Support South Dakota

On Sunday, I attended a fundraiser in St. Paul for South Dakotans Against Discrimination, the organization battling that state's amendment to end domestic partnerships, and ban civil unions and same-sex marriage.

Why in St. Paul? Many area LGBT people came to the Twin Cities from somewhere else because of the hostile climate toward them in their hometowns and home states. A good chunk of those folks are from South Dakota, and a majority of those at the fundraiser in St. Paul either grew up in or lived in South Dakota.

Why should Minnesota care? Minnesota has resisted attempts by our legislators to amend our State Constitution for several years, and the Religious Right and Republicans in our state have promised to continue that fight as long as Minnesotans are divided on the issue of providing equal rights and benefits for same-sex couples. Both groups, the Religious Right and the GOP, are interested in keeping the amendment issue going as long as it has potential to persuade people to vote Republican as a 'values' wedge issue.

In fact, executive director of the Republican Party of Wisconsin, Rick Wiley told the Milwaukee Sentinel that that is exactly why they pushed so hard to get the amendment on the ballot there. "It's our job to be sure that people go to the polls to vote for the marriage amendment and the Republican candidates for governor," he said.

Polls in South Dakota show that it's possible to defeat the amendment by popular vote in November. More people there say they will vote 'No' (49%) than would vote 'Yes' (41%). To Minnesota's east, polls and political analysts are seeing a similar, albeit slimmer possibility of a 'No' vote on the Marriage Amendment by Wisconsinites. It's fair to say that Minnesota, sandwiched in between, is at least as politically progressive as Wisconsin, and far more so than South Dakota. A defeat of the amendments in either state would be the first defeat in the nation, and would serve to neutralize the harsh debate over benefits for same-sex couples, especially here in Minnesota.

A defeat of the Marriage Amendment would be excellent news for LGBT people and progressives in Minnesota as legislators on the fence would find it easier to reject putting the measure on the ballot here. It would also make the Religious Right and Republicans wary of using it as a 'values' issue in upcoming elections. For LGBT people, our relatives, and friends, this would take the target off our backs as the vitriolic rhetoric regarding our relationships and loved ones would be diminished.

South Dakotans Against Discrimination needs to raise $5000 by Labor Day to match a donor's contribution. $10,000 can go a long way in reaching out to people and providing accurate information about the Marriage Amendment and its consequences. I encourage anyone interested in beating the amendment in South Dakota to lend their support to the cause. You can donate at their website at www.againstdiscrimination.org.