parents are calling for the conservative school’s administration to act, at least one family has chosen to withdraw from the school.On Monday, Ashley Bakke was napping when she received a text message from her son, Alex Bryant, with a picture of a letter that took her a moment to understand. At first, blaming her nap for not being able to believe her eyes, Bakke quickly realized that she was looking at an attack on her transgender son by the German teacher at Watertown High School, Calvin Hillesland. According to multiple students and parents, Hillesland approached a group of four transgender students who were eating in the school’s cafeteria.

Newsweek that "a faculty member handed a letter to four students in our high school.""In this letter, the faculty member attempted to open a conversation about the students' gender identity," the district's statement reads. "The Watertown School District does not support this sort of action, and we respect the rights of our students to be who they are."We strongly condemn any discrimination based upon sexual orientation or sexual identity.

Perhaps if South Dakota’s gay-hating governor Kristi Noem hadn’t been hanging out with her alleged boyfriend/accused sexual assaulter Corey Lewandowski at a hotel in Houston the week before Easter, she wouldn’t have missed the April 15 deadline to respond to the pair of ethics complaints filed against her last year. But since she did, the South Dakota Government Accountability Board will now revisit both complaints on May 2, the Argus Leader reports.Related: Kristi Noem spotted with Corey Lewandowski (again) after fiercely denying affair rumors months agoThe anti-LGBTQ governor is accused of using state-owned airplanes for personal travel numerous times since taking office in 2019.

Morning Edition. SDPB is a statewide public broadcasting network, with radio, television, and online content.Kline wrote that they took the “not objective” and “problem with authority” comments as compliments.

NBC News reports. The law took effect immediately thereafter. It affects students from sixth grade through college.Beshear, a Democrat, vetoed the bill last week, saying it is not only discriminatory but ignores the steps taken by the Kentucky High School Athletic Association to assure that no student-athlete who has an unfair advantage can compete.

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Kristi Noem has some explaining to do.South Dakota’s God-fearing, LGBTQ-hating governor was photographed with Donald Trump‘s former campaign manager Corey Lewandowski at the annual gala for Kickstart Kids, a non-profit martial arts program for youth, in Houston, Texas over the weekend.Related: Kristi Noem continues her tireless crusade to spread hate and bigotry across the landGreg Travis, who is currently running for a seat in the Texas House of Representatives, posted a photo of himself and his wife beside Noem and Lewandowski to Twitter, along with the caption: “Julie and I with Governor Kristi Noem and Corey Lewandowski. Hanging out with Keith and Alice Mosing and Chuck and Gena Norris at the Kickstart Kids Annual Gala.

Ariana Grande is stepping in to protect trans youth, launching a new fund and matching donations raised from up to $1.5 million in honor of International Transgender Day of Visibility, following recent anti-trans policies that target the trans community.The superstar announced the creation of her Protect & Defend Trans Youth Fund, partnering with fundraising organization Pledge and urging her fans and followers to donate to make a positive impact, collecting over $450,000 since going live.“Right now there are hundreds of disgraceful bills pending in state legislature that target trans youth and aim to curb their rights,” Ariana wrote, including states banning trans students from participating in school sports, such as Arizona, Oklahoma, Iowa, Utah and South Dakota.The singer stated that this new fund will provide “critical funds” and direct services to organizations “providing direct services and advocating for the rights of trans youth,” adding that this campaign will bring donations to 18 organizations across 12 different states, including the Black Trans Advocacy Coalition, Equality Florida, Jasmyn, Tennessee Equality Project, and more.A post shared by Pledge (@pledge.to)Ariana shared her appreciation for everyone taking the time to donate, as “the impact of fighting these anti-trans bills and policies is felt all year by trans people, their families and loved ones.”

10,300 hate crimes in the U.S. involve a firearm.

One month after signing an anti-LGBTQ law that bans trans kids from playing on school sports teams that match their gender identity, South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem has signed a racist law that bans state universities from using “divisive” educational materials that might cause “discomfort” among students.Related: Kristi Noem says she has no idea why LGBTQ people might be depressedIn a statement issued yesterday, Noem said, “No student or teacher should have to endorse Critical Race Theory in order to attend, graduate from, or teach at our public universities. College should remain a place where freedom of thought and expression are encouraged, not stifled by political agendas.”Related: Kristi Noem in crisis mode over affair rumors, says she loves her husband, fears God, blah, blah, blahThe new law lists seven “divisive concepts” that are now outlawed from being included in mandatory trainings for college students or faculty members at public universities in South Dakota:Noem joins two other Republican governors who have signed similar legislation in their states: Glenn Youngkin of Virginia and Ron DeSantis of Florida, who is currently mulling over whether to sign that homophobic “Don’t Say Gay” bill into law as well.

“Florida students stage school walkouts over 'don't say gay' bill”“Mother moves family away from Texas to protect transgender son”“An Idaho bill would criminalize medical treatments for trans youths”In the first week of 2022, we saw Arizona, Alabama, Indiana, Kentucky, Oklahoma, New Hampshire, and South Dakota introduce measures that target trans and nonbinary youth, their families, and their communities. It has continued, unabated and unrelenting, and will continue through this year into the critical midterm elections.As a parent, as a queer person, and as an advocate for human rights, I am appalled, overwhelmed, and going to the mat for the LGBTQ+ youth out there that are under attack.If South Dakota and the other initial states were a wakeup call, the escalating trend in so many other states is a five-alarm fire.

