Trans & Queer Field Day
Celebrating Visibility, Resilience, and Community for Trans and Queer South Carolinians
On May 16, 2021 in Columbia, SC,
members of the LGBTQ and allied community in South Carolina came together for Trans & Queer Field Day, an afternoon of community-building and celebration about the end of the 2021 legislative session. The afternoon, which featured a demonstration at the statehouse and a BBQ and festival at MLK Park, was coordinated by members of the SC United for Justice & Equality coalition. More than 250 people attended the event.
(Photos by Mahkia Greene)
Video: Supporting LGBTQ Equality in South Carolina
This video, edited by Liz Williams, recaps Trans & Queer Field Day and checks in with LGBTQ people and allies in South Carolina on what they want to see happen for LGBTQ South Carolinians.
Illustrating Transgender Visibility in SC
Throughout the 2021 legislative session, South Carolina legislators followed a national trend of pushing anti-transgender bills and introduced three types of anti-LGBTQ bills overall - including one to prohibit trans students from participating in school sports and one to criminalize doctors for providing trans-affirming medical care. The bills forced transgender people to speak out publicly like never before and share their stories. Coordinated efforts from LGBTQ South Carolinians resulted in none of the bills passing or advancing to a full chamber this year.
To mark this unprecedented rise in visibility and own the community’s growing political power, attendees at Trans & Queer Field Day formed a huge human flag in the colors of the transgender pride flag, on the steps of the SC Statehouse, where trans bodies and lives were discussed as nauseam this year.
Speaking Out at the SC Statehouse
The day kicked off with a press conference in front of the flag, when Eight LGBTQ and allied South Carolinians reflected on the victories of the 2021 legislative session and the ways that trans and queer youth and their supporters pushed back. Here is video from each of the speeches:
Ivy Hill
Ivy Hill (they/them) of Gender Benders and the Campaign for Southern Equality kicked off the event. “Trans people deserve joy just like anyone else,” they said. “We deserve freedom and love and dignity and an equal chance to thrive.”
Deb Foreman
“How do we support our youth in a state that is working so hard to take away their rights and basic humanity?” asked Deb Foreman (she/her) of PFLAG Spartanburg and the Uplift Outreach Center. “Here’s how: We show up.”
Sunshine Bella Goodman
Sunshine (she/her), a board member of the Alliance for Full Acceptance, had a powerful message for trans youth: "You are loved, you are supported, and there is a whole wide world waiting just for you.“
“This event is a direct rebuttal to the anti-trans attacks. They tried to exclude trans kids from sports, so we’re going to play kickball and games all day. They tried to ban trans-affirming care – so we’ve got legal and medical professionals at the park who are ready to vaccinate folks, assist with name and gender marker changes, and get folks tested. They tried to take away safe and supportive spaces, so we are creating our own. That’s what we’re here to celebrate today: The beauty and resilience of trans people in South Carolina.”
Isabella Macbeth Cain
Isabella, who plays for a rugby club in Charleston and is a Trustee of International Gay Rugby Diversity & Inclusion and a Board Member for Charleston Rugby, shared her story of being an athlete and the confidence it has brought her.
Jonatan Guerrero Ramirez
Jonatan (He/Him/Él) of the Closet Case Thrift Store, operated by We Are Family in Charleston spoke about the intersectionality inherent in this campaign, thanking folks from the movements for reproductive, environmental, and racial justice for showing up.
Ameera Medina
“Even though they did not become law, these bills hurt,” said Ameera (she/her), a board member of We Are Family. “They hurt our youth just by their very introduction.”
“When we defeat these anti-transgender bills – and believe me, we will defeat them – we will need to build the South Carolina we want to live in. A place where LGBTQ people can not just survive, but thrive.”
Eli Bundy
“Can we agree, as a state, to stop doing this next year? To stop picking on young people? “ asked Eli Bundy (they/them), a 16-year-old trans student who has spoken out against anti-trans bills and testified against them, too.
Melissa Moore
“It will be hard. We will not win every time,” said Melissa Moore (they/them) of WREN. “But if we keep our heads up, support each other, stay accountable to each other, and keep up the fight, we will win – because ultimately, we are right.”
Photos from the Statehouse Event
Photos by Mahkia Greene
Building Community at MLK Park
Following the event at the statehouse, community members moved to MLK Park, where they shared food, made friends, caught up, and built community.
Photos by Mahkia Greene
Services Offered at Field Day
In addition to being able to play games, relax, and enjoy a Sunday, attendees had access to a wide range of free services, in line with the coalition’s vision that healthcare and legal services should be widely accessible to communities that face disproportionate barriers to access.
COVID-19 Vaccines
The team from SCDHEC came to the park to distribute COVID-19 vaccines in their mobile unit, so that folks who had not yet been vaccinated to protect themselves and their neighbors from the pandemic could do so right at the park.
Hormone Replacement Therapy
The amazing doctors at QMed were excited to attend Field Day – and coalition members paid for attendees to start up on hormone replacement therapy.
HIV Testing
Partners from the SC United coalition offered on-site HIV testing and provided $20 Visa gift cards for everyone who got tested at Field Day. Knowing your status is so important.
Saying Thanks to Lawmakers
As we celebrated the end of the 2021 SC legislative session, we also signed thank you cards to lawmakers who voted to support transgender young people and reject anti-LGBTQ bills.
Healing Justice Team
Field Day also featured mental health providers and somatics practitioners on-site to provide support to attendees, along with wellness kits.
Planned Parenthood
The team from SCDHEC came to the park to distribute COVID-19 vaccines in their mobile unit, so that folks who had not yet been vaccinated to protect themselves and their neighbors from the pandemic could do so right at the park.
Letters for Gender Marker Changes
QMed was also on hand to offer to write letters for a gender marker change from medical professionals, for free. The letters will arrive after the Field Day event in the mail.
On-Site Free Thrift Store Clothing
Our coalition at the Harriet Hancock Center arrived with a free pop-up thrift store that included free clothing items, shoes, and more for Field Day attendees.
Kickball Photos!
Of course, Field Day would not have been complete without a rousing game of kickball. The “Field Day” concept for the day was a direct refutation of the coalition’s months-long effort to defeat bills to restrict transgender students in middle and high school from participating in school sports. Proposals like this were defeated on five separate occasions – twice in the House Judiciary Committee, and three times during negotiations around the state budget. In early May, the Senate Education subcommittee held a hearing on its version of the bill but adjourned without a vote since so many supporters of transgender equality showed up to testify against the bill. Attendees had a blast with the extremely competitive kickball match.
Photos by Mahkia Greene
Thank You, Organizing Team!
This team spearheaded an amazing Trans & Queer Field Day in SC, and we’re grateful for them!
