88 South Carolina Educators Issue Letter Opposing Anti-Transgender Bills

COLUMBIA, SC – Today nearly 90 educators – including teachers and counselors – from across South Carolina released a statement expressing strong opposition to anti-transgender legislation. The letter, an effort coordinated by SC United for Justice & Equality, includes opposition to legislation that would prohibit transgender youth in middle and high school from participating in student athletics.

The letter’s release comes moments before a new bill, H.4153, will be heard by the South Carolina House Special Laws subcommittee, on Thursday, April 8 at 9:00am. A representative from the SC United for Justice & Equality coalition plans to read from the letter as part of the testimony against H.4153.

H.4153 is nearly identical to measures that have already been rejected twice in the 2021 South Carolina legislative session – first on March 16 when the House Judiciary Committee tabled H.3477 and then shortly after when lawmakers tried to include the bill through the South Carolina budget. 

The letter (available here) reads, in part:

“Transgender students, like other students, deserve the same opportunities to thrive as any other student. That means being able to participate in school athletics, through which they can learn sportsmanship, leadership and self discipline, and build a sense of belonging with their peers. ….

H.4153 would block children from having the opportunity to play sports, through which they develop and learn to use core brain functions. Studies have shown that children that participate in sports, in and outside of school, are more interactive and focused in class, are able to absorb and recall information better, and have lower stress levels. This, in turn, positively affects their academic performance.”

Emily Mayer, a public school teacher in Bluffton, said today:

“On behalf of the 88 educators in South Carolina who have signed this letter, I urge lawmakers in Columbia to reject anti-transgender bills, including H.4153 today. As a public school teacher in South Carolina with a masters degree in education policy, I’ve been worried all year about my students and students across the state. But now, as lawmakers consider this bill to single out transgender students in middle and high school for discrimination, I’m even more worried. I cannot fathom how some elected officials in our state could decide that now is the time to push a divisive bill that will further isolate transgender youth during the hardest collective period we’ve faced in a generation. 

This bill targets trans kids and tells them that they are not allowed to access the myriad benefits of athletics. It tells them that they don’t deserve the same chances to learn teamwork, sportsmanship, leadership and self discipline as their peers. It tells them that they don’t belong. I hope lawmakers will come to understand that our school communities are stronger when we are accepting of all, and that we must oppose any effort to discriminate against people because of who they are.”

The letter goes on to condemn H.4047, which is also pending in South Carolina. This bill would prohibit transgender people under the age of 18 from receiving essential medical care by making it a felony for medical professionals to provide transition-related care to transgender minors, punishable with up to 20 years in prison. The bill also essentially requires educators to “out” transgender students to their parents, potentially before they are ready to share. The risks of outing a youth include caregiver rejection, loss of housing, and poor mental health outcomes.

Educators who want to add their name to the statement can click here to sign on.

Advocates from the SC United for Justice & Equality coalition are available to speak with media about the legislation and its damaging impact on transgender youth. 

Click here to view a backgrounder and FAQ about H3477, which is nearly identical to H.4153.