Kristi Noem orders Health Department to terminate Transgender group contract

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (Dakota News Now) - South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem instructed the S.D. Department of Health to terminate their contract with The Transformation Project, which is a transgender activist group, according to The Daily Signal

This group is hosting a “Gender Identity Summit” next month, at the Sanford Research Center. As this summit approached, it was brought to Noem’s attention, which is when she made the decision to terminate the contract.

“Gov. Kristi Noem is reviewing all Department of Health contracts and immediately terminated a contract with The Transformation Project,” Ian Fury, Noem’s chief of communications said. “The contract was signed without Gov. Noem’s prior knowledge or approval.”

“South Dakota does not support this organization’s efforts, and state government should not be participating in them,” Noem said in a statement provided by Fury. “We should not be dividing our youth with radical ideologies. We should treat every single individual equally as a human being.”

Fury also reported that The Transformation Project had not complied with its state contract. The organization had failed “to submit required quarterly reports for two consecutive quarters,” among other violations.

The Transformation Project and Sanford Health will be hosting the Midwest Gender identity Summit on January 13th at the Sanford Research Center in Sioux Falls.

The summit will provide many workshops, focused on topics such as “Providing Gender Affirming Care,” “Gender Affirming Care and the Attitude of Affirmation in Assessment,” “How My Journey as a Transgender Provider Has Impacted Patient Care,” and “Lessons From Transgender Patients.”

The Summit as well as Sanfords involvement was under fire from critics before Noem made this announcement as well,

“Trusted medical professionals should be counted on to ‘do no harm.’” Linda Schauer, Concerned Women for America South Dakota state director, told The Daily Signal. “South Dakotans want young people to be healthy and happy in the sex that God created them to be. So why is Sanford Health promoting this summit?”

Neither Sanford or the Transformation project have commented on the summit.