South Dakota’s Governor Just Signed a Bill to Protect Girls’ and Women’s Privacy and Safety

In 2016, the South Dakota legislature sent a bill to Republican governor Dennis Daugaard that would have barred boys and men from entering girls’ and women’s restrooms and other private facilities in government schools. Daugaard vetoed the bill, and a legislative override failed.

But those days are gone. Governor Larry Rhoden, also a Republican, recently signed a bill that bars boys and men from girls’ and women’s restrooms, locker rooms, and other private facilities in government schools and government buildings.

Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), the legal firm that represents women seeking privacy and safety in women-only spaces and protection of fair competition in sports, commends Gov. Rhoden for signing the bill.

“Women and girls should not be forced to sacrifice their privacy and safety to activists pushing gender ideology,” said Sara Beth Nolan, an ADF attorney. Allowing men to invade girls’ spaces—including locker rooms, sleeping areas, or restrooms—rips away girls’ spaces. HB 1259 ensures that girls’ spaces in public schools and public buildings are not open to men and prioritizes privacy and safety for every South Dakota girl.”

Photo Credit: By sarahmirk – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, Link