What could you do with $136,000?

This year during “pride month” the SD Department of Health (DOH) contracted with the Transformation Project, bringing them on as a “consultant” and agreeing to pay them $136,000. The contract was exposed in a recent article by the Daily Signal, and here’s what you need to know.

First, a bit of background on the Transformation Project. The group formed a number of years ago in response to legislative attempts to protect women’s sports, ensure locker room privacy, and prohibit the chemical castration of children. The group firmly holds to the belief that a child can be born “in the wrong body,” and has partnered with Sanford Health to host the Midwest Gender Identity Summit.

The contract between DOH and the Transformation Project was signed in June of 2022. It outlined the details of how the group would “Develop a sustainable CHW program within the organization.” The Collaborative Health Worker (CHW) program is a network of individuals who serve as a liaison between the healthcare systems in the state and a specific community of people. In this case, the liason would be advocating that surgeries and injections are needed healthcare. You can learn more about the CHW program here. You can find the full contract between DOH and the Transformation Project here.

What does all of this mean? By choosing to contract with the Transformation Project, the DOH has decided that chemical castration and genital mutilation qualify as “healthcare.” It means that your tax dollars were used to advance an ideology that is leaving a trail of broken, mutilated bodies in its wake.

What can we do? We can remain vigilant and active, holding our elected officials accountable. For too long, the SD Legislature has seen this as “someone else’s problem” or “not an issue in our state,” but it’s time to take action. In 2020 the SD Legislature attempted to prohibit the dangerous injections and surgeries on minors, but the bill was killed. This year, we are trying again. It’s time to stop castrating children. It’s time to stop experimenting on their bodies. It’s time to stop allowing elected officials to dodge the issue and pass the buck.

Action Points:

Contact Governor Noem: Thank her for terminating the contract and ask her to support legislation that would protect children from castration and genital mutilation. Contact Governor Noem here.

Contact your legislators: Encourage them to stand strong and protect children from experimental injections and surgeries. Find your legislators here.

 

UPDATE: South Dakota Health Secretary Out of a Job After Noem Discovers Transgender Groups Contract