▁in ▁the ▁U . S . ▁state ▁of ▁South ▁Dak ota ▁may ▁face ▁some ▁legal ▁challeng es ▁not ▁experienced ▁by ▁non - L GB T ▁residents . ▁Same - sex ▁sexual ▁activity ▁is ▁legal ▁in ▁South ▁Dak ota , ▁as ▁is ▁same - sex ▁marriage . ▁However , ▁disc rim ination ▁on ▁the ▁account ▁of ▁sexual ▁orientation ▁or ▁gender ▁identity ▁is ▁not ▁express ly ▁addressed ▁in ▁the ▁state ' s ▁civil ▁right ▁law . ▁ ▁Law ▁regarding ▁same - sex ▁sexual ▁activity ▁Prior ▁to ▁European ▁settlement ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 8 th ▁and ▁ 1 9 th ▁centuries , ▁there ▁were ▁no ▁known ▁legal ▁or ▁social ▁pun ish ments ▁for ▁eng aging ▁in ▁hom osex ual ▁activity . ▁Per ception s ▁toward ▁gender ▁and ▁sexual ity ▁among ▁the ▁Native ▁Americans ▁were ▁different ▁to ▁that ▁of ▁the ▁Western ▁world . ▁Several ▁had ▁trad itions ▁of ▁" third ▁gender " ▁people ▁( now ad ays ▁also ▁called ▁" two - sp irit ") ▁who ▁would ▁dress ▁and ▁act ▁as ▁the ▁opposite ▁gender , ▁perform ▁tasks ▁associated ▁with ▁the ▁opposite ▁gender ▁and ▁be ▁fully ▁recognized ▁as ▁such ▁by ▁the ▁members ▁of ▁the ▁tribe . ▁Among ▁the ▁Dak ota ▁people , ▁male - b od ied ▁people ▁who ▁act ▁as ▁female ▁are ▁known ▁as ▁w ink ta , ▁and ▁as ▁w í ŋ kte ▁( or ▁w ink te ) ▁among ▁the ▁Lak ota ▁people . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 8 6 2 , ▁the ▁Dak ota ▁Territ ory , ▁which ▁included ▁modern - day ▁North ▁and