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Watertown teen talks about being trans in South Dakota

Alex Rambow in "We're here"
"We're Here" HBO
Alex Rambow in "We're here"

This story is from SDPB's daily public-affairs show, In the Moment, hosted by Lori Walsh.

Alex Rambow spoke with Morning Edition host Stel Kline back in November. His mom, Amy, started a queer community group called "Watertown Love" several years ago to surround her son and other young people with support.

Alex Rambow talks about what it's like to live in South Dakota. During the conversation, Rambow references the "The trans panic law." The law is a legal defense strategy where a jury is asked to consider how sexual orientation or gender might have created a sense of so-called panic that prompted a defendant to act violently, thereby excusing crimes committed against LGBTQ people.

In 1999 the Gay Panic defense was famously attempted during the trail following the murder of Mathew Shephard, a gay man in Laramie, Wyoming. Eight states have now passed legislative bans on the use of the gay/trans panic defense in court. South Dakota has not.

Sexual orientation and gender identity are the third highest motivators for hate crimes in America, behind race and religion.

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Lori Walsh is the host and senior producer of In the Moment.