A bill in the South Dakota House requiring the sex on someone’s birth certificate to reflect their biology at birth was defeated Tues morning in committee on a 7-6 vote, but was revived later by the full House through a rarely-used legislative procedure known as a “smoke out.”
The bill would prevent someone from amending their birth certificate later in life to reflect a sex reassignment.
LGBTQ advocates decried the bill and its revival as an attack on transgender people. Several, including pastors and transgender South Dakotans, testified against the bill in-person and over video call
Around 15-20 protesters showed their opposition outside the Capitol in single-digit temperatures.
Bills that affect transgender people have become a perennial topic in the South Dakota legislature, although transgender advocates say they are making progress in getting their voices heard.