South Dakota state Rep. Erin Healy, a Democrat, described the notion that children are safest in a family with a married mother and father as a "dangerous and un-American belief."

"Extremist group Family Heritage Alliance said this morning that the safest place for kids are in families that have a married mom and dad. What a dangerous and un-American belief," Healy tweeted on Monday.

Family Heritage Alliance's website indicates that the group wants "South Dakota be a state where God is honored, religious freedom flourishes, families thrive, and life is valued."

Healy lamented the failure of a measure to redefine marriage as between two people, rather than between a man and a woman. She retweeted a post in which a reporter said that the state House Affairs Committee had killed the bill in a 7-5 vote.

"The grip from fundamentalist groups who only believe in nuclear families is strong at our state legislature today. I am disgusted by the extremist opposition we heard today and disappointed we couldn't pass such a simple, important bill," Healy tweeted.

\u201cThe grip from fundamentalist groups who only believe in nuclear families is strong at our state legislature today. I am disgusted by the extremist opposition we heard today and disappointed we couldn't pass such a simple, important bill.\u201d

— Representative Erin Healy (@Representative Erin Healy) 1676305052

"It takes exactly one man and one woman to make a child. In what world is it 'dangerous and un-American' to believe that children—all else being equal—have the highest chance at positive outcomes in a loving home with the people who created them?" Delano Squires tweeted.

\u201cIt takes exactly one man and one woman to make a child. In what world is it \u201cdangerous and un-American\u201d to believe that children\u2014all else being equal\u2014have the highest chance at positive outcomes in a loving home with the people who created them?\u201d

— Delano Squires (@Delano Squires) 1676413441

"I thought this was a parody until I looked at the rest of her timeline. Children do best with a mother and father in a healthy, committed relationship. That's reality. I guess reality is too extreme for her," someone else tweeted.

\u201cI thought this was a parody until I looked at the rest of her timeline.\n\nChildren do best with a mother and father in a healthy, committed relationship.\n\nThat's reality.\n\nI guess reality is too extreme for her.\u201d

— Orietta Rose \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf2 (@Orietta Rose \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf2) 1676418690

South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, a Republican, signed a commonsense measure on Monday to prohibit health care professionals from providing gender reassignment surgeries and other transgender-related services to minors.

But earlier this month, Healy described the measure as "extremism at its finest" and claimed that "kids are going to die because of this bill."

\u201cWe know that kids are going to die because of this bill. We know that most Republicans realize that this bill and its testimony is full of lies and misinformation. I am disappointed by the lack of moral courage in this Capitol.\u201d

— Representative Erin Healy (@Representative Erin Healy) 1675371886

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