South Dakota’s Dangerous Plan to Abandon Transgender Kids

After the fight over HB2 — the disastrous and discriminatory 2016 law passed in North Carolina — lawmakers across the country are proving wary of taking up extreme anti-transgender measures and proposals. The economic and political costs paid by that state and then-Governor Pat McCrory have sent a clear message that support for transgender rights is not only a moral choice but a popular one.

Now, South Dakota is on the cusp of becoming the first state since North Carolina to pass an explicit attempt to restrict and alienate transgender people. Known as a teacher gag rule, HB 1108 — which has passed the House and is now in the South Dakota state Senate — would prohibit teachers from “instruction in gender dysphoria,” a phrasing so vague and broad it could be applied to any discussion of transgender people, our rights, or the barriers many of us face. Read more...

By Gillian Branstetter