South Carolina Attack On Trans Kids

This week the South Carolina Senate Education Subcommittee advanced the anti-transgender student sports bill, S.531 & it now moves to the full Senate Education committee. This bill would prohibit transgender students including those in middle, high school & college from participating in student sports. Even after powerful testimony from community members opposing the bill the subcommittee voted 3-1 to advance S.531 to the full committee with a favorable ruling. Ivy Hill a leader of the SC United for Justice & Equality coalition who also serves as Executive Director of Gender Benders & Community Health Program Director of the Campaign for Southern Equality stated, “Let’s be clear about what happened today: A bill that lawmakers know is unnecessary was advanced to full committee to score political points with anti-transgender forces around a manufactured issue. Transgender youth have played sports consistent with their gender identity for a long time & the South Carolina High School League already has a reasonable policy in place to protect transgender youth while ensuring a level playing field & a safe, friendly environment. S.531 will not solve any real problems, but it will create & is already creating a flood of them. New research has illustrated the extreme damage that bills like this have on the mental health of transgender youth, with 85% of trans or nonbinary youth saying anti-transgender bills negatively impact their mental health. That’s why I want transgender & queer youth across South Carolina to know that we love them, we support them & we will never stop fighting alongside them for dignity, respect & inclusion here in South Carolina.” During the 2022 legislative session dozens of states are considering legislation related to LGBTQ discrimination. For More Info…