Attention: open in a new window. PDF | Print | E-mail

Chamberlain -- One Year Later

Saturday, 29 March 2008 14:38

It was one year ago that 35 individuals from around South Dakota gathered in Chamberlain over the weekend of March 31-April 1. These individuals who represented a broad spectrum of the LGBT community and straight supporting allies met to lay out the groundwork for a new statewide LGBT organization which is now Equality South Dakota (EqSD). The congregatants at Chamberlain set five goals for EqSD and selected a steering committee to launch the organization. What has happened one year later?

The steering committee wrote the Articles of Incorporation (which were certified by the SD Secretary of State on June 25, 2007) and wrote bylaws for both EqSD and EqSD PAC. The steering committee selected the first board of directors which were publicly introduced at the July 2007 Pride in the Black Hills. The board has been tirelessly working on the five goals which are:

1) Add sexual orientation & gender identity to existing nondiscrimination clauses.

EqSD has launched a “Howdy Neighbor” campaign. All of the legislators plus elected state officials and tribal leaders have received an introductory letter from EqSD. The Board and some EqSD members will be arranging to have in person meetings with as many elected officials as possible in order to provide a human face to EqSD and our goals. Building positive relationships with government decision makers will result in non-discrimination laws in the future. For more details see Howdy Neighbors.

EqSD presented testimony on SB 65 during this legislative session that started to open up communication channels with some legislators. See Testimony to Legislators.

Last fall EqSD lobbied Rep. Herseth-Sandlin which resulted in her voting to add sexual orientation to the federal Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA). EqSD will be lobbying our senators if ENDA should move forward in the Senate.

2) Elect LGBT or LGBT-supportive candidates to public office.

EqSD Political Action Committee (PAC) will be evaluating the 2008 legislative candidates and will be providing training to interested candidates as to how to run an effective campaign. The PAC will be endorsing selected candidates; will provide volunteers to assist candidates with their campaign and will be providing financial donations to an least five candidates. EqSD PAC board has set a fund-raising goal of $35,000 of which $15,000 has been raised to date. Some endorsements will be announced before the June primary election with final endorsements being announced during the summer.

3) Move a majority of faith based institutions to become “open and affirming”.

EqSD is in the process of building an initial network of people of faith who are willing to speak and work for inclusion of LGBT people in their congretations.

4) Create a vibrant donor base.

The Board spent many hours working with a former Sioux Falls resident, Nate West who has his own design company in Washington DC, to design our website EqSD inherited the database from South Dakotans Against Discrimination. A fund-raising mail campaign was conducted in November. Our database now has approximately 3000 supporters. The board is continuously engaged in fund-raising. More specialized fund-raising events are being planned. Please go to our website and make a donation.

EqSD board members engaged in interviews with KSOO radio (Sioux Falls), WNAX radio (Yankton) and KOTA radio and TV (Rapid City) to promote both EqSD and EqSD PAC. See Response-to-EaSD-Press-Release.

5) Achieve civil unions and/or marriage equality.

EqSD is in the process of laying the essential groundwork so that this goal can be tackled in the future.

Keep checking in on EqSD to see the progress as your organization moves toward Equality for ALL South Dakotans.

The Steering Committee deserves a round of applause for their work last summer in the formal creation of EqSD. The steering committee consisted of Amy Richards, Pierre; Beth Wojahn, Rapid City; Karen Mudd, Sioux Falls; Kathy Knoblock, The Center East; Lawrence Novotny, Brookings; Todd Epp, Harrisburg; and Tony Doxtator, Huron.

EqSD Board consists of chair Karen Mudd, Sioux Falls; vice-chair Lawrence Novotny, Brookings; secretary David Fischer, Aberdeen; treasurer Curtis Price, Rapid City; directors-at-large Angie Buhl, Vermillion; Todd Epp, Harrisburg; Don Frankenfeld, Rapid City; and Monique Mousseaux, Rapid City.

EqSD PAC consists of chair Todd Epp, Harrisburg; secretary-treasurer Lawrence Novotny, Brookings; Don Frankenfeld, Rapid City; Karen Mudd, Sioux Falls and Sharon Ludwick-Warner, Rapid City.

---