A Tale Of Two States

One state is trying to take away our rights another state is passing protections for us.

Bill gutting South Dakota transgender sports policy dies in Senate committeeSioux Falls Argus Leader
By Lisa Kaczke,
January 24, 2019

PIERRE — A bill to require transgender students to participate in South Dakota high school athletics based on their sex at birth rather than their gender identity was killed by a Senate committee on Thursday.

The Senate Education Committee passed in a 5-2 vote moving Senate Bill 49 to the 41st legislative day, effectively killing the bill on Thursday morning, after an hour of testimony. If it had passed, the bill would have voided the South Dakota High School Activities Association's policy, adopted in 2015, that allows transgender students to participate on sports teams that reflect their gender identities rather than the sex listed on their birth certificate.

The 2015 policy was created after the Legislature told SDHSAA to create a standard because schools were requesting it. The policy meets South Dakota's standards and the needs of South Dakotans, said Sen. Troy Heinert, D-Mission.

"It's not like we have kids showing up to school in a dress one day saying, 'I want to be on the basketball team.' That is not how this works. Our policy makes sure that everyone is protected, including the trans kids," Heinert said. "It's our job to give them the best life that we can and if playing a sport adds to their enrichment, why would we stand in the way?"

This is the latest attack by the bigots they keep probing for weaknesses in our rights, first it was bathrooms and now it is student athletes. Here in Connecticut because two trans athletes won the state championship they want to ban all trans athletes.

Meanwhile in New York state we are on a roll now that the Democrats control both chambers and the governorship.

NY bans transgender discrimination, conversion therapy
CBS6 Albany
By Associated Press
January 25th 2019

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) -- New York has enacted a measure adding gender identity and gender expression to the state's anti-discrimination law, making it illegal to deny people a job, housing, education or public accommodations because they are transgender.

Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed the measure into law on Friday, along with a bill prohibiting conversion therapy, in which a therapist tries to change a person's sexual orientation.

The bills passed last week after being blocked for years by Republican lawmakers. That changed when Democrats won control of the Senate in November.

What is the difference between the two states?

One the governing party is Democrat and one the governing is Republican. Want to guess which is which?