Equality is advancing in the states in our region. Here are some of the highlights this week:

Wisconsin
The head of the Wisconsin ACLU asks, “Why not our state?” in a piece for the Wisconsin Gazette.

As the executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Wisconsin and a gay man, I spend a lot of time defending or promoting the civil liberties and rights of other people, regardless of their sexual orientation. The freedom to marry is an exception. Thirty-four years ago, when my partner Bob and I got together, very few people talked about marriage equality for gay couples. The conversation around LGBT rights was much more likely to be about police harassment, unpunished hate crime violence and job discrimination.

Iowa
Iowa State University held Pride Week this week, with 6 LGBT groups coordinating the efforts.

Iowa Democrats are speaking out against a Republican candidate forum hosted by The Family Leader, an anti-LGBT religious right group, according to Radio Iowa .

Senator Matt McCoy, a Des Moines Democrat who is one of two openly gay members of the Iowa legislature, said it’s “highly discouraging” the GOP candidates would stand with Erickson.
“Someone who makes a living off of hatred and homophobia,” McCoy said. “According to Erickson, LGBT Iowans are definiately, and I quote, ‘on the road to hell.’”

South Dakota
The state’s High School Activities Association is considering a move to allow students to participate in school activities regardless of gender identity, a move that GLAAD said would also recommend that schools “use appropriate pronouns with transgender students and educate students and staff on transgender sensitivity.”