ACLU of South Dakota Urges Legislators to Oppose House Bill 1217 on Veto Day

As the fate of House Bill 1217 remains in flux, the ACLU of South Dakota is urging the South Dakota Legislature to oppose the bill in any form when legislators reconvene in Pierre on Monday for Veto Day.

House Bill 1217, legislation that would ban women and girls from playing on sports teams that match their gender identity, violates both the United States Constitution and Title IX of the Civil Rights Act, which protects all students – including those who are transgender – from discrimination based on sex. Gov. Kristi Noem’s proposed style and form recommendations do not address the bill’s unlawful discrimination and still leave South Dakota open to litigation and economic fallout.

“House Bill 1217 has never been about leveling the playing field for student athletes,” said Jett Jonelis, ACLU of South Dakota advocacy manager. “It’s been obvious from the beginning that this discriminatory legislation is about creating a solution to problems that don’t exist and, in the process, harming some of the most vulnerable people in our state.”

The ACLU of South Dakota issued a letter today to all legislators detailing the reasons to veto House Bill 1217.

• House Bill 1217 will harm transgender youth.
• House Bill 1217 violates the Constitution and Title IX of the Civil Rights Act.
• House Bill 1217 risks the loss of significant amounts of education funding and will result in high litigation costs.

The ACLU’s letter to legislators is here: https://www.aclusd.org/sites/default/files/field_documents/hb_1217_veto_…