North Dakota: Legendary Among States

BISMARCK TRIBUNE – North Dakotans are more satisfied than other Americans when it comes to their state’s economy, schools and overall standard of living, but the love affair fades on the subject of whether the state is a good place for racial minorities, immigrants and gay and lesbian people, according to a new poll.

The Gallup poll released Monday was conducted from June to December of last year. It involved phone interviews with about 600 randomly sampled adults in every state.

...In contrast to their mostly positive -- in many cases, nation-leading -- views about the economy and education, North Dakotans exhibit mixed views on the social climate in their state. While residents were first in the nation in saying they were "treated with respect all day yesterday," and "experienced enjoyment a lot of the day yesterday," they reported low levels of their state being a "good place for racial and ethnic minorities" and a "good place for gay or lesbian people," Gallup reported last year that North Dakota has the lowest percentage of residents in the nation who identify as gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender. ...

... "There's a tendency for people not being immediately comfortable with new people until they have had a chance to meet them and evaluate them," [Governor Jack] Dalrymple says. "We're evolving every year and becoming more accustomed to different people and lifestyles."

Citizens of North Dakota, we the LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender) constituents of North Dakota are not some “new people” who must be evaluated before we are afforded equal and fair treatment. We are your neighbors and family members who have grown up here in North Dakota, established our careers and livelihood here. You have known us since birth. We are strongly involved as participating members of society, and a viable component of daily life in North Dakota.

Currently the “North Dakota Nice” climate affords undue discrimination against LGBT citizens and their families. We are not allowed the same protection against discrimination concerning employment or housing laws as our heterosexual counterparts. In current state law, there are no enumerated groups defined as protected from the act of bullying. The human privilege of marriage in a legal commitment to one another is only of the legal union between a man and a woman.

It is stated if people less than tolerant of LGBT would meet us, they would become accepting. Neglect the fact the word “tolerant” is something said of traffic jams and migraine headaches, I suggest there is an additional need: Straight allies need to tell their straight associates they too stand for equal and fair treatment of their LGBT friends and family members. Once the citizens of North Dakota realize not only LGBT are asking for such dignity, but straight folk are as well, hopefully the climate in North Dakota will become evolved and welcoming, sooner than later. Maybe?