Good morning Mr. Chairman and members of the committee.
My name is Anna Amundson. I grew up in Hayti, South Dakota and currently live in Sioux Falls. I am also a transgender woman who changed my name and legal sex on my birth certificate in April, 2001, in Minnehaha County court. Since 2001, I have earned a bachelor's degree, a master's degree and a Ph.D., and have returned to South Dakota to work in my field. Had there been a discrepancy between my legal documentation and my gender presentation, it's unlikely I would have bothered applying for higher education in the first place.
Trans people need the ability to update our legal documentation in order to function in this society. In the 20 years since I updated my birth certificate, other states have changed their laws to match South Dakota's.
I urge you not to take a step backward. Please vote no on House Bill 1076.
Thank you for your time.
*Amending the sex data field on your birth certificate is commonly referred to as changing your gender marker.