House Bill No. 1057
Our Position: Support
Brief Description:
The South Dakota Catholic Conference supports the passage of House Bill 1057. HB 1057, known as the Vulnerable Child Protection Act, would prohibit medical providers from prescribing puberty-blocking drugs and cross-sex hormones, or conducting mutilating surgeries on a child who has emotional distress surrounding his or her sex. HB 1057 would protect boys and girls from harmful medicalization with unknown, potentially life-long consequences. As theories of sex and gender inconsistent with nature and the natural moral law are increasingly prevalent in popular culture, it is just that the law protect children while they develop and mature physiologically, emotionally, and spiritually. With deep compassion for the experience of suffering that marks those with gender dysphoria, the Church firmly insists on the dignity of all human persons as created and loved by God, and further expresses special affection for the marginalized and suffering. HB 1057 would ensure children, especially those experiencing distress concerning their sex, are given the chance to develop and grow in understanding the gift of their created nature without pressures towards harmful medicalization.
