We the People is a blog series that features the stories of members, supporters, volunteers, and allies of the American Civil Liberties Union of North Dakota. Together we are accomplishing critical work in our state to protect and advance civil liberties across the midwest and beyond. 

Kadyn Wittman is from Wilmar, Minn. She has been a part of the ACLU of South Dakota team for over a year and recently started a new position within the team to grow community and member relationships. 

Recently you started a new positon within the ACLU. What will you be doing?

My new role is Community Engagement Associate for the ACLU. There are a broad range of new responsibilities that come with it, but my main focus will be to create and implement new ACLU events across the state to engage with more local members and build lasting relationships with different organizations and businesses in North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wyoming. These new ACLU sponsored events will range from educational opportunities like volunteer trainings to entertaining events, like our recent Pints & Politics mixer in Rapid City.

Why is community important to you?

I have been deeply invested in my Sioux Falls community, and especially its non-profit sector, for nearly 10 years. I love living in Sioux Falls and see many opportunities for our city to expand and strengthen its capacity for community. I’ve donated my time to many local and statewide organizations like PFLAG, Planned Parenthood, and the ACLU. All of these organizations have one thing in common: they advocate for disenfranchised populations in our city. By providing our city with much needed resources, they also create a community of support for the populations they serve. These support communities add so much value to our city and I can’t wait to see how they continue to serve Sioux Falls in the future.

How is the ACLU empowering a new team of volunteers?

When looking at the programming for our chapter of the ACLU, I noticed that there were a lot of people in our community who wanted to donate their time and talent to us but felt unsure where to begin. People loved to sign up to help at our events but would often show up not quite sure what we do or how to talk about our work. This reminded me of when I was a young ACLU volunteer; excited and enthusiastic about the cause but also hesitant about how the work itself was carried out. I want all of our volunteers and members to feel empowered and capable when talking about whom the ACLU is and the work we accomplish. Recently, I created our first ever Volunteer Training Program and have taken it to different communities across the state. This training teaches ACLU volunteers about the ACLU as a whole and the work we are doing here in North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wyoming.

What advice would you have people trying to make a difference in their communities?

Make two lists:

• List any talents or special skills you have
• List organizations you feel passionate about and want to donate your time to?

After you’ve completed your lists, reach out to those organizations and work with them to find the best way to utilize your time and talent. These organizations most likely have lots of projects for volunteers to help with, and with an established presence in the community you can be sure your time will make a big impact! 

What is one thing you’d like people to know about the work you do?

There is never an “off season” when it comes to defending civil liberties. Anything you can give us – your time, talent, or a donation – is greatly appreciate and helps us continue our tireless work in South Dakota!

Read more stories on our We the People blog. 

We the People is a blog series that features the stories of members, supporters, volunteers, and allies of the American Civil Liberties Union of North Dakota. Together we are accomplishing critical work in our state to protect and advance civil liberties across the midwest and beyond.

Andrew Malone is from Newnan, Georgia. He joined the ACLU of South Dakota as our the Staff Attorney (admission pending in S.D.) in August 2018. 

When did you first hear about the ACLU and why is the work appealing to you?

I first heard of the ACLU while obtaining my undergraduate degree in international political science. One of the first courses I took in the field focused on how to rebuild countries that had been torn apart by years of civil wars. The professor kept stressing how the most important step in putting a country back together was to create a functioning Rule of Law. He talked about how vital it was for people to believe that their government would treat all of its citizens fairly and in accordance with an unbiased set of laws. Then he said that it was equally important to have trusted organizations within the country that could challenge the government when it stepped out of line. He listed a few examples, including the ACLU. I was not familiar with the organization and scribbled a note in the margin of my paper to look up the term later. When I did, I was blown away by the huge role the organization has played in our country’s history. I still believe that my college professor was correct and that the work the ACLU does is a vital part of maintaining our country’s Rule of Law.

How does the ACLU and our work relate to you personally? Are there any issues you feel most connected to?

After I graduated from law school, I spent two years working for a judge in Connecticut. During this time, some of the most common cases that I worked on were appeals from people who had applied for disability benefits and been denied. The people seeking these benefits were almost always vulnerable members of society and these benefits would often have a huge impact on the quality of their lives. When I worked on these cases, I got a small window into their lives and how often they had been overlooked and left behind by a government that was supposed to be supporting them. These cases had a big impact on me and made me decide to focus my career on helping people who may otherwise be overlooked in our society.

How do you plan on using the work you do at the ACLU to advance civil rights and civil liberties for all North Dakotans?

I want to make sure that no one who is suffering a civil rights violation is overlooked or unheard. One of my responsibilities as the new staff attorney is to read our legal intakes. This is where people from around the state can write to us, tell us about issues that they are experiencing, and request assistance. Sadly, we do not have the resources to get involved in every situation that someone writes to us about; however, I can guarantee that I will read every letter that is sent to us and do my best to address as many of these issues as possible. 

What would you tell someone who is considering joining the ACLU as a volunteer or member?

Do it! The ACLU is not a large organization and any support from volunteers or members is always appreciated.

What are you most looking forward to as a new member to the team?

This is where I should probably say something about how excited I am to fight for civil liberties (which I am), but I am most excited to get to explore! I love to travel and to experience new areas of the country and I can’t wait to learn everything that I can about my new state.

There are a multitude of people that make up the LGBTQ+ and Two Spirit community.

In fact, there are over 16,000 adults in North Dakota who identify as something other than cisgender, heterosexual, or straight. We know that tracking each part of the acronym can get a bit confusing, so we are hoping to tighten up a few of the details. Let’s talk about what LGBTQ+ and Two Spirit mean, and dive into what each letter stands for. 

Keep in mind this is just a broad definition, and it may vary between person to person. Each person's identity is something they hold tightly, and shouldn’t be assumed. Don't hesitate to take the time to get to know people and ask questions.

• L (LESBIAN)
  Someone who identifies as a lesbian, is a woman who has an emotional or romantic connection to another woman. 
• G (GAY)
  Someone who identifies as gay, can be defined by a man who has emotional or romantic attractions toward another man. 
• B (BISEXUAL)
  Someone who identifies as bisexual is sexually, romantically, and or emotionally attracted to people of all genders. 
• T (TRANSGENDER)
  Simply put, folks who identify as Transgender don’t align with the gender they were asigned with at birth. 
• Q (QUEER)
  Queer is often used as an umbrella term for anyone that doesn’t identify as heterosexual or cisgender. Queer is a broad term that some may prefer to identify as because it doesn't feel like a label and has a sense of vagueness to it. The "Q" in LGBTQ+ & Two Spirit is also often used for Questioning, which means how it sounds. It stands for someone who isn't quite sure how they identify yet. 
• + (PLUS)
  This term, in the spectrum encompasses (or at least attempts to) folks that might be missed by the previous letters. 
• TWO SPIRIT (2s) 
  Two Spirit is a third gender found in many Native American cultures, often involving folks who identify with multiple genders and express themselves as such. 

Thanks for taking a moment to learn more about what it means, at least broadly; to be LGBTQ+ and Two Spirit. Becoming better informed will help you be a better ally and friend to all people. Take a moment to share this page with your peers and let us know what you think about the LGBTQ+ & Two Spirit acronym by setting up a time to talk with us about sharing your story. Just email Adam at ajorgensen@aclu.org