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    Trans Youth Emergency Project open to South Dakotans affected by gender-affirming care ban

    By Morgan Matzen, Sioux Falls Argus Leader,

    1 day ago

    South Dakota families seeking youth gender-affirming care, after it was banned with the passage of House Bill 1080 in 2023, can apply for support for such care with a new nonprofit partnership.

    The Trans Youth Emergency Project is now available in the state with help from the Campaign for Southern Equality and the Transformation Project, a local nonprofit with a mission to support and empower transgender individuals and their families while educating communities in South Dakota and the surrounding region about gender identity and expression.

    This emergency project helps families of transgender youth identify and pay for out-of-state gender-affirming care as anti-trans healthcare restrictions pass across the U.S. Families can apply for support that includes $500 grant funding, renewable every six months, and patient navigation services to seek help.

    https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=3PjTE6_0uvebPYo00

    South Dakota and its neighbors in North Dakota, Iowa, Nebraska and Wyoming have all banned gender-affirming care for youth. Montana’s ban is on hold by court order. Minnesota is the only nearby state that doesn’t ban gender-affirming care .

    Transformation Project Director Susan Williams said she and the organization are honored to partner on the project to give families options to continue their child’s gender-affirming care.

    More: What would make South Dakota safer for the LGBTQ+ community? Not just policies alone.

    “We want transgender youth in South Dakota to know that no matter what laws they pass in Pierre, your community sees you, and we have your back,” Williams said. “We know that if we support each other, we can overcome oppressive laws and support young people who are being bullied by the state.”

    The project is expanding as the Supreme Court prepares to consider the state-by-state bans, according to a press release from the Campaign for Southern Equality, which states that it’s a “process that will leave families in legal limbo for at least a year, forcing many to travel long distances and navigate a complex, expensive landscape to access care.”

    Since the project launched, more than $500,000 in direct emergency grants have been awarded to more than 1,000 families and individuals.

    This article originally appeared on Sioux Falls Argus Leader: Trans Youth Emergency Project open to South Dakotans affected by gender-affirming care ban

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