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Tieszen Speaks for Equality at Rapid City Gay Rights Rally

Bro-hug for Senator Craig Tieszen, speaking up for LGBT equality!

A rally for gay rights Friday night in downtown Rapid City included a speaker not often heard at such gatherings — a Republican lawmaker.

Sen. Craig Tieszen, R-Rapid City, was one of several speakers at the rally for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender rights held at Main Street Square.

"There are many of us in the Legislature that are interested in making sure that the rights of all the citizens of South Dakota are protected," Tieszen told a crowd of about 60 [Joe O'Sullivan, "Gay Rights Rally Draws a Crowd -- and a Republican Lawmaker," Rapid City Journal, 2014.04.04].

Senator Tieszen ran interference for the effort to further suppress the Indian vote this winter, but his appearance at the gay-rights rally shows he's more open to a discussion of equality for all South Dakotans. Keep working on him, Rapid City voters!

11 Comments

  1. Tim 2014.04.05

    Teaparty will fillet him for this.

  2. Larry 2014.04.05

    Lucky for him the time for a primary opponent is past.

  3. Robin Page 2014.04.05

    I hope that Senator Tieszen is correct is saying that there are other Legislators who support equal rights for all South Dakotans! Wouldn't it be great if they "came out of the closet" and spoke up for equality. Senator Tieszen and I were the only Rapid City candidates who attended the Rally. I guess that says it all!

  4. Rorschach 2014.04.05

    Never underestimate how difficult it is for a South Dakota legislator of either party to publicly take a stand on this issue, particularly a Republican. For many, a public statement such as this would mean defeat at the ballot box. Even though Senator Tieszen is unopposed for re-election, his stand is an act of courage. And he is on the right side of history.

  5. Jenny 2014.04.05

    I commend Senator Tieszen for attending and am actually surprised he went out of his away to do this. One would have to be quite brave to attend an LGBT rally in Redneck City, SD.
    Maybe citizens of Redneck City are being to realize that all the negative press they're getting from anti-gay rights Howie and Jensen is not good for business. Gay marriage equality Minnesota is probably one of the top states that gives the Black Hills its tourism dollars in the Summer and now you don't want to offend those progressives do you?

  6. Roger Cornelius 2014.04.05

    The original Journal on this story was "Man Claims He Attacked for Being Gay". Naturally the homophobes clung to the claims in the deadline". The local blogosphere lit up with that this was a hoax and cited national cases where gays had made up stories of attacks. The homophobes nitpicked the young man's story to piece. After I criticized the Journal for using the word claims in their headline when there was no evidence either way, they took it down.

    Two or three days later when the RCPD confirmed that the story was true and had a made an arrest, there were only a couple of people that were wrong, actually apologized to the young man.

  7. Jenny 2014.04.05

    Did they arrest the redneck that did it, Roger?

  8. Roger Cornelius 2014.04.05

    Yes they did Jenny.

    The other key part of this story is that the 17 year old perp asked young gay man "if he was gay". homophobes claimed nobody would ask that question.

    Later I learned that gay men are often asked that precise question because they fit a stereotype, a perfect setting for a homophobe to attack them. I have often heard groups of men and boys say "let's go roll some queers", meaning beating them up.

  9. Sanityseaker 2014.04.05

    As for suppressing the Indian vote...he doesn't have to, they do a fine job of that all by themselves. When was the last time a state spent 10's of thousands of dollars in advertising to get any other voter out to vote? The answer is: NEVER. The Indians fail on their own, they don't need any help from Marty Jackley or anyone else for that matter.

  10. Roger Cornelius 2014.04.06

    Sanity,

    With choices like Bosworth, why would anybody want to vote, including Indians.

  11. Roger Cornelius 2014.04.06

    Sanityseaker

    "The Indians fail on their own,".

    Is that the official position of the Annette Bosworth on voter suppression?

Comments are closed.