SC House Education Subcommittee Advances Anti-Transgender Bill on the Eve of Transgender Day of Visibility
Today a subcommittee of the South Carolina House Education Committee voted to advance H.4608, a bill that would prohibit transgender students in middle school, high school, and college from participating in school athletics. The bill now heads to the full House Education Committee. A Senate companion bill, S.531, is awaiting discussion on the Senate floor.
More than a dozen advocates for transgender equality shared powerful testimony about the ways that discriminatory bills harm the mental health of youth, and why this particular bill is unnecessary. Following that testimony, anti-trans forces spoke in favor of the bill. In doing so, they misgendered trans people and used anti-transgender slurs. In response, the trans and nonbinary people in the subcommittee hearing walked out.
On Thursday, March 31, transgender leaders will gather for a press conference on the steps of the SC Statehouse to oppose H.4608 and S.531 and send a message of love and support to transgender youth. The press and visibility event will be hosted at 8am ET on the South steps of the SC Statehouse. Media interested in attending should RSVP to Adam Polaski at adam@southernequality.org or text/call 610-306-7956. Click here to learn more.
Melissa Moore (they/them pronouns), a leader in the SC United for Justice & Equality coalition and the Low Country Manager of WREN: Women’s Rights & Empowerment Network, said today:
“These bills attacking the transgender community are already disrespectful attempts to legislate us out of existence. Today our opponents and extremist lawmakers added insult to injury by deadnaming, misgendering, and using slurs to demonize our community. Today, the day before Transgender Day of Visibility, more than a dozen trans and non-binary South Carolinians refused to be disrespected and walked out of the hearing. But we will return every time trans youth are attacked, because we love our community and will work against attacks at any cost.”
Ivy Hill (they/them pronouns), a leader in the SC United coalition who also serves as the Executive Director of Gender Benders and the Community Health Program Director of the Campaign for Southern Equality, added:
“Our team has shown up again and again and again to testify against anti-transgender legislation here in South Carolina, and we’ll keep doing it. As I reflect on Transgender Day of Visibility, I am so proud of our coalition of transgender and queer voices who are speaking out and being visible here at the SC Statehouse.”
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.
