Whether it involves rolling back LGBT equality or a woman's right to choose, conservative groups like to find a successful template and then repeat it across the country. South Dakota appears to be their latest petri dish, where lawmakers are pushing several bills (HB 1008, 1107, and 1112) aimed at ensuring an organization's right to discriminate against married same-sex couples and prohibiting fair treatment for transgender students. Zack Ford reports:
The progress these bills are making can be attributed to the time and attention being paid to South Dakota by prominent conservative groups. The Heritage Foundation boasted Tuesday, “this state could soon become first to stop transgender students from using opposite-sex bathrooms.” On hand to testify Wednesday morning was the Family Heritage Alliance (FHA), the South Dakota state affiliate of the anti-LGBT Family Research Council.
But the group with its fingerprints most on this legislation is the Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF). The conservative legal juggernaut insists on its website that it “refrains from participating in or promoting any type of legislation” and “does not lobby government officials,” but that claim doesn’t seem to align with its level of engagement in South Dakota. Indeed, ADF and its legal counsel Matt Sharp seem to be thoroughly involved in crafting and defending the legislation.
Yes, it's nearly impossible to keep track of the slate of hateful LGBT bills up for consideration in 2016. Indiana, Oklahoma, South Dakota ... the list goes on.
One good resource with weekly updates for checking where your state stands is at the ACLU website here and here.