Levi Haapala

29/Feb/2016

ENG 102

Prof. Parker

                                                Children Under Fire in the War Against LGBT

            Once again the youth of LGBT are under fire this time a very specific group has been targeted in South Dakota; transgenders. In the article, Dispatches: South Dakota Nears Dangerous Precedent by Ryan Thoreson, he tells a story of fear and bigotry focused on a target that is not unfamiliar in the fight for equal rights to live. Transgender children are at the center of a new bill trying to be sent up to the state senate that does not allow transgender children use restrooms or locker rooms affiliated with the gender that they now associate with. (Thoreson) This article is a rallying cry well put together using logos and pathos in a great balance to educate a spur action to continue to protect children in the LGBT community.

            The author begins with briefly telling the reader about HB1008 a bill that was approved by the house and is now going to the state senate for finalization. The bill as is explained lightly would not allow transgender children to use lock rooms or bathrooms with the gender that they associate with. It would in fact force them to be defined by the gender they were born as (Thoreson). Then later gives the reader an official statement made by the represenitives quoting them as saying “transgender people (are) “unfortunate” and “twisted” This piece is the best logos one could ask for in an argument it is fact they went on record to say these things and the emotional response is intensified by this.

            Mr. Thoreson then gives another great source of information on how things proceeded with this story. A first-hand account of the hearing that went on his first hand account as he attended this hearing. He tells the reader that “Transgender students, parents, educators, faith leaders, and advocates drove in from all corners of the state to testify against the bill” this is what he saw and is an indisputable fact. Again he uses pathos with logos to give the readers hope and inspires a sense of pride in the reader to have so many come to the defense of those who normally have none.

            Lastly he give any who read this a bread crumb by saying those who support the bill are out of state lobbyists who have been on the front lines and against LGBT rights of any kind. This does not hurt the argument as it should in fact is makes it stronger. Mr. Thoreson empowers the reader to fact check this small bread crumb and begs us to question why would out of state lobbyists be so aggressive towards the LGBT communities weakest members? Why would they be so intent on singling out transgenders? Mr. Thoreson does not give us the reason in fact he even tells us when these groups were asked the same questions they themselves could not even give an answer.

 

                                                                    Works Cited

Thoreson, Ryan. "Dispatches: South Dakota Nears Dangerous Precedent." Human Rights Watch.       N.p., 12 Feb. 2016. Web. 29 Feb. 2016. <https://www.hrw.org/news/2016/02/12/dispatches-south-dakota-nears-dangerous-precedent>.