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National News ::
SD LGBT Community Represented at Democratic National Convention
Wednesday, 03 September 2008 10:10
The South Dakota LGBT community had two "out" representatives at the Democratic National Convention that was held in Denver from August 25-28. Attending were Martin Yeung of Rapid City and Liz Himmel-Roberts of Hartford.
Yeung attended as the LGBT member of the South Dakota delegation. Yeung, a Spearfish native, worked previously as an assistant in the Office of Management and Budget in the Clinton Administration. He then was on the staff of Congressman Joe Sestak from Pennsylvania. Yeung returned to South Dakota in April 2007 to manage his parents' restaurants -- the Great Wall and Imperial in Rapid City. Yeung is also deeply involved in local area Democratic politics and fundraising and is a member of Equality SD Political Action Committee. (See Martin's blog post about the convention)
Liz Himmel-Roberts, attended as an alternate delegate, and served on the rules committee as an appointee of the Clinton campaign. Himmel-Roberts was also a delegate to the 2004 National Convention in New York City.
Angie Buhl of Vermillion, who is a board member of EqSD, attended the national convention of Stonewall Democrats (the LGBT Democratic organization) that was held in Denver the weekend before the Democratic National Convention.
State News ::
EqSD PAC Endorsed Candidates Speak at Sioux Falls Gay Pride
Wednesday, 03 September 2008 09:46
Five Sioux Falls legislative candidates made an appearance on the stage at Sioux Falls Gay Pride on August 23. Each candidate gave a short speech as to why they are seeking office.
Speaking were:
-Greg Kniffen running for District 12 House
-Martha Vanderlinde running for District 15 House
-Bob Stevens running for District 14 Senate
-Darrell Solberg running for District 11 House
-Paula Johnson running for District 12 House
All five candidates received endorsements from EqSD Political Action Committee! While all of the Sioux Falls area candidates were invited by EqSD PAC to speak, only the above five were able to attend.
EqSD chair Karen Mudd and EqSD PAC treasurer Lawrence Novotny also addressed the crowd during the afternoon festivities. Both of them staffed a table that provided a listing of EqSD PAC's endorsed candidates and voter registration. Several hundred people attended the gay pride festival that was organized by the Center for Equality.
General ::
EqSD Attends Equality Federation Meeting of State LGBT Leaders
Monday, 18 August 2008 08:40
Sioux Falls, SD - Karen Mudd of Equality South Dakota just returned from the annual Summer Meeting of Equality Federation, the national alliance of state-based equality organizations. Meeting participants included 120 leaders of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender civil rights movement from 34 state organizations and 21 allied groups. Hosted this year by Federation member organization Equality Ohio, the Summer Meeting is the largest gathering of leadership in the lgbt movement. Our State Equality has been a member of the Federation since 2007.Hot Topics ::
EqSD/Integrity SD Marriage Equality editorial published
Written by Curtis Price, Treasurer, Equality South Dakota Wednesday, 23 July 2008 20:52
In my hometown of Rapid City, we were blessed last week with a polemic attacking the "activist judges" in California, from Rev. Richard Wells, local Baptist pastor and a founding faculty member 1972 reactionary Baptist Christian school Criswell College... you can guess where they stand. Wells said, last week:On May 15, the California Supreme Court overturned the state's ban on homosexual marriage. .. if you care about America, you should be very worried.
I responded with an op-ed published today, representing myself, Integrity USA, and Equality South Dakota:
Similar words of alarm (accompanied by carefully interpreted Scripture) have been used in some churches to prevent ethnic minorities and women from sharing their gifts as full members of the Church, but (in my view) the Holy Spirit continues to work to open the doors to everyone. Rev. Wells was right to quote Aretha Franklin saying that what's at stake is r-e-s-p-e-c-t. Marriage equality is one of the ways we can respect the rights of all citizens (including LGBT folk) and allow them and their families to live in liberty, freedom, and integrity with their God and their fellow humans. This day is coming and it is not to be feared; rather, it is something to joyfully celebrate!
The Rapid City (South Dakota) Journal does not post editorials online, but I have posted captured images of both editorials (400K pdf). The full text of the op-ed (All Families Should Be Valued In South Dakota) has posted on the eqsd.org site as well.