Our anthem should be something our most esteemed members of society, gay men and their mothers, can enjoy.Because nothing goes off quite like early 2010s Kelly Rowland. Let's commemorate that!Yes, that would put our National Anthem at over six minutes and only a chosen few would know the lyrics, but damn, that would be iconic. Kelly could cover "Baby Shark" and I'd stand proud and salute the flag to that. Because Tinashe's name on the National Anthem will finally give her the recognition she derserves.Because the National Anthem should have one of pop's finest bridges.Yes, Fifth Harmony is (one of the messiest) girl groups of all time, but damn, this really is an anthem. Arguably Mariah's gayest song.

started out as a ban on the teaching of critical race theory, an academic concept that shapes some college courses and has been used as a bogeyman by far-right activists, who claim it instills guilt in white people and generally symbolizes everything they think is wrong with education.It has been amended to be a ban on “divisive concepts” in higher education. Its definition of this includes “that an individual, by virtue of their race, color, religion, sex, ethnicity, or national origin is inherently racist, sexist, or oppressive, whether consciously or subconsciously” and “that individuals, by virtue of race, color, religion, sex, ethnicity, or national origin, are inherently responsible for actions committed in the past by other members of the same race, color, religion, sex, ethnicity, or national origin.” It applies to schools governed by the state’s Board of Regents and Board of Technical Education.The latest version of the bill includes a note that because it has been extensively amended, it may not reflect the author’s original intentions.

national study by HelpAdvisor, which found that nearly 2 out of every 3 LGBTQ individuals experienced feelings of depression in the past two weeks, a rate that is 21% higher than individuals who are not part of the LGBTQ community.The study cited also found that, nationally, more than 1 in 5 LGBTQ people experience feelings of depression “nearly every day.” The reporter asked Noem why she thought South Dakota boasted the highest rate of depression among LGBTQ residents, to which the governor responded: “I don’t know. That makes me sad, and we should figure it out.”White House Deputy Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, who is a lesbian, shared the clip of Noem’s exchange with the reporters, tweeting: “Here’s a start for you, Governor. 1.

Xtra Magazine that his daughter didn’t want to tell friends why she was forced to use the nurse’s bathroom, which is on the other side of school, and would instead pretend that her arm was “really hurting her” to try and deflect questions from students who saw her in the corridors.But Phelan said that his daughter’s frequent trips to the nurse’s office instead lead some of her friends to worry about her health.“Every time she went to the bathroom, she told me that her friends asked if she had cancer,” Phelan said. “That’s the only reason they could come up with that she would have to go to the nurse so often.

Jared Polis on Sunday said that Republicans' push for anti-LGBTQ laws is "un-American" and an "overreach.""These hard policies about saying certain youth can't play sports, and certain people aren't allowed in certain places, or micromanaging what restroom people use and mandating what they do are really, frankly, un-American and are an example of Republican overreach, which will ultimately hurt their party, if they can't espouse the full diversity of the American people," the Democrat said during an appearance on CNN's State of the Union with host Dana Bash.The host asked him about his reaction to a clip that showed South Dakota Republican Governor Kristi Noem during a conference responding to questions related to LGBTQ issues in the state.On Thursday, a reporter asked Noem what she thought about a statistic, by HelpAdvisor, that stated that around 90 percent of the state's LGBTQ residents reported experiencing depression and anxiety, to which the GOP governor said, "I don't know. That makes me sad, and we should figure it out."Commenting on the clip, Polis noted that words and laws matter when it comes to dealing with issues related to the LGBTQ community."Look, words matter.

sarcasm alert*), South Dakota’s GOP Governor, Kristi Noem was asked at a press conference yesterday about the mental health challenges facing LGBTQ people.The press conference comes a week after Noem signed a law banning young trans athletes from competing in sports aligning with their gender identity.Related: Kristi Noem had a very crappy weekend“There’s a statistic circulating around right now that says 90% of South Dakota’s LGBTQ community is diagnosed with either anxiety or depression,” says a reporter.“Mmmm,” responds Noem, nodding her head.“Why do you think that is?” asks the reporter.“I don’t know,” she shoots back. “That makes me sad and we should figure it out,” she continues impassionately, before nodding a bit more and then looking around for another question.Gov.

We're Here season 2. In episode 6 of the series — which features drag stars Shangela, Bob the Drag Queen, and Eureka traveling across America spreading acceptance, confidence, and more — Rambow introduces herself as an ardent LGBTQ+ ally who founded the South Dakota LGBTQ+ organization Watertown Love."I may be 5 foot 2, but I can be pretty fierce," she said in the episode.

press conference on Thursday evening. “It’s about allowing biological females in their sex to compete fairly in a level playing field that gives them opportunities for success.”The bill is set to take effect July 1 but could face potential legal challenges from LGBTQ advocates. Since 2020, nine states have passed nearly identical legislation restricting transgender students’ ability to participate in sports, although some of those laws have since been challenged in court.