We've had a first this year in South Dakota: the first time we've seen a pro-homosexual group come out and endorse a list of legislative candidates.
Equality South Dakota has endorsed several legislative candidates across the state and has provided many of them with campaign contributions.
In order to receive the endorsement and the cash, candidates had to fill out a survey from EqSD.
Here are the questions EqSD asked on their survey:
1. Employment Discrimination: In South Dakota, it is legal to fire or refuse to hire someone just because they are lesbian, gay, bisexual, heterosexual, or transgender. More than 430 of the Fortune 500 companies have already adopted inclusive antidiscrimination policies and 74% of Americans support legislation that would ban employment discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity by state and local governments. In concept, would you support such a bill?
2. Safe Schools
Studies show that lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender students face disproportionate levels of violence, harassment, and discrimination in public schools. A recent survey found that when these students reported harassment to school officials, it went unaddressed 73% of the time. Equality SD believes the legislature must send a clear message to school officials that every student has a right to a safe learning environment, regardless of race, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, religion or disability. In concept would you support legislation requiring school systems to adopt inclusive harassment and discrimination policies?
3. Relationship Recognition
Because same sex couples can legally be denied access to their partners in health care settings, such as hospital emergency room events, gays and lesbians have lost partners without entry to their deathbed or the ability to comfort their loved in their last hour. In concept, would you support legislation granting hospital visitation rights and similar protections that recognize gay relationships.
These questions were designed to seem benign and non-threatening items that many reasonable but uninformed people might support. They are actually vehicles used to advance an agenda of homosexual legitimization and to force acceptance of homosexual behavior on society.
Unless a homosexual is flaunting their sexual behavior openly, an employer probably isn't going to even know they're a homosexual. Many business owners these days wouldn't care anyway. And for those employers who try to run a Christian business that is part of the testimony of their faith, they should not be forced to compromise their testimony with an employee who does openly thumb their nose at their deeply held religious values.
As for safe schools, how about school officials protect every student from bullying? If they aren't, they should be. And if they are, why do homosexuals need special protection? The "safe schools" initiative is nothing but a vehicle to force legitimization and acceptance of homosexuality onto young, impressionable minds.
And as for visitation rights, homosexuals can take care of this with a power of attorney if they'd like. But their relationship has done nothing positive for society to merit the special considerations given to legitimate marital and family relationships.
Marriages produce children, the next generation to continue a society; homosexual couples are completely incapable of producing children--something a society needs. Homosexual relationships provide no positive benefit to society deserving of the kind of recognition awarded to married couples
Here is the list of candidates EqSD endorsed in the 2008 general election:
Elaine Elliott, Democrat, House District 2, Aberdeen.
Daniel Kaiser, Republican, House District 2, Aberdeen.
Mark Remily, Democrat, House District 3, Aberdeen.
Curt Johnson, Democrat, House District 5, Watertown. (new endorsement)
Dennis Nemmers, Democrat, Senate District 6, Castlewood.
Mitch Fargen, Democrat, House District 8, Flandreau.
Patricia Stricherz, Republican, House District 8, Dell Rapids.
Marlyn "Sonny" Beebe, Democrat, House District 9, Sioux Falls. (new endorsement)
Clara Hart, Democrat, District 10 Senate, Sioux Falls. (new endorsement)
Mary Ann Giebink, Democrat, House District 10, Sioux Falls.
Nate Welch, Democrat, Senate District 11, Sioux Falls.
Darrell Solberg, Democrat, House District 11, Sioux Falls.
Greg Kniffen, Democrat, House District 12, Sioux Falls.
Paula Johnson, Democrat, House District 12, Sioux Falls.
Susy Blake, Democrat, House District 13, Sioux Falls.
Bill Thompson, Democrat, House District 13, Sioux Falls.
Bob Stevens, Democrat, Senate District 14, Sioux Falls.
Jacey Harmon, Democrat, House District 14, Sioux Falls.
Martha Vanderlinde, Democrat, House District 15, Sioux Falls.
Janelle O'Connor, Democrat, House District 16, Alcester.
Ben Nesselhuf, Democrat, Senate District 17, Vermillion.
Roger Tigert, Republican, House District 17, Vermillion. (new endorsement)
Bernie Hunhoff, Democrat, House District 18, Yankton.
Nicholas Nemec, Democrat, Senate District 23, Holabird.
Kim Sargent, Democrat, Senate District 24, Pierre.
Larry Lucas, Democrat, House District 26A, Mission.
Kevin Killer, Democrat, House District 27, Pine Ridge.
Everett Hunt, Republican, House District 28A, Eagle Butte.
Fred McPherson, Democrat, House District 29, Sturgis.
Jacqueline Gerenz, Democrat, House District 30, Custer.
Nyla Griffith, Democrat, Senate District 31, Deadwood.
Kevin O'Dea, Democrat, House District 31, Spearfish.
Eric Abrahamson, Democrat, House District 32, Rapid City.
Bethany Wojahn, Democrat, House District 32, Rapid City.
Dennis Finch, Democrat, Senate District 33, Rapid City.
Jeff Nelsen, Democrat, House District 33, Rapid City.
Craig Tieszen, Republican, Senate District 34, Rapid City.
Bonny Petersen, Democrat, House District 34, Rapid City. (new endorsement)
Fern Johnson, Democrat, House District 35, Rapid City.
Curtis Marquardt, Democrat, House District 35, Rapid City.
Keep these in mind when you head to the polls today and vote your values.
4 comments:
Bob:
Thanks for the free publicity. Much appreciated.
Todd Epp
Chair
EqSD PAC http://pac.eqsd.org
The financial records filed with the Sec. of State is inclusive of all the candidates Equality South Dakota PAC endorsed. A much more interesting read, really.
I'd also like echo Todd Epp's thanks for the free publicity.
I'm glad I saw this before I went to vote. I wasn't sure there was anyone in district 16 who supported gay rights. But now I see Janelle O'Connor does so I'll vote for her.
Yay democracy!
Sprinkles, you should have a talk with your friends in the "mainstream" media; I'm sure they'd be glad to help. They probably think the average voter would be turned off by a candidate endorsed by a pro-homosexual group...which they would be.
After all, look at how upset Dennis Finch was when people found out about his endorsement.
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