All eyes on South Dakota: new bill targeting trans kids and their access to healthcare

Out Leadership — the largest and oldest coalition of businesses working towards LGBTI equality — is extremely concerned about the anti-trans legislation in South Dakota targeting kids and their access to safe medical care. You can read the thorough analysis of this dangerous bill by Out Leadership’s civil society partner — Human Rights Watch — here.

South Dakota’s House State Affairs Committee voted 8–5 to consider a bill — the so-called Vulnerable Child Protection Act — that would make it a misdemeanor for doctors to chemically or surgically interfere with a gender-non conforming child. The bill — which can be read here — will arrive on the House floor Monday.

Civil society organizations at the national and local levels — such as the Trevor Project — are working hard to try and block the bill from passing.

As a coalition business — some of which operates in the state — Out Leadership is preparing a statement expressing the concern of the private sector with a bill targeting trans kids. A bills interfering with human rights of LGBTI children would send a particularly negative signal about the business climate in the State in a context where employees, consumers and investors are increasingly paying attention to human rights and business.

Contact me at fabrice.houdart@outleadership.com if you know of businesses operating in South Dakota which would be willing to join this initiative and sign a joint statement opposing the bill